This collection contains letters that Stacy wrote to her husband, Jason M. Hanson, in 1846 (7 items) and 1847 (1 item). Stacy discussed her work and wages at a local textile mill, and shared her belief that dust from the "blue drilling mill" (or "blue mill") led to health problems. She also commented on a new mill owner's initial offer of higher wages and his later claim of "hard times." Most of Stacy's letters refer to her relationship with Hanson and their plans to marry, despite financial hardships. Her final letter, written a few months into their marriage, concerns the couple's business affairs and financial difficulties. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information.
Mary H. Stacy was born on March 9, 1821, the daughter of William Stacy and Salome Whitcomb. She worked in textile mills in Ware, Massachusetts. On September 24, 1846, she married Jason Mixter Hanson (1823-1865), the son of Elijah and Mary Hanson. The couple lived in Prescott and New Salem, Massachusetts, with their two children, Charles M. and Julia. Jason M. Hanson served in the 3rd Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment, Company L, during the Civil War, and died in 1865. Mary H. Stacy died on September 30, 1911.
