March 12, 1906Morrison, Illinois I am in Morrison, Illinois for circuit court. Nick and Ella are in LeClaire, Iowa; Nick’s mother passed on March 6, and he and Ella have been staying at the family home, taking care of estate business. His brothers are present; the Van Sant family interests […]
March 8, 190611:45 p.m.The Anning’s House I can see the porch light on for me as Nick’s driver pulls up to the curb in front of the Anning’s house, he’s bringing me home in the Van Sant’s buggy. I thank him, got out of the buggy, stand on the sidewalk […]
January 18, 1906Van Sant & WilsonSterling, Illinois The clock in the outer office chimed 8 pm. I had been reading the newspapers in the package from home for almost two hours. I admit it; I was homesick and lonely. I devoured everything in all of the newspapers from Pensacola, Marianna, […]
January 10, 1906 Dear Emmett — It is hard to believe that you’ve been gone for almost two weeks. Every now and then, I look up at dinner time and expect to see you coming in the door, with some amusing story to share about your day at the office, […]
January 18, 1906Van Sant & WilsonSterling, Illinois … I must admit it. The trip to Morrison didn’t go well at all. The entire train ride home, I tried to be philosophical about it. I’m still new here. I don’t know everyone here. It is going to take more than one […]
January 9, 2021Chevy Chase, Maryland Full disclosure: I don’t know for sure if Lila Delp was the stenographer/secretary for Van Sant & Wilson; but, she might have been. She certainly has an interesting back story that would fit the timeline and circumstances around Emmett’s time in Sterling. When I researched […]
January 18, 1906Sterling, Illinois I returned to the office late in the afternoon, after spending a day and a half in Morrison, at court. Our office secretary, Miss Delp, handed me a few letters in a folder that required my signature. No other messages? I’d asked. “No, Mr. Wilson”, she […]
October 11, 2016Chevy Chase, Maryland Those first few weeks in Sterling were an eye-opener for Emmett Wilson. Probably for Nicholas Van Sant as well. It isn’t that Emmett didn’t think he wouldn’t have anything to catch up on once he’d moved from Florida; he had a lot on his list […]
Wednesday, January 3, 1906Sterling, Illinois Sydney and I both turned at the sudden sound of footsteps coming down the hall and the outer office door opening — it was Nick. “Well, good morning!” Nick called jovially, as Sydney and I came out to greet him. Nick came over right away […]
Wednesday, January 3, 1906Sterling, Illinois It was breathtaking, the snow, all blinding white, crisp, clean, cold. White fluffy drifts and dunes everywhere. I felt light hearted. “This is wonderful,” I said to Sydney Anning, as I looked around at the blinding whiteness that was everywhere. There had been a fresh […]
