A Message From Belgrade, MN

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Annieoakley

This postcard, showing roses and forget-me-nots, and a miniature attached envelope, was sent to “Miss Petra Inisberg, 1236 Ross St., St. Paul, Minn.”

Petra was not found in online records, and various spellings of the last name were tried, as well as a general Ancestry searches under just the address, just the first name, just the last name. (Pretty unusual to not find something.) And though the street name looks like Roso, the only street name that verifies with this number, in St. Paul, is Ross. The postmarked date is unreadable, and at first glance we notice that there are two one-cent stamps, which might lead one to think this was sent around 1917 – 1918, when there was a higher rate in effect due to WWI. However, it’s more likely that the sender just added an additional stamp as a precaution to make sure it got there, since there was an additional bit of weight to the card, in the form of the little envelope attached. Was there actually a message in there? I like to think so, and that would support the extra weight-additional stamp theory. Similar cards from the same publisher have been found for sale online dated around 1908. The St. Paul Souvenir Co. appears to have operated from about 1907 to 1910 or ’11. A Google book search comes up with a C. Hamm for the possible proprietor. We’ll explore more on the publisher in the next post.

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmark date unreadable. Postmarked from Belgrade, Minnesota. Publisher: St. Paul Souvenir Co., St. Paul, MN. Circa 1908.

Price: $5.00

And Down Life’s Stream

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Annieoakley

“And down Life’s Stream he begged to steer

The lovely freight to him so dear.”

Addressed to: “Mrs. B. F. Main, 233 14th St., San Francisco, Cal.” And the sender wrote:

“Dear Grandma – Hope you arrived safely. My love-sick uncle forgot his vest so we sent it by mail to-day. It’s very warm here. Grandma & Mama’s cousin and Aunt and Minnie[?] were out yesterday. Write and let us know if Bennie got his vest. H.[?] M.”

This will be a good one for helping track which branch of the Main family the Ethel Main Collection belongs to, since we have a name and relationship in the message. The front of the card is appropriate isn’t it, regarding the sender’s love-sick uncle Bennie. (The actual postcard is even nicer to view, as the gold border, highlights on the young woman’s blouse and belt, and the verse at the bottom come to light when viewed at an angle.)

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked from Santa Clara, California on September 14, 1909. Publisher: Julius Bien & Co., New York. “Canoe” Series number: 201 – (3).

Price: $5.00

Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, England

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Annieoakley

“Dear Ellie. Thought I had better let you know that I am not going to the theatre. Hope you will enjoy your little gift. Best love, Janey[?]”

Addressed to: “Miss E. Potts, 6 Cholmley St., Hull.”

Circa 1902 – 1910

The postmarked year is partially missing on this one. It was sent from Hull, England in February, and true, we see the number 6 there but was that part of the year or the date in the month of Feb? The stamp is a Great Britain 1/2d (halfpenny) King Edward VII; first issued January 1, 1902 in a blue-green color; the yellow-green was first issued November 26, 1904. Since Edward VII died May 6, 1910, the era for this stamp’s issuance is given as 1902 – 1910. (In comparing this stamp’s color to those showing online, I’m undecided as to whether this is the blue-green or yellow-green; it almost looks like a faded version of the blue-green.)

Yes or No

As for the addressee, Ellie Potts, there are several possibilities under Ellie and Eleanor, an exact match with the above address not being found. And the unknown publisher’s “Yes or No” series (great name) fits the sender’s message: No, she is not going to the theater.

Pebbles and Fossils

About the front image: This beach is famous for the Budleigh Salterton Pebble Beds. What’s a pebble exactly? Well, I thought I knew what a pebble was, but it is defined as, “…a clast of rock with a particle size of 2 to 64 millimetres based on the Krumbein phi scale of sedimentology.” Larger than a granule and smaller than a cobble. (Heehee, if this helps you.) And fossils in the form of shells can be found inside many of the pebbles on this beach. It’s allowable to split the pebbles open, but illegal to take them with you. Just take a photo and leave for others to look at. See UK Fossils for more detailed information.

About a century

The photo below from the website Coastal Connect shows a similar view to the one on our postcard….about one hundred years later.

Divided back, Great Britain, used postcard. Circa 1902 – 1910. Postmarked from Hull, England in February, year unreadable. Publisher info: “Yes or No” Series.

Price: $15.00

Sources: Stamps on postcards – A guide to dating cards. 1902 – 1910 King Edward VII. http://sunnyfield.co.uk/dayspast/stamps_on_postcards.php. Web accessed September 22, 2015.

Pebble. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble. (web accessed September 26, 2015).

Budleigh Salterton fossils and fossil collecting. http://www.budleigh.ukfossils.co.uk/. Web accessed September 22, 2015.

