Every so often I get the chance to spend time going through our myriad of archival documents.

With the help of volunteers we are working hard to organize the articles so they are easily accessed when I am researching a topic or someone asks a question. It’s a time consuming process, but a valuable one to continue our mission of sharing family history.

In one folder we have a collection of letters written by George Hormel dating from the 1880s. Have you ever tried to read the handwriting of someone from that era? It’s a challenge and takes some understanding of the context of the period to decipher words and meanings.

I am grateful to volunteer Joanne who has taken to the task and has transcribed nearly 20 letters into legible format. Over the next few weeks I plan to share with you pieces of early correspondence mostly between George A. Hormel and his parents.

George Hormel respected his father greatly. He had learned from him as a young boy, but in these excerpts from a letter, dated Nov. 9, 1887, George expressed his need for continued guidance and his hope for his future in his new venture with Friedrich and Hormel Butchers and Packers.

“Dear Father,

I want some pointers in regard to our tanking outfit — so please answer the following questions at your earliest convenience. How long do you have tallow cook and under what pressure of steam — when do you commence cooking? Do you let it stand in tank after you turn off steam overnight — and draw tallow off in the morning when you have no cooler? We have a pipe connected with pipes feeding the tank running to our scalding tub. Can we run another joint pipe for the tub in which we want to cook out the bones, heads, feet & hooves? Can we feed the bones into the tub and tank at the same time? If we can produce steam enough — or will it- interfere with the tallow in tank? … Think I have asked you all — we have all the butchers in town butchering at our slaughter house — and not a bone or anything goes out without being cooked. We have a man there steady doing all the butchering and I raise the roof if there is the least sign of carelessness …”

“The delivery man, a boy of 18 years keeps busy delivering and helping in the sausage room-so there is five of us and we have no time to loose and keep things in shape. Hope trade will keep up this way — if it does I will have quite a surplus by next June.

With love to all the household.

I remain your son

Geo A Hormel”

With his bold signature, George closes his letters always with an expression of love and devotion to his family.

Soup & Spirits Holiday Open House

4-7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 18

Tours, Vintage Photos, Gourmet Soups and Live Music

$15 per person

Hearth & Home Series: Surfacing Strengths through Challenge

10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 21

Sandy Anderson will present how life transitions, unexpected changes, and relationships that challenge us can create opportunities to learn new skills and tap into undiscovered resources that allow you to respond with intention rather than just react to the circumstances before you. Free