Search

Start Over Names Parham, Maria Louise Southerland, 1840-1903

Maria Louisa Southerland letters .03 Cubic Feet 1 folder (letter sized)

Weddell, Alex W. (Watson), 1841-1883

This collection consists of five personal letters written by University of Virginia student Alex W. Weddell to Maria Louisa Southerland between 1860 and 1861. The letters, hand-sewn with a single red thread, are dated February 24, 1860, October 30, 1860, November 16, 1860, December 10, 1860, and January 22, 1861. They are intimate in nature, discussing the friendship and relationships between Alex and Maria, as well as referencing shared acquaintances. The envelope is addressed to Maria L. Southerland at Jones' White Sulphur Springs in Warren County, North Carolina. In 1860, Warren County was the wealthiest county in the state, and the town of Warrenton was home to two prominent resorts featuring hotels, hot springs, and academies for young men and women. Jones' Springs was owned by William Duke Jones, who had six children with his first wife, Mary Speed, and seven more with his second wife, Angelina Peete. In one letter from December 1860, Alex recalls spending "last summer" in Warrenton, North Carolina, at Jones' Springs, where he socialized and likely met Maria.

  1. University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.

Content Warning

ARVAS is an aggregator of archival resources. ARVAS does not have control of the descriptive language used in our members’ finding aids.

Finding aids may contain historical terms and phrases, reflecting the shared attitudes and values of the community from which they were collected, but are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical or mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Many institutions and organizations are in the process of reviewing and revising their descriptive language, with the intent to describe materials in more humanizing, inclusive, and harm-reductive ways. As members revise their descriptive language, their changes will eventually be reflected in their ARVAS finding aids.