Ard Godfrey

Title: Letter Describing His Work at the Sawmill
Type: Letter
Date: 1848
Source: Minnesota Historical Society

Description: Ard Godfrey describes his work on the sawmills at the Falls of St. Anthony.
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Activities:

1. What can this source tell us about Godfrey's work at the Falls?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: He was working for Steele and considered building a sawmill, but he has some trouble with another of Steele's employees.
2. Why do you think Godfrey (whose family was in Maine at this time) might want to work so far from home?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: Godfrey wanted to make a good living for his family. During this time, many men went all over the country for jobs that had better wages. They would often be away for months at a time.
3. From this letter, we know little about Godfrey's official arrangements with Franklin Steele. What other kinds of sources might help us find out more about Godfrey's work for Steele?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: Agreements were drawn up that explained exactly what an employee was expected to do and how much they would be paid for their work.
4. Looking at the close-up of the source, what might be the cause of the "backward writing" that makes this more difficult to read?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: Ink may have seeped through from writing on the back of the page, or pages of the letter may have been stored together and transferred their messages to each other. It is also possible that the hand pressure from writing on the pages transferred the images.