The Elizabeth Hughes Letters

[Envelope]

History

This small collection of letters was written to Elizabeth ("Bette") Anna Hughes by her home town boyfriend Tom while she was a student at Mount Holyoke. Tom was still in Torrington High School when she went away to college. He graduated from Torrington High School in 1934, implying he is a year or two younger than she is. Unfortunately, he never signed his full name or put his return address on the letters. By the 1940 census, Bette is married to a man named Tom McCormick Jr who is a year younger than she is, so it is likely that the letter writer is her future husband. He almost never fully dated his letters, preferring instead to just refer to the day of the week (example: "Mon. eve.") in the beginning of the letter. I used that, and the postmark, to make an estimate for the full date on those letters.

The Images

All documents have the first page scanned, and comments about their contents are included below.

A Letter Written on Apr 3, 1933, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Apr 4, 1933 9:30am in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (South Rockefeller Hall).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Apr 5, 1933, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Apr 6, 1933 9:30am in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (South Rockefeller Hall).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Apr 18, 1933, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Apr 19, 1933 1:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (South Rockefeller Hall).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on May 8, 1934, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked May 9, 1934 9:30am in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Woodbridge).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on May 14, 1934, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked May 15, 1934 9:30am in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked May 16, 1934 10am in South Hadley on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Woodbridge). Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on May 23, 1934, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked May 24, 1934 9:30am in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked May 24, 1934 from Boston & Water RPO, May 24, 1934 from New. & Spring RPO, and May 25, 1934 10am in South Hadley on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Woodbridge). Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Jun 6, 1934, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Jun 7, 1934 3:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Woodbridge).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Jan 18, 1935, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Jan 18, 1935 3pm in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked Jan 18, 1935 at Bos [...] RPO, and Jan 19, 1935 10am in South Hadley on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Woodbridge). Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 15, 1935, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Feb 15, 1935 1:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked Feb 15, 1935 from Boston & Water RPO on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College. Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter.

A Letter Written on Apr 16, 1935, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Apr 16, 1935 12pm in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked Apr 16, 1935 at Boston & Water RPO, and Apr 17, 1935 10am in South Hadley on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College. Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Apr 23, 1935, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Apr 23, 1935 12pm in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked Apr 23, 1935 at Boston & Water RPO, Apr 23, 1935 from New & Spring RPO, and Apr 24, 1935 10am in South Hadley on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College. Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Dec 13, 1935, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Dec 13, 1935 1:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked Dec 13, 1935 at Newport & Springfield RPO, and Dec 13, 1935 at Boston & Water RPO on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Pearsons). Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Mar 10, 1936, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Mar 10, 1936 9:30am in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Mead). Inscription on the reverse in Tom's handwriting: "Action / Thought / Pleasantness-Unpleasantness"
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Mar 18, 1936, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Mar 18, 1936 9:30am in Torrington, Conn. Transit marked Mar 18, 1936 at Boston & Water RPO on the reverse. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Mead). Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Apr 3, 1936, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Apr 3, 1936 3:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Mead).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Apr 7, 1936, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Apr 7, 1936 1:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Mead).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Jun 2, 1936, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Jun 3, 1936 7:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes at the College (Mead). Transit marked Jun 4, 1936 10am in South Hadley on the reverse. Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Dec 2, 1936, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Dec 3, 1936 1:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes in Framingham, Mass (Box 99). Transit marked Dec 3, 1936 at Boston & Water RPO, and Dec 4, 1936 7am in Framingham, Mass. on the reverse. Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Jan 19, 1937, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Jan 20, 1937 1:30pm in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes in Framingham, Mass (Box 99). Transit marked Jan 20, 1937 at Boston & Water RPO, and Jan 21, 1937 7am in Framingham, Mass. on the reverse. Special delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 26, 1937, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Feb 27, 1937 6:30am in Torrington, Conn. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes in Framingham, Mass (Box 99).
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Aug 6, 1937, from Tom to Elizabeth Hughes
envelope Postmarked Aug 7, 1937 6:30am in Torrington, Conn, and Aug 9, 1937 in Greene NY. Addressed to Miss Elizabeth Hughes in Greene NY and forwarded to 576 Prospect St, Torrington, Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.