To Miss Echo Grimes

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked November 2, 1907 from Tremont, Illinois. Publisher: A & S [?], New York. Art Series No. 178. Printed in Germany.

Price: $12.00

As in the prior post, one of the subjects in this postcard has an unusual first name.

Addressed to: “Miss Echo Grimes, Milford Ind. Kos. Co.”

That’s Kosciusko County in the abbreviation above. There’s also an “unincorporated community” named Milford in Dekatur County.

The sender writes: “address Mae Rassi, Tremont Ill. c/o D. Getz. Dear Echo, How are you. I am still at Ill. Think I will stay till Christmas. How is your Grandma tell her Hello. You had asked me to send you a postal. So I thought I would. Let me hear from you.”

Echo (love the name!) shows up on the 1910 Federal Census living with her grandmother, Mary A. Gilkenson, mother Minnie W. Grimes, and her younger sister[?] Helen Grimes. On this census Echo is about age 18 and working for the telephone company. The Indiana Marriage records reveals she was Mary Echo Grimes, born December 10, 1891, Milford, Indiana, parents Clem Grimes and Minnie (stated “Winma Gilkison” on the indexed record.) Echo married Charles N. Thomas on February 10, 1911, in Elkhart, Indiana.

Mae Rassi would require more research but from some quick searches it appears she might have been an in-law to the Getz family.

Heart-shaped A & S N.Y. publisher logo…

The publisher is a bit of a mystery. Nothing found yet for what appears to be “A & S” of New York.

Sources: Year: 1910; Census Place: Milford Ward 3, Kosciusko, Indiana; Roll: T624_358; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0085; FHL microfilm: 1374371. (Ancestry.com)

Original data: Indiana, Marriages. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013. (Ancestry.com)

Temple And Arnold, Coweta OK, 1910

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked 1910.

Price: $15.00

Adorable, can’t be any cuter, image of siblings (?) Temple and Arnold (surname unknown at this time) seated on a beautiful carved wooden bench. Love Arnold’s wide, striped tie! “Arnold” writes:

“Coweta Okla. Hello Grandma what do you think of us. Temple weighs twenty four pounds. I am picking cotton to get me an overcoat wish you and Cecil were here to help me how is Johnnie hope you are better by this time. Grandma P is well she helps me pick cotton some time. good by from Arnold.”

Addressed to: “Mrs. Sarah Myers. Hardin, Mo. R. F. D. #2. Ray Co.”

The addressee, Mrs. Sarah Myers, was found in the 1910 Federal Census for Crooked River Township, Ray County. She is widowed, born in Missouri about 1847, living with her son John, his wife Anna, and their children, Curtis, Daniel and Cecil. Cecil is about six years old at this time so is about the same age as his cousin Arnold. Johnnie, mentioned on the card, must be Arnold’s uncle Johnnie.

Sarah Jane’s maiden name is Weldy per Findagrave, and spouse was Joseph Young Myers. Temple and Arnold, surprisingly, were not found in records, and it’s possible these were middle names for them, and possible that Sarah and Joseph could have had a daughter born and married between census records, who married someone with the last name starting with “P.” (per the “Grandma P” reference in the postcard.)

Sources: Year: 1910; Census Place: Crooked River, Ray, Missouri; Roll: T624_806; Page: 16A; Enumeration District: 0129; FHL microfilm: 1374819. (Ancestry.com).

Sarah Jane Weldy Myers. Find A Grave Memorial# 19902230. Find A Grave.com. (accessed October 13, 2016).

Joseph Young Myers. Find A Grave Memorial# 19902165. Find A Grave.com. (accessed October 13, 2016).

M. E. Church, Webster Crossing, NY

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked from Webster Crossing, New York, November 24th. The year appears to be 1909.

