Lewis Gillilan and Ellen Benson were young adults who lived in Utah during the first decade of the twentieth century. Between the years 1909 and 1910 they engaged in a long-distance courtship, which ended in an elopement. In that period, they wrote many letters to each other which were full of details about what shaped their relationship. Such details ranged from romantic expressions to disagreements about religious beliefs. Their letters also frequently included references to their work and education, which tell a story of a state going through both agricultural, industrial, and social development. This paper explores themes present in Lewis and Ellen’s letters that connected them to Utah’s development, examines how they communicated love and affection across distance, and gives the reader an insight into who they were. Lewis and Ellen’s story was unique and multifaceted and offers a look into many less frequently discussed aspects of Utah’s history