Photo, Budleigh Salterton Beach. Coastal Connect.http://www.coastalconnect.co.uk/Budleigh-Salterton.html. Web accessed September 26, 2015.

Five Friends

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Annieoakley

Addressed to: “Ora W. Carrell. 514 W. 8th St., Muscatine, Iowa.”

“Dear Ora: – Isn’t this cute! Claude Lewis is the one you don’t know. Taken in the woods the 27th of Dec. I had such a jolly time. Your letter came after I had written mine so this is in answer. Such lovely Xmas gifts you recd. Our[?] revival mtgs. closed Sunday – the com. gave me a check for $25.00 for my work in the meeting – I am going to get commentaries..?..? 90 at the alter and some of these were both reclaimed & sanctified, 13 now have united with the church and there will be others. A big task[?] I have to keep these going. pray. God bless thee in thy work. Sincerely – N.[?] Blanche.”

This photo really is cute. Adorable! Enlarge to see the special “headgear” they are all wearing! The fellows look like they could be related – wonder which one is Claude Lewis? And the ladies – the two on the left look like they could be sisters, or like our title says, they could all simply be five friends.

As to further i.d. – There are several possibilities for Claude Lewis; and for the sender N[?] Blanche we’d really need more information; but Ora W. Carrell is likely the same person found on the 1910 Federal Census under O. W. Carrell, showing born in Iowa about 1886, single, rooming in the household of Webster A. and Tracy M. Allman, and who’s occupation is listed as Gospel Minister. The address in Muscatine is 308 5th St., just several blocks away from the address given on the card.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked January 18, 1911 from Salem, Oregon.

Price: $20.00

Source: Year: 1910; Census Place: Muscatine Ward 2, Muscatine, Iowa; Roll: T624_415; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0109; FHL microfilm: 1374428. (Ancestry.com)

“The Raggedy Man”

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Annieoakley

Poetry at Our House

I like to tie one post in with the next, and the tie-in on this one is maybe a stretch, but the Coney Island post reminds me of the Dog Days of summer, as does this postcard. The partial poem seen here is a childhood memory: we had a book on the shelf at home, was it The Children’s Book of Poetry? No, maybe Poetry at Our House? But it had this poem, “The Raggedy Man”, as well as James Whitcomb Riley’s other very well-known poem, “Little Orphant Annie.” My sisters (and brothers?) used to read out loud from the poetry book, and the lines I remember best, are, “…The Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa….” and then from Little Orphant Annie, “…an the Gobble-uns ‘ll git you ef you Don’t Watch Out!” Which at four years old scared me a little (I’d find myself later glancing up at the ceiling, pondering) but that I loved to hear. If these poems were a part of your childhood, too, no doubt all will come back in a rush, when you read them in their entirety. (There are a couple of typos in the poems; don’t mind them.) Notice the similarity between the illustration on this postcard and the one for “The Raggedy Man” (in the link) which was done by artist Will Vawter. It would not be a surprise if the postcard artist, Cob Shinn, had been inspired by Vawter’s image, as we’ve previously noticed evidence of this kind of thing within the world of old postcards.

Cob Shinn or Cobb X. Shinn?

According to an online compilation of the Jay Small Postcard Collection, Ca. 1907 – Ca. 1940s, Conrad “Cobb” Shinn (1887 – 1951) began doing art for postcards around 1907, which is the date the Scofield-Pierson Co. copyrighted the card, so it would seem that “Cob Shinn” was the earlier signature the artist used. The same shorter signature appears under another postcard by Shinn of an illustration of James Whitcomb Riley himself, with the same Scofield-Pierson copyright, which can be found for sale online at the moment. The Scofield-Pierson Co. shows up under the heading of “stationers” rather than publisher, though they could have been both. The publisher name on our postcard here appears on the back as Import Postcard Co. (And see our other Cobb Shinn postcard, This Tin Lizzy Makes Some Feed!)

To Mamie from Elsie

On to the particulars on the back…the addressee is: “Miss Mamie Coulson, Newberg, Oregon.” The sender wrote:

“Am at Norcatur attending a Teacher’s Association and have heard some very good talks. How are you and Eva now? Elsie Conklin.”

The 1910 Federal Census taken in Scotts Mills, Oregon, shows: Jesse E. and Harriet B. Coulson, born Iowa, 1856 and 1855 respectively, Jesse’s occupation is Orchardist; daughters Mamie A. Coulson, born 1892, and Ethel A. Cox, born 1880, and their cousin, Eva B. Frazier, born 1890, the latter three all born in Kansas. A few quick searches for Elsie show too many possibilities, and would require a more detailed look.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked January 9, 1909[?] from Norcatur, Kansas. Design copyrighted 1907 by the Scofield-Pierson Co. Publisher: Import Post Card Co., Indianapolis, Indiana. From Riley’s “Rhymes of Childhood.”

