Skip to main content

Flora Baker Hiett Correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-2023-008

Scope and Content

The collection includes forty-five letters. The majority are written to Flora Hiett Baker of Winchester, Virginia, between 1869-1873, with some being undated. The majority of the letters are written to Flora fram family and friends before and after her marriage. Some letters are written from her future husband, Joseph Hiett. There are five letters from 1867-1869 from Flora to her Joseph Hiett before their marriage. Collection includes some letter fragments. There are three letters to and from individuals who have an unknown affiliation with Flora.

In Photograph Copies and Information, there are printed copies of Flora's life. Photographs include Flora when she was young, Flora in family portrait, and a drawing of the family's house. There is a printed copy of a newspaper article detailing Flora's 101st birthday and how she has lived through 5 United States wars. There are two printed documents from Ancestry with information on Flora and her family.

In Correspondences, 1870, three letters are written from two of her cousins. One letter is from her cousin Mick who responds to a letter she wrote him, and based on her first letter, he describes her as, "a woman of thought, of refined feelings, of tender sensibilities, and pretty strong-minded, too, for a country lassie." He explains the life in the city to her and refers to her as from the country or as rustic. Mick's letters to Flora contain vivid prose and descriptions, with one such example, "those whose hearts have been passion-tossed till the very desolation of shipwreck itself is a kind of relief -- they only can know the inestimable worth of genuine love and truthfulness."

In Correspondences, 1871, there are seven letters from different individuals to Flora. Some letters include additional handwriting in pencil on them. One letter addressed to Flora details the writer, Henry's, recent experiences and items sent in the mail, along with the message, "I have caught the quilt fever and you can help me partially to recover from it by sending as your portion of th emedicine one square. Please ask Mis Hal, Mis Julia, & Miss Attie if they will not also help to cure their friend as he is very very ill, the size of square." The papers also include pencil writing from Flora as a response to the letter, and she writes, "I am always sorry to hear of any of my Friends hav-ing the fever, but as I do not consider your case a serious one ... we will each take pleasure in aiding your recovery." Her response also describes how a neighbor arrived to their home and told them of a dead body by their gate, and her "Pa and the Boys" went to investigate. The letters show the sense of humor between Flora and Henry. Another letter from Camille Baker expresses her concern for Flora that her flowers died, and she asks, "Why didn't your sisters wat-er them for you?"

In Correspondences, 1872, there are eleven letters. One letter from a family member explains the details of Flora coming to visit in Washington D.C., and the writer explains that she will keep "busy sight-seeing as long as you choose to remain here." A letter from around half a month later asks if Flora still planned to visit as they had not heard anything, and Camille Baker was "overjoyed" to see her cousin. Another letter to Flora explains the death of her cousin's young son, and Flora wrote a response in pencil along the paper. One letter discusses turkeys and the price of them in Washington, D.C., and her cousin Mick using details like "the perfect healthfulness of the Mr. Gobbler" when describing the turkeys to Flora. Along with this, the folder includes a letter written to Flora's sister, Julia.

In Correspondences, 1873, there are three letters all from Flora's brother Will. He explains "how much pleasure a letter from home affords" him whenever he receives a letter from her. He asks quite a few questions about a pair of pants and where to send them.

In Correspondences, Unknown Year, there are eight letters. One letter includes a piece of polkadot cloth. One letter is sent to Lizzie Baker, but does not state the sender of the letter. Another is sent to "Ma" but also does not include the name of the sender. Flora's writing features again on a letter to her from Susan, and she responds in pencil. Some letters come from Joe Hiett requesting her to write to him soon. One letter explains the person's daily life along with how "the Chickens and they will not lay eggs." Because the letters do not contain a year, they follow a pattern by the month written on them.

In Flora's Correspondences, 1869, there are seven letters written by Flora. One letter from Flora is sent to "My almost Bro" where she requests him to come visit her soon. One letter to Joe describes her time at a cemetery and the beauty of it. Throughout the entire letter, she responds to different letters he sent her over time. At the end, she explains that she will now wait for his next one. Another letter to Joe includes her writing along the margins and at the top of the paper. One letter to Joe opens by discussing his fever and chills, and she describes a girl she knew who died from fever and chills, and she writes, "remember she was but a girl and boys do not mind what hurts girls." Two letters to Joe are very faded, but legible.

