We welcome Easter morning today, just as this postcard did 101 years ago. This card is from an unknown publisher who appears to be the very same unknown publisher for the post entitled Easter Greetings To Uncle Dewey. Anyway, this is another beauty showing a couple of ever-so-cute brown and white bunnies; one is stationary and the smaller one, at the bottom of the card, is running and has his back feet up in the air. The background is white with a beautifully embossed flower design; white embossed flowers appear in the corners; the border is yellow-green and the caption is gold-tone with colorful capital letters. The card was sent from the Fletcher, Kansas post office, and the sender wrote:
“Hello. I received your card a long time ago, was glad to get it. How are you, I am just fine. Wish I could see you. How are you teaching school. Best Easter greeting – your Friend. Elsie Winger”
Addressed to: “Miss Mattie Winter, Richmond, Kans.” It looks like the date was either March or May 18, 1913. Check out how the embossing looks as seen from the back of the card – so cute! In searching for the addressee in online records, we find quite a few entries. The 1910 Federal Census taken in Richmond, Franklin County, Kansas, is one such entry, and shows Mattie with her widowed father and her sister. The census shows: Austin W. Winter, teamster, born Illinois about 1852; Anna L., no occupation, born Kansas about 1881; and Mattie J., Public School teacher, born Kansas about 1889. Since there is no street address for Mattie one assumes Richmond was a small town in 1913, and a Wikipedia search indicates that as of the 2000 Federal Census, the population in Richmond Township was 812, and some more searching confirms that Richmond was indeed a small community back when this card was sent. See the excellent website listed below re Franklin County for more history on the town.
As to the sender, Elsie Winger: This was a puzzle for a short while, as Fletcher, Kansas was not identified online as a current or defunct town. It turns out Fletcher was the name of the post office which was located in Mitchell Township, Stanton County, KS. We then can be quite confident in assuming that it is the correct Elsie Winger, with her parents and brothers, that is on the 1910 Federal Census taken in Mitchell Township. (No other possibilities show up.) This census shows: James H. Winger, farmer, born Indiana about 1873; his wife Luiza J., born Missouri about 1880; Elsie M., born Kansas about 1901; William H., born Kansas about 1907; and Harold K., born Kansas about 1908. It’s interesting to note that this census shows an Elsie M. Chapman, also age nine, living next door to the Wingers. So, Elsie Winger would have been about twelve years old when she wrote and sent this postcard to friend Mattie, who would have been about twenty-four.
Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked March or May 18, 1913 from the Fletcher post office, Mitchell Township, Kansas. Publisher unknown.
Price: $10.00
Sources: Year: 1910; Census Place: Richmond, Franklin, Kansas; Roll: T624_439; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0099; FHL microfilm: 1374452. (Ancestry.com)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Township,_Franklin_County,_Kansas
http://www.franklincokshistory.org/places-2/towns/richmond/
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/archives/1912/f/fletcher.html
Year: 1910; Census Place: Mitchell, Stanton, Kansas; Roll: T624_455; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0208; FHL microfilm: 1374468. (Ancestry.com)