Letters Home to Widener’s Valley

Ross Brown

A project to share and contextualize the letters sent home to Widener’s Valley, Virginia, by my great-grandfather, Oscar Widener between 1918 and 1919 during the First World War. In addition to reading the letters, some background and context are provided.

Episodes

  1. 01/18/2025

    Episode 7 - October 21, 1918

    In episode seven we read the first letter we have from Oscar Widener to his wife, Myrtle Wright, after his arrival in France. Additional context is provided concerning the American Expeditionary Forces.

    5 min

  2. 01/02/2025

    Episode 6 - October 6, 1918

    This episode features Oscar Widener's first letter home from France with information about his trip across the Atlantic Ocean and the letter's recipient, his father, David Campbell Widener.

    7 min

  3. 01/02/2025

    Episode 4 - September 10, 1918

    We explore Oscar's last letter home to Myrtle before he is shipped off to the battlefields of Europe. The episode includes more information about the Widener family, including Oscar's Revolutionary War veteran Michael Widener.

    9 min

  4. 10/29/2024

    Episode 5 - Special Episode: Music from the Valley

    A detour from Oscar Widener's letters as we listen to music sung by Charles Jackson Brown, Sr., a contemporary resident of Oscar and Myrtle Widener. Recorded in the 1960s, the songs range from old ballads to a church hymnal. Joining Brown are long time Washington County residents, Howard Litton and Katherine Mock.

    18 min

  5. 08/26/2024

    Episode 3 - August 9, 1918

    August 9, 1918 letter from Oscar Widener to his wife, Myrtle Widener. In this, one of his longest letters, Oscar talks more about his camp experience and we try to understand Myrtle's world back home.

    13 min

  6. 02/22/2024

    Episode 2 - August 5, 1918

    Oscar Widener's second letter home to Widener's Valley from Camp Lee, Virginia. Addressed to his wife, Myrtle, and dated August 5, 1918.

    6 min

  7. 02/22/2024

    Episode 1 - August 2, 1918

    Oscar Widener's first letter home to Widener's Valley, addressed to his newlywed wife, Myrtle Wright, on August 2, 1918 from Camp Lee, Virginia.

    7 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

A project to share and contextualize the letters sent home to Widener’s Valley, Virginia, by my great-grandfather, Oscar Widener between 1918 and 1919 during the First World War. In addition to reading the letters, some background and context are provided.

Information