Arvilla Galusha's Letters to Her Mother in Berkshire, Vermont
By the time Arvilla Galusha left Vermont for Lowell in the mid-1800's, many Irish immigrants fleeing the Irish potato famine were arriving in Lowell. She refers to the Irish, as well as to the continued growth of the mills, in the letter excerpts below.
May 19, 18__
My Dear Mother I have just received your letter and hasten to reply. I am at work in No 1 mill and board at Mrs Sawyers 110 Prince etc. I did board at No 9 dutton street on the Merrimack corp but they had mostly Irish so my room mate and I . . . came over here because there are more Americans. . . .
You asked me what made me leave Winooski [Vermont]; I will tell you. The work was too hard . . . I thought I would go home. I happened to get hold of a Boston Journal [newspaper] and I read in it that the mills were starting up so I made my tracks for here. . . . I went right to the mill got a place the first time asking. . . .
June 27, 1857
Dear Mother . . . How do you do and how are you getting along? I hope that you will not kill yourself at work in the garden this summer but I expect that you will for you are always so ambitious. I think of you a great deal and long to be with you but I must get a living by my labor. . . .
My health is very good this summer. I have worked quite steady so far through the summer. The foreigners are so much in the ascendancy here that the yankees are afraid to celebrate. . . . Catholicism is gaining ground very fast in this city. The know nothing performance did more hurt than good here . . .
I want to come home very much and think I shall next fall if nothing happens. I have had my ears pierced and have got me some pretty cameos. They cost two dollars.
Well the merimac company are building another great mill and then we shall need some more boarding houses but I hope I shall not be here then for I am about sick of working in the mills. . . . Well I must stop for I am going to meeting to night so good by till I write again. . . .
Notes: The first letter above was written before the post office put the year on the postmark.