Price: $15.00

Sources: James Whitcomb Riley. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Whitcomb_Riley. (accessed August 27, 2015).

Riley’s Children’s Poetry. James Whitcomb Riley.com. (accessed August 29, 2015).

Jay Small Postcard Collection, Ca. 1907 – Ca. 1940s. Indianapolis Historical Society. http://www.indianahistory.org/ (accessed August 29, 2015).

The Youngest Stationer? The American Stationer, Vol. 74, July 1913. p. 21. Accessed August 29, 2015. (Google eBook.)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Scotts Mills, Marion, Oregon; Roll: T624_1284; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0228; FHL microfilm: 1375297. (Ancestry.com)

Horse Shoe Falls, Niagara, Canada

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Annieoakley

“We will try and come up Sunday if it does not storm to hard. So won’t get there to Breakfast – good Bye. G[?] Hall. will drive”

Addressed to: “Mrs. Vern Moyer, Baldwinsville, N.Y.”

Dating the postcard

The postmark on this card looks like it might be 1910, so it seems the sender used an old pre-divided back era card. In Canada, the divided back started in December of 1903. A similar card, with the same beautiful back header design, was found online postmarked 1904. So, perhaps the one we have here was made in the United States, and since it depicts the Canadian side of Niagara, the producer included one of the Canadian emblems with flags and beaver, or maybe it was made in Canada for U.S. use.

Phoenix?

Phoenix, per the postmark, is six or seven miles northeast of Baldwinsville, New York. And about four miles northeast of Baldwinsville, is the town of Lysander. The 1910 Federal Census for Lysander, Onondaga County has Vernon Moyer and his wife Stella. Both are about age 32 (born about 1878) and both born in New York. They are farming. No other matches were found in the area, so Stella is likely the addressee for this postcard.

Undivided Back, used postcard. Postmarked January 1910 or ’11? from Phoenix, New York. Souvenir mailing card. Publisher unknown.

Price: $10.00

Sources: A Brief History of the Postcard. http://www.hamiltonpostcards.com/pages/postcardhistory.html. (accessed August 23, 2015).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Lysander, Onondaga, New York; Roll: T624_1054; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0063; FHL microfilm: 1375067. (Ancestry.com)

Profile Rock, Apostle Islands, Lake Superior

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Outgoing postmark June 29, 1908 from Houghton, Michigan and receiving postmark July 5, 1908 at Eureka, California. Publisher: E. C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Number 1115.

Price: $12.00

Another for Ida

This is the second in our small Ida L. Vance Collection, and shows what appears to be a colored image produced from a photo. Note the sailboat on the horizon: This vessel looks like it was drawn in or maybe it was a faint image that was outlined. In any case, this 1908 postcard shows a view of Profile Rock, situated off the northern shore of Basswood Island in the Apostle Islands of Wisconsin. The profile appears on the right-hand side of the rock. You can see the prominent nose and ridge over the eye. (It looks like he is staring into the water.) Below is a map of the islands courtesy of Google.

A sea stack

The name for this type of rock formation is “sea stack” which is formed by weathering and erosion. Imagine a rock wall that has a cave-like indentation; the waves knocking against the rock on both sides and water seeping in any fissures; the passage of time creating a hole in the rock, gradually getting bigger, creating an arch. At some point, the weight of the arch becomes too great, breaking and falling into the sea, or in this case Great Lake, and voila, you are left with a sea stack.

Old-school for a minute

Discovering ancestral ties to the Michigan and Ontario, Canada, Lake Superior region on Dad’s side some years ago, led to the purchase of a number of books on the Ojibwe people which grace the bookshelf not five feet away (so dramatic, chuckle) from where I sit typing this in our little cottage. Besides naturally wanting to learn about a fascinating culture and history, the books were bought in hopes of finding some mention of our direct ancestor, Chief Na-ges-sis, whose daughter Ikwe-wa-ni-gen-its married Louis Majeau, French-Canadian voyageur for the Northwest Company. Alas, there was no mention of Na-ges-sis found, but it strikes as such a refreshing novelty, for this post research, to be able to refer to a set of books in one’s own living room, just a glance away….Not to say that the internet is not extremely well-appreciated – essential nowadays for research. But the most interesting Apostle Island reference on the shelf was found in Kitchi-Gami, Life Among The Lake Superior Ojibway, an account by German geographer, ethnologist and travel writer, Johann Georg Kohl, when he stayed on Madeline Island (then called La Pointe) for four months in 1855:

From the rank of princes

“La Pointe belongