The meaning of the word occidental is “Western” as opposed to oriental meaning “Eastern.” (Never knew that.) Occidental is a small town in Sonoma County, California, that was founded in 1876 as a railway stop on the North Pacific Coast Railroad, connecting Cazadero to the Sausalito ferry. Occidental was originally called Howard’s Station, after local landowner and Danish immigrant,  “Dutch Bill” Howard (real name Christopher Thornassen Folkmann), who granted the railway access from his land. Present day online browsing shows a lovely spot that we naturally now want to visit, in the wine country of Sonoma County, nestled in the Redwoods, near the Russian River…beautiful B & Bs…

But this card, with an illustration of pink and red carnations, is another in the Ethel Main Collection. Addressed this time to:   “Miss Ethel Main, 3622 – 18th Street, San Francisco, Cal.”  And the sender wrote:

“Dear Cousin, I received your kind & welcome letter. Hope[?] I wont go down on Saturday the 8. will write you a letter in a few days. your Cousin Cordelia.”

Cordelia’s writing is a slightly hard to read but there is at least an easy way to verify part of the message:  The 1912 calendar for June, shows that June 8th was indeed a Saturday; this card bearing the postmarked date of June 6.

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Publisher unknown, possibly printed in Germany. Series or number 4. Postmarked June 6, 1912 from San Francisco, California.

Price:  $5.00

Source:  Occidental. n.d https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occidental,_California. (accessed July 2, 2015).

Howard Station Cafe. http://www.howardstationcafe.com/#!ourstory/csgz. (accessed July 2, 2015).