10,000 Kisses

Haken S. Hazelgreen's work — railway and road construction — sometimes took him out of town for weeks at a time. It was probably from a work site in Danville (Illinois?) that he wrote this letter to his young daughter, Elna, in 1904, sending 10,000 kisses and begging her to improve her handwriting.


(Click on images to enlarge)

Danville June 28th 1904

My dear lowing Elna

How should I thank you for your kind and nice letter of the 24th inst. I am well and is glad to here that you is in the same circumstances but I am werry werry sorry I do not be able to meet your wishes and request to meet you sone but I am thinking so much more abouth you now dear lithel toddelix hwen you next writh chanse your hand a lithel wi have lithel hard to read it your lowing letter. Good by darling Lord be with you. Your afectionat pappa

10,000 kisses

H.S. Hazelgreen.

Haken was born in Sweden and came to this country at about thirty years of age, so it's no wonder if he struggled a bit with English. He was able to win contracts for significant projects and supervise American crews, but English in a nine-year-old's bad handwriting was almost too much for him.

On the outside of the folded letter, he noted that it was intended for Elna J.J. Hazelgreen, personally.