Dear Misses McQuesten,

I have been thinking I probably would be remiss if I did not write to you even though my letter might seem to be superfluous since you, probably know how I must feel with regard to the splendidly generous contribution which you both have made in offering "Whitehern" to the Board of Park Management as a memorial to the McQuesten family and to your brother Tom whom I knew so well.¹

I will not enlarge in any eulogistic manner on what the McQueston [sic] family has done and meant to this city and to this province. To do so would be redundant and time and space not adequate. I simply want you to know how pleased and delighted I am at what you have done and how much it is appreciated. I express the hope that you will feel pleased and happy in the result which you have accomplished and the fact that others, the citizens of this city are grateful and appreciative of your generosity.

May I close by extending every good wish to you that you will long enjoy good health and happiness the pleasure that should be yours as a result.

Yours sincerely,

William F. Schwenger

¹ Calvin had enlisted the help of Professor Eric Arthur from the School of Architecture at the University of Toronto in order to help convince Mary and Hilda to give the house to the city after their deaths. At the time this particular letter was written, Mary's, Calvin's and Hilda's ages were (respectively) 84, 82 and 81. Neither they nor any of their siblings had any descendants to whom the property could be bequeathed. For the documents related to Calvin's scheme to convince his sisters, and the Hamilton Parks Board's acquisition of "Whitehern," in chronological order, see:
Box 04-111, 1958/09/29
W8697a, 1958/10/06
W8701a, 1958/10/06
W8273, 1958/11/06
Box 04-012, 1958/11/06
Box 04-113, 1958/11/07
Box 05-002, 1959/02/01
Box 08-140, 1959/11/03
Box 09-233, 1959/11/04
Box 14-090, 1960/06/18
Box 04-113a, 1971/05/04