In Flora's Fragments, undated, there are three pieces of paper written by Flora, although they do not contain the entire letter. One is a torn piece of paper. Another fragment includes a message asking for a sack pattern, and Flora writes in pencil on the paper. It does not seem like she responds to the sack patten message, but rather a different letter. Another piece includes a P.S. section where she discusses how she often writes long letters, the "hedge fever" going around as people worry about their hedges, and a fever that she is still recovering from. She ends her letter by saying, "I've a crow to pick with you."

In Unknown Relations Correspondences, there are three letters to and from individuals whose relationships to Flora are unknown. One letter is from 1854 describing recent trips and visits with family members, from one brother to another. Another letter is from 1878 between the brothers again. The third letter is written by someone else and is undated. This letter opens, "I almost stand alone now most every person has died that was grown when I first came to Ky. children who were small are now grandfathers or mothers." Later the author writes, "What do you think of the political situation & do you think the South will ever shake off the yoke of the present government? Every thing looks glommy." The letter continues to describ Grant and martial law. Later, the author writes, "This is a poor mis-erable world we live in dear Brother do let us try to get to a better."

Dates

  • Majority of material found within 1869-1873, undated

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Administrative History

Flora Baker Hiett was born on August 17, 1844 in Winchester, Virginia, United States of America. According to the envelopes in the collection, she still resided in Winchester, at the time of her writing. She often wrote to her future husband, Joseph "Joe" Thomas Hiett. The two married on November 11, 1873, in Frederick, Virginia, at her father's home. In 1913, she submitted a form for Virginia's Confederate Pensions where she explained that she lived in the state her entire life and presently resided in Fairfax, Virginia. She writes that Joe passed away on April 9, 1907. She resided with her daughter, Katie Lee Unverzagt, at the time of the pension form and into the 1930s. According to the 1940 census, she moved in with her son Henry Hiett in Arlington, Virginia. In 1945, a local newspaper published an article about her living to her 101st birthday and living through 5 wars. The article says she married in 1872, but the Ancestry marriage database and her form on the Confederate Pension state 1873. She shared that she attended the Falls Church Episcopal Church, played the piano, and gardened. Her sister Julia Jifkins is mentioned in the article, and some of Julia's letters are in the collection. She passed away at the age of 104 on July 18, 1949, in Falls Church, Virginia.

Sources:

"Flora Baker" entry. Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/261825:60214. Accessed March 22, 2023.

"Flora B. Hiett" entry. Year: 1910; Census Place: San Francisco Assembly District 33, San Francisco, California; Roll: T624_97; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0079; FHL microfilm: 1374110. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/184256523:7884. Accessed March 22, 2023.

"Flora B. Hiett" entry. Year: 1920; Census Place: Falls Church, Fairfax, Virginia; Roll: T625_1886; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 33. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/63198770:6061. Accessed March 22, 2023.

"Flora B. Hiett" entry. Year: 1930; Census Place: Falls Church, Fairfax, Virginia; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0009; FHL microfilm: 2342176. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/97699572:6224. Accessed March 22, 2023.

"Flora B. Hiett" entry. Year: 1940; Census Place: Arlington, Virginia; Roll: m-t0627-04245; Page: 62A; Enumeration District: 7-3. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/16650387:2442. Accessed March 22, 2023.

"Mrs Flora Bakia Hiett" entry. Library of Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Confederate Pension Rolls, Veterans and Widows; Collection #: CP-2_091; Roll #: 91; Roll Description: Fairfax County (surnames But - Y) to Fauquier County (surnames A - Br). Ancestry.com. Alabama, Texas and Virginia, U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/544472:1677. Accessed March 22, 2023.

Extent

0.3 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection includes forty-five letters. Majority are written to Flora Hiett Baker of Winchester, Virginia, between 1869-1873, with some being undated. The majority of the letters are written to Flora fram family and friends before and after her marriage. Some letters are written from her future husband, Joseph Hiett. There are five letters from 1867-1869 from Flora to her Joseph Hiett before their marriage. The collection includes some letter fragments. There are three letters to and from individuals who have an unknown affiliation with Flora.

Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in September 2019.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Flora Baker Hiett Correspondence by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Flora Baker Hiett Correspondence was completed in March 2023.

Title
Flora Baker Hiett Correspondence, 1867-1873
Status
Completed
Author
Kaitlynn Harless, Graduate Assistant
Date
2023
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308