The letters below represent a portion of the letters written to and by Blanche Peden Payne that are found in the Margaret Payne Collection.  Because not all of Blanche's correspondence is included in this Digital Exhibit, the letter numbers are not sequential.  

These letters represent a span of time from just prior to Blanche's marriage in 1909, to just before the start of World War II.  The years 1900-1940, known as the Progressive Era, represent a time of tremendous growth, progress, expansion, and development.  However, these years also saw multiple wars, economic depression on a global scale, and civil strife and challenges on the national front.  While not all of these events are represented in the letters, it is certain that Blanche and her contemporaries would have experienced at least some of their effects on various areas of their daily lives and within their communities.