My guest columnist today is Mr. George A. Hormel himself.

On Oct. 20, 1887, 131 years ago today, George wrote the following letter on Fleck House stationary to his father shortly after he arrived in Austin to stay. His words offered a glimpse into his early days of hard work and success. Due to the challenging to decipher handwriting, I have omitted some excerpts.

Dear Father,

Tomorrow will be just one week since I arrived at my place of business and I must say I am well pleased with the start we have. Our sales run from $40 to $80 a day, and next month we expect more new trade.

The market is the neatest and prettiest market I ever saw.  I gave them the plan for the ice chest-which is 8×18…and the part for quarters is 10×8 and holds 8 tons of ice.  Everything is finished in … Georgia pine oiled and shellacked…

We have a large slaughter house with 20 acres of ground on the bank of the river.  Three other butchers in the town do their killing there and the [offal] goes to the hogs.  We have 30 so far and are getting more as fast as we can.  We want about 60 to 70.  This is a good country for them as they don’t die off… as they do further south.  We are about to buy a tank.  I sent my partner off today to look at it.  We will buy all the rough tallow at 1 cent  per pound then gather up the market bones every two or three days and with the heads and feet at the slaughter house we can make a slop enough for lots of hogs besides saving the bones and getting the tallow out of them.  We cut up ten hogs since I have been here and have salt pork of our own already…

Wish you could come out and see our layout.  You must come in the spring if you can get away- or Christmas if you could.  So far our business is free of all encumbrances and we intend to keep it so.  We have a fair bank acct at present but expect when hogs begin to come in it will be a little short.  My partner can get $200 if I can.  So if you have any loose-and want to loan it at 8% send it along.  That would make $500.00 altogether.  So if you can let it go for one year I will give the above interest.  Same as I would have to pay here.  Write me how you feel in regards to it soon.

I remain your son,

Geo A Hormel

What’s Happening at the HHH

ASD Parent/Caregiver Event: “Working Together Through the Special Education Process”

6-7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 5

Presented by educators from the Austin Public Schools Special Services Department, the focus will be on what to expect during the referral, evaluation and IEP process. Light supper and childcare available with registration at autism@hormelhistorichome.org. Free.