Christmas Letters (part 3)

Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry shares a Christmas letter written by the daughter of a California Gold Rush 49er when she was 15. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

Over the last few months, I have shared some letters of California Gold Rush 49er Francis Henry Nicholson (1829-1884) and his wife Elizabeth “Lizzie” Charles (1836-1912). These letters span through the next generation, and today I bring a Christmas letter written by their daughter Anne “Annie” Mary Nicholson (1864-1950), written when she was age 15 in 1879.

Anne was spending Christmas with her Aunt Anne Charles in San Jose, California, along with her brothers Francis Richard (Frank) Nicholson, age 13, and Louis Frederick Nicholson, age 10. Her parents were on their farm in Madera, California, with their other children.

Anne writes an endearing letter praising her Aunt’s Christmas feast and expressing gratitude for the presents sent by her parents, and mentions the severely cold temperatures.

Anne’s letter:

San Jose, Dec. 27, 1879

Dear Mamma and Papa,

I am just going down to the post office to get the mail and I thought I would write a letter so as to post it when I go up town. I must tell you how we spent our Christmas. At five o’clock we went to church and when we were coming home we thought we would freeze with the cold. When we came home Frank look[ed] at the thermometer and it was 25 [degrees] above zero.

We then ate our breakfast and Frankie, Louis, and I went to the post office and got the box you sent us and we were very glad to get the stockings and collars. Your new machine sews a very pretty stitch.

After a while about 2 o’clock we had an A no.1 dinner – roast turkey, fruit and coconut cake, mince pie, and apples. Auntie is getting to be an expert at cake. We played the rest of the day.

Mrs. Bose [Mary, wife of George Hinrich August Bose] came here in the afternoon. Annie stayed here last night and the night before. The [Bose] family, the Wells family, and the Forneys wished to be remembered to you.

Auntie is very much pleased with her collars. She says they are just what she wanted. The boys wore the new clothes and shoes to church and there was never a prouder or happier set. I must close now so good-bye.

All join me in sending love to Papa and Mamma, Uncle John, and a kiss for our dear little Joe and darling little baby Dordie [George].

I found several newsclips reporting on the frigid temperatures throughout the state of California for that Christmas. It was a rarity, but it did not stop the Nicholson children from celebrating the festive holiday.

Here is one of those weather newsclips, this one printed on Christmas Eve in San Francisco.

This article reported:

Cold Weather at Christmas

A cold wave is passing over the Pacific coast country, and the mercury was probably lower in many parts of this state at daylight this morning than it has been for nineteen years. In the winter of ’60 and ’61 there were a few days of extreme cold weather, which is probably matched by that of this date. The snow line came nearer to the coast than had been known in a long time before. The tops of the Coast Range Mountains are white in many places. Ice made last night in many places around the Bay three-fourths of an inch thick on still water. This morning boys, and even men, were seen sliding upon it with apparent safety. A great many tender plants and shrubs have been killed down to the roots. Calla lilies, many of which were just coming into bloom, are looking very sickly this morning. Last year, white lilies for Christmas could be gathered in many a garden in this vicinity. This year it is pretty certain that there will be next to none…

The cold wave has an Arctic association… When a cold snap like that of last night comes, it is something phenomenal, at least, the gardeners and nurserymen think so when they note the havoc which has been made of tender plants. It is rather brisk weather for Christmas.

On this, the second of the twelve days of Christmas, let us wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

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Note on the header image: cover of Harper’s Weekly, Volume 23, 4 January 1879.