Price: $15.00

A Real Photo Postcard of a beautiful little church: M.E. stands for Methodist Episcopal. The Methodist Episcopal Church (M.E.C.) was the first Methodist denomination founded in the U.S. and existed from 1784 to 1939. That’s the short version without getting into a detailed history, (as per the norm, everything is always more involved than one might initially think) what with mergers and differences of ideology, schisms and the like. But back to this particular church: it’s a charming building, we love the contrast of the dark trim against the white, the steeple (almost like a large cupola), and the lancet-style front window, with its smaller similar version above the door. The reverse of the card shows a joke we are not privy to, but imagining the laugh shared between friends, we are smiling just the same.

“are you going to church sunday night ha, ha.”

Addressed to: “Hazel Eggelson. Kanona N.Y.”

This is likely the Hazel Eggelston (no matches under Eggelson) who appears on the 1910 Federal Census with her parents, Martin and Louise, and uncle, Samuel Eggelston. All are native to New York and are living in Bath, Steuben County, at Wheeler and Kanona Roads. Hazel, born about 1896 would have been about thirteen or fourteen when she received the postcard.

Kanona is about 28 miles south of Webster’s Crossing, and Bath is about 3 miles south of Kanona, as the crow flies.

Sources: Methodist Episcopal Church. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Episcopal_Church (accessed October 2, 2016).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Bath, Steuben, New York; Roll: T624_1079; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0100; FHL microfilm: 1375092. (Ancestry.com)

Cayey, Puerto Rico

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked March 5 (year not showing) from Hammondsport, New York. Publisher unknown. Circa 1915.

Price: $10.00

“65. Cayey, Porto Rico. – Cayey is an important inland town, 2,300 feet above the sea and about 37 miles from San Juan on the military road from there to Ponce. During the Spanish-American war the city was about to be attached, [attacked] when news was received of the signing of the protocol.”

Port by any other name…

Yes, that “Porto” spelling looks odd: In browsing online newspapers it appears that both spellings were being used at least as early as the 1890s. At some point “Puerto” became the standard, but we found evidence of “Porto” as late as the mid-1950s.

The card is not in the best of shape but if this particular Charles W. Bennett family is part of yours, then it’s a very nice find! The 1910 Federal Census shows them at 1132 Oak Street but by the 1915 State Census either the house got re-numbered, or they had moved to 1113 Oak, the address on the postcard.

Addressed to: “Mrs. Charles W. Bennett, 1113 Oak St, Elmira N.Y.”

An old-time-y occupation

Charles Bennett’s occupation on both records was street car conductor; he was born about 1875; married to Jennie, born about 1873; their son, Clifford, was born about 1907. All are New York natives. The 1910 shows the young family living with Charles’ mother, Harriet, and her husband (Charles’ step-father) E. B.[?] Whitmore. By 1915, the Bennett Family has Jennie’s mom, Clara Haight, with them. The card’s sender was either Jennie’s mother or mother-in-law. She wrote:

“Dear daughter Jennie, we are very sorry to hear of your sickness and hope you are better by now. we are better than a week ago. Papa feels quite a lot better but not very well yet, I am quite well now, have a lot of snow banks did not get any mail Monday nor Tuesday. It is blowing today. hope the rest are well wish I could be out to help you. Mama.”

Sources: Year: 1910; Census Place: Elmira Ward 8, Chemung, New York; Roll: T624_931; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0029; FHL microfilm: 1374944. (Ancestry.com).

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 01; Assembly District: 01; City: Elmira Ward 08; County: Chemung; Page: 10. (Ancestry.com).

To Mrs. Johanna Johnson of Stillman Valley

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked from Stillman Valley, Illinois, circa 1910 – 1919.

Price: $15.00

“Skulle jerna skrifva ett brev men då blir min sida ond så vill ej fõrsõka. Hullo Mor Hur ãr det med er vi ãr alla friska hãr hoppas vi ãr det samma.”

Well, shouldn’t the ã and õ be spelled ä and ö?

This postcard is from about 1910 (You can’t quite read the postmarked year but it looks like it’s the 1910s for sure.) Maybe it’s a historical difference in the letters with accent marks? I will find out shortly and update this post.

“Skulle jerna skrifva ett brev men då blir min sida ond så vill ej försöka. Hullo Mor Hur är det med er vi är alla friska här hoppas vi är det samma.”

