Guess what I found??

I'm finally getting around to cleaning out Catie's room. I know it's her job, but sometimes a mama's got to take matters into her own hands.

I love her, but she is a pack-rat. She gets it honest. Personally, I have a hard time saying no if someone wants to give me something. If it's in good shape, I take it thinking maybe I can use it later. It's a nasty habit I'm trying to break.

My daughter, on the other hand, has no compunction about taking stuff that's offered. Leftover yard sale stuff from her friends' parents? This is how we ended up with some kind of leg brace that covers a cast. None of us have broken a bone. I'm finding old cell phones I've never owned, sunglasses I've never seen before, lip gloss I didn't buy her. It's amazing.

But here's what blew my mind. I was cleaning out her desk drawers when I came across a yellowed, handwritten note about interior decorating and what looked like an old birthday card to someone I've never heard of before.

I ended up pulling this out:

It is a stack of letters, birthday cards and business correspondence dating from 1894 to 1957. From people I've never even heard of.

Most of the postmarks are Hicksville, Ohio, which in the northwest corner of the state.

How about this?

It's a telegram dated June 28, 1894, letting the recipient know that his or her grandmother passed away two days before.

Or how about this:

It's a pathology report dated March 13, 1930. It looks like a diagnosis of some form of eye infection, but I don't understand doctorese. Sorry.

In 1914 The Hart-Hood-Widney Co. Department Store confirmed the employment of Miss Mino Davidson as a bookkeeper and offered its recommendation of her to future employers.

And in a separate letter to her, Mr. Widney wrote: "Trust the recommend will enable you to find a good position as I know you are worthy of the same. Trust you will find it convenient to visit us at the store from time to time and to not fully forget us and the many pleasant times we have had here together in the past few years. We are sorry that you found it necessary to quit the place but we as a firm join in wishing you future success in whatever you find to do." That was sweet! I wonder why she left. Hmmm.....

I thought these letters might be from my ex husband's family. She clings tightly to anything that has to do with him. But his family is from the Newark area, on the opposite side of the state. And I've been shuttling a few of his picture albums around for 14 years now (he left those, but took all of my heirlooms. Go figure.), and I've never seen these before today.

Where on earth did they come from? If they belong to you, please let me know and I'll be glad to return them. The historian in me just keeps thinking...how cool is this?? Any ideas on what I should do with them?