Letter signed Flora [Byrne], Byrnham Wood, to My own dear Eliza [Mrs. Charles F. Mayer, Franklin Street, Baltimore, Maryland]. Am overjoyed at the birth of your little daughter, Eliza. She will fill the blank left me by the death of my little one. Let me know all about her. This is a healthy place. I expected quite a bit of company from St. Louis this summer but they stayed away because of a false report that our landing was under water. I am going to lose my only visitable neighbors who are moving to Hannibal. We had a dreadful freshet this afternoon and my garden is entirely destroyed. Edmond will feel deeply the destruction to his hemp crop of which he was so proud. Individuals mentioned include Edmond, Lizzie, Eliza, Aunt Flora, Mr. Elliot, Matthews, John Levering, Anne Levering, Mrs. Dr. Alexander, Annie, and Mr. Mayer. Places mentioned include Saint Louis, Hannibal, St. Francisville, Byrnham Wood, Baltimore, and New York. (4 pages), [1844] July 23

Item — Box: 1, Folder: 1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Mayer Family Papers consist of the correspondence of Flora Byrne to Mrs. Charles F. Mayer. Describes her life and family at Byrnham Wood in Clark County near Winchester, Missouri. Includes correspondence from various members of the family in Baltimore, Maryland. The letters contain many sidelights on the state of development in that day, mention well-known characters, and show the facilities for transportation between the Atlantic seaboard and St. Louis. The latest letters, dated in 1861, document Civil War movements in St. Louis and Baltimore. The collection also includes miscellaneous correspondence regarding the donation and the drawings of Francis [Frank] Blackwell Mayer.