The note in Swedish appears to translate roughly as:

“I would write a letter, but then my side starts to hurt so I didn’t try. Hello Mother How are you, we are all healthy here, we hope it is the same with you”
The sender goes on to write in English…

“We have canned 75 quarts of sauce, 9 of sweet pickle, 10 of fruit Butter, 60 glasses of Jell, 29 glasses of Jam. Elin went to lottas yesterday. with love Anna.”

Most likely Anna is either of the lovely young women in the postcard photo. They both wear rings on the left hand; perhaps they are sisters. We searched for possible married names with maiden name Johnson but this is one of those that would require more time; nothing jumps out at us as an “ah-ha!” type of thing. They are hardworking, that we know, according to all those pickles and jellies, etc. that got “put by.”

The addressee, Johanna…

“Mrs. Johanna Johnson, Stillman Valley, Ill. % Chas. H. Johnson”

According to a couple of census records, Anna’s mother, Mrs. Johanna Johnson was born in Sweden in July, about 1840. The 1900 Federal Census for Rockvale, Ogle County, Illinois shows she is with her husband, Gust (Gustav?) L. Johnson, who is born in Sweden, September, about 1832. Their son, Charley H., was born July, about 1877. Johanna and Charley emigrated to the U.S. about 1884, and Gustav the year before. The family is farming, and Johanna is listed as the mother of eight children, five of whom are living in 1900. By the 1910 census, Charles is married (Sophia) and they go under the spelling of Johnston. Johanna is widowed but living with her son and daughter-in-law. Also in the household by this time, is Swedish born, John Levin, hired farm labor.

Another clue about the family appears as the little note written sideways on the back of the note, and in pencil: “Anna sent this to me thinking you would be here.”

Sources: Year: 1900; Census Place: Rockvale, Ogle, Illinois; Roll: 333; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0090; FHL microfilm: 1240333. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Marion, Ogle, Illinois; Roll: T624_314; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0077; FHL microfilm: 1374327. (Ancestry.com).

The Old Dodge Main, Hamtramck, 1940

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked April 17, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan.

Availability status: SOLD

Built in 1910 and demolished in 1981, “Dodge Main” as it was commonly called, was the largest of the Chrysler plants, and located in Hamtramck, Michigan. The card’s caption in the “cloud” or maybe that’s factory steam 😉 shows, “Where Dodge Passenger Cars Are Built – The Home Of Dependability. Detroit, Michigan.”

The postcard’s condition is poor due to the big crease down the middle, but the message on the back is a wonderful example of when a person could drive to the factory to pick up their new car. A. E. Schweitzer, the author of the article in the link above, mentions that many would plan their summer vacations around the purchase of the new vehicle. Whether this was common with car companies at this time or was exclusive to Dodge is a good question to research, but in any case, our sender writes:

“Dear George. We are at the Factory. Will get our car in a short time now. Hope every thing is O.K. at home. Regards to all. Tony[?]”

Sent to: “Mr. George Hume. Truckee, Calif. Nevada co.”

Source: Schweitzer, A. E. “Inside the Dodge Main plant: 1910 – 1981.” Allpar. (Web accessed June 25, 2016).

Greetings To Father

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Annieoakley

Price: $8.00

A bevy of beautiful women for Dad, for Father’s Day, which was yesterday. We’re not finding any others like this at the moment, online. This is one from the Alice Ellison Collection. The sender writes:

“Just got a letter from Babe this morning, was so glad to hear from her. Dossie.” Addressed to:

“Mr. J. M. Ellison. Pueblo, Colo. 26 St. & Cheyenne Ave.”

Hotel Tres Reyes, San Carlos de Bariloche

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Annieoakley

Here’s a vintage 1950’s postcard involving two hotels: Hotel Tres Reyes in Bariloche, Argentina (the card does not do the place justice) and Hotel Monteleone, located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana – check out their film and t.v. history, as well as their haunted one!

“Nov. 29th. Dear Gang – The lake country is a must for the ones who can take it – and it really isn’t rugged. Hotels fine, food superb, and what scenery! Couldn’t get into BA yesterday because flight schedule changed but we didn’t care – it’s so gorgeous here. Everyone wears ski suits (except me). Love to you all, and I’ll be home soon – Mary.”

BA would be Buenos Aires….and the card is addressed to:

“McDougall’s Travel Source, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans 40, Louisiana U.S.A.”

McDougall’s was located in the lobby of the hotel. Two city directory listings show up online for this travel agency, one in 1952 and the other in 1956. Listed as McDougall’s Travel Service, 214 Royal.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked circa December 4, 1954. Unable to read location sent from. Printed in Argentina.

Price: $5.00

Sources: Hotel 3 Reyes – Bariloche. http://www.hotel3reyes.com.ar/ (web accessed May 14, 2016).

Hotel Monteleone. http://hotelmonteleone.com/history/ (web accessed May 14, 2016).

Polk’s New Orleans City Directory, 1952. p. 1565. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995).

Polk’s New Orleans City Directory, 1956. p. 341. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995).

Cuernavaca Market Scene

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Circa 1949. Artist unknown. Publisher: Fischgrund, Mexico (Eugenio Fischgrund). Printed in Mexico. Printer: F. Sanchez H. y Cia, México, D.F. (Mexico City).

Price: $20.00

Color! If you’ve been looking at the last number of black and white posts, this is a heavenly change (adore those black and white ones though!)

A postcard, circa 1949, from an unknown artist’s painting, showing a market scene in the city of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Cuernavaca is the capital of the Mexican state, Morelos, and located south of Mexico City. That looks like a depiction of the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (Catedral de la Asunción de María) in the background. And closer in the scene we see part of a building bearing the sign “Así es la Vida” translated as “such is life.” Maybe a restaurant or a bar? (There is a Phoenix AZ restaurant by this name.) The senders wrote:

“Ramon, Estubimos (estuvimos) haber los toros vimos a tu suegra, Elisia y Frank pero no tubimos (tuvimos) chansa de hablar con ellos. Mañana saldremos para otra parte. tus padres Dámaso y Josefa.”

Translation: “We saw the bulls and were with your mother-in-law, Elisia and Frank but we did not have a chance to talk with them. We’re leaving tomorrow, your parents Dámaso and Josefa.”

Addressed to: “Mr. Ramon Diaz, Alvarado, California, U. F. of America.”

I think the senders were saying “United Federation” of America and obviously meant U. S. of A. As for the postmark, that looks like 49 for year 1949.

The town of Alvarado was located in Alvarado County and does not exist in present-day, it was annexed to Union City in 1959.

The 1930 U. S. Federal Census finds the Diaz family living in Washington Township, Alameda County, California: Damaso Diaz, born Spain about 1888, occupation meat salesman; his wife Josephine, born Spain about 1886; son Segundo, born Hawaii about 1914; son Cipriano, born California about 1915; daughter Mary, born California about 1916; and our postcard addressee, Raymond, born California about 1920.

The 1940 Federal Census for the family was found also (spelled Dias), showing that by now Damaso is the owner of a grocery and meat market, daughter Mary is married to Frank Vargas, Segundo is a delivery man for his dad, Cipriano Diaz and Frank Vargas are salt workers, and Raymond is helping his dad at the store.

Looking a little further we find Raymond was born in 1919, served in WWII, enlisted as a private and was promoted to sergeant, and (assuming he was married once) he married Beatrice (maiden name unknown) sometime between 1942 – 1949. In ’42 his occupation was welder. In 1959 he and his wife were living in Union City and he was working as a barber. He died in 1995 and is buried in the San Joaquin National Cemetery in Santa Nella. (Funny, I’ve driven by this cemetery a number of times when we lived in the Central Valley.)

I’m struck again by the feeling that these postcards, photos, trade cards etc. are like doorways (chuckling but serious) containing glimpses of so many connected stories: This particular Diaz family has origins in Spain, they were in Hawaii when their oldest son was born, but put they down roots in California. The parents vacationed near Mexico City. The now defunct town of Alvarado was known for sugar beets. The postcard publisher lived in Mexico but was born in what is now the Czech Republic (we’ll have to get a post up on him later) and we could go on and on.

Sources: Alvarado, California. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarado,_California (accessed April 30, 2016).

Year: 1930; Census Place: Washington, Alameda, California; Roll: 112; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0343; Image: 189.0; FHL microfilm: 2339847. (Ancestry.com)

“United States Census, 1940,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9QW-WDS : accessed 30 April 2016), Raymond Dias in household of Damaso Dias, Washington Judicial Township, Alameda, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1-178, sheet 4B, family 99, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 191.

National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. (Ancestry.com)

Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. Memorial #580002. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

Polk’s San Leandro (Alameda County) City Directory 1959. p. 263. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995)

The Lehmann Family With Ikey And Buster

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Annieoakley

At first, we were just willing to place a heavy bet on the identity of the people in this Real Photo Postcard, but then after a little more research….

John M. Lehman or Lehmann, born Illinois about 1868; his wife Malvina V. (Allen) born Kansas about 1875 and most likely their oldest daughter, Florence, born Kansas about 1905; rather than younger daughter, Neva, born Kansas about 1909; and of course, the donkeys, Ikey and Buster.

The sender signs the letter “Mal” and she mentions John, and as for the child’s name mentioned, it looks more like Jennie or Jessie that a possible Flossie or Florrie but maybe whatever is indicated there was Florence’s pet name. By 1920, the family is living in Burrton, Kansas, which is about eleven miles northwest of Halstead.

Eva Gressinger, mentioned below, was the first key to solving the postcard’s mysteries: Eva’s name turns up in Halstead, Harvey County, Kansas on the 1910 Federal Census, which confirmed the cancellation place for the postcard. The sender writes:

“This is ‘Ikey’ and ‘Buster’ with the family. Dont know who that is peeping thro the trees. Muriel, what is the new doctor doing for you? Hazel, how did you get home from the depot? John is sick again to-day. Guess his trip was too much for him. [ ? ] all in today too. Too much Fair last week. ‘Every body’ asks ‘how the sick cousin is.’ Eva Gressinger was asking about you yesterday. Saw her at [ ? ]. Write! write! Mal.”

Addressed to: “Misses Muriel & Hazel Church, Pueblo, Colo. 1217 Spruce.”

Eureka: Postcard i.d. confirmed!

As for the cousins, Muriel and Hazel, they are two of the children of Russel Jobe Church and Viola Castillo Stout. The “cousin” relationship is confirmed with Viola – she shows up on Ancestry trees as a relative of Malvina. So, for sure, in the photo, this is John and Malvina Lehman and likely Florence (and of course Ikey and Buster). 🙂

Divided back, used, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked September (year unreadable). Circa 1908, from Halstead, Kansas. AZO stamp box visible underneath the stamp.

Price: $20.00

Sources: Year: 1910; Census Place: Halstead, Harvey, Kansas; Roll: T624_441; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0035; FHL microfilm: 1374454. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Halstead, Harvey, Kansas; Roll: T624_441; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0035; FHL microfilm: 1374454. (Ancestry.)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Burrton, Harvey, Kansas; Roll: T625_534; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 44; Image: 123. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1900; Census Place: Pueblo, Pueblo, Colorado; Roll: 128; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1240128. (Ancestry.com)

Laurel Cottage Genealogy

Genealogy Services, Old Photos, Postcards, Trade Cards, Etc.

Category Archives: Postcards Used

To Miss Echo Grimes

Temple And Arnold, Coweta OK, 1910

M. E. Church, Webster Crossing, NY

Cayey, Puerto Rico

To Mrs. Johanna Johnson of Stillman Valley

The Old Dodge Main, Hamtramck, 1940

Greetings To Father

Hotel Tres Reyes, San Carlos de Bariloche

Cuernavaca Market Scene

The Lehmann Family With Ikey And Buster