Skip to main content

Advanced Search

Greer Heritage Museum collection

Etta Bailey Burgiss papers

Type: Collection
Title: Etta Bailey Burgiss papers
Description: This is a collection of letters gathered by Etta Bailey Burgiss. It includes:
– letters from her mother, Victoria Cunningham Bailey, to Victoria's sister
– letters between Victoria Bailey, W.C. Bailey, and Etta Bailey
– letters from W.W. Burgiss to Etta Bailey
– letters from friends to Etta Bailey
Subject: Personal communication among family and friends.
Table Of Contents: Unit 1: Victoria Cunningham Bailey correspondence
Unit 2: Victoria Bailey to Etta Bailey correspondence
Unit 3: W.C. Bailey letters
Unit 4: W.W. Burgiss letters
Unit 5: Etta's letters from friends
Unit 6: photographs
Unit 7: steel box
Unit 8: envelopes
Creator: David Lovegrove
Provenance: Collected by Etta Bailey Burgiss, passed down the family to her grandson, Shuman Gerald, who donated the collection to GHM.
Storage Location: Curator's office
Accession Number: 2022.1.n.n
Accession Date: April 8, 2022
Accession Creator: David Lovegrove
Relation: Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham Bailey; William Clark Bailey; William Wesley Burgiss (Burgess); Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham (possibly Sullivan) — August, c. 1860-61; Envelope of letter from Victoria Cunningham to Margaret Sullivan; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — June 25, 1861; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — October 9, possibly 1861; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — December 16, 1861; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — January 28, 1862; Envelope of letter from Victoria Cunningham to Margaret Sullivan; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — March 31, 1862; Envelope of letter from Victoria Cunningham to Margaret Sullivan — May 9, 1862; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — May 9, 1862; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — June 19th, 1862; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan and Mary — February 22, 1863; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — April 25, 1864; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — June 5, 1864; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — August 22, probably 1863 or 1864; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — January 30, 1865; Envelope of letter from Victoria Cunningham to Margaret Sullivan — February 27, 1865; Letter from Victoria Elizabeth Cunningham to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — June 2, 1865; Envelope of letter from Victoria Cunningham to Margaret Sullivan — August 14, probably 1865; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — September 30, 1865; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — August 21, 1866; Envelope of letter from Victoria Bailey to Margaret Sullivan — August 24, 1866; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — December 30, 1866; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — likely May 1867; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — July 3, 1867; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — undated, around the summer of 1867.; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — December 27, 1867; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — undated, probably early 1868.; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — July 4, probably 1868; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — December 6, likely 1868; Letter from Victoria Cunningham Bailey to Margaret Cunningham Sullivan — March 21, 1869; Undated envelope, blue, not postal service; Undated envelope, cream, not postal service; Envelope, cream, July 7; Note: “This is every single one of them.”

Items

Advanced search

Metal Photograph of Woman
Envelope to Miss Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey, Greers Station, S.C.
Envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Etta Bailey
Addressed to Miss Etta Bailey, Greenville, S.C. Stamped "Greers Depot. S.C. Nov 29 1881"
Envelope addressed to Etta Bailey
Envelope addressed to Etta Bailey
Envelope to Miss Etta Bailey
blue envelope addressed to Miss Etta Bailey stamped "Greers Depot. S.C. Oct 22 1881"
Envelope addressed to Miss M. Etta Bailey
Yellow envelope addressed to Miss M. Etta Bailey, Greenville, S.C. Stamped "Greers Depot. S.C., Jun 24 1881"
Envelope to Etta Bailey
Blue envelope addressed to Etta Bailey, Greenville, S.C. Stamped "Greers Depot. Oct 30, 1881"
Envelope addressed to Etta Bailey
blue envelope addressed to Etta Bailey
Envelope with dried corsage
Envelope with what appears to be a dried corsage inside of it.
Envelope to Mrs. Smith and Holiday Card
Envelope: Addressed to Mrs. Smith; Stamp dated 1928 Card: "With best wishes for your happiness at this Season and throughout the New Year"
Envelope: from Minnie Cunningham to Etta Bailey — June 26, 1887
Letter from Minnie Cunningham to Etta Bailey — June 26, 1887
Letter from Minnie Cunningham to Etta Bailey — July 11, 1886
Letter from Jen, to Etta Bailey — July 7th, 1886
Letter from Minnie Cunningham to Etta Bailey — May 14th, 1886
Letter from Minnie Cunningham (Burgiss) to Etta Bailey — April 26, about 1886
Minnie Cunningham was daughter of Sophonia Cunningham Prince (Victoria’s sister, mentioned in her letters), and Etta’s cousin. She would marry Frank Burgiss, Will’s brother — making her Etta’s sister-in-law as well.
Letter Jen, to Etta Bailey (with a note from W. W. Burgess) — March, 1886
The mysterious note from Will is quite puzzling; it appears to be written from Will to Jen, though the letter is from Jen to Etta.
Letter from Jen, to Etta Bailey — February 11, 1886
Letter from Jen, to Etta Bailey — December 23, 1885
Letter from Jen, to Etta Bailey — August 10, 1885
Letter from Jen, to Etta Bailey — January 10, 1885
We don’t yet know who Jen is; however, the Tumbling Shoals address gives a hint, as that is the home of Victoria’s sister Margaret. Jen calls her “Aunt Margaret” in the letter, so Jen is not her daughter. Jen also, curiously, calls Victoria “Cousin Vic,” rather than the more expected “Aunt Vic.” Etta is 18 at the time of the first letter.
Postcard: From W. W. Burgiss to Mrs. S. B. Gerald, 111 Williams Street, Greenville, S. C. Postmarked West Palm Beach, FLA, on April 14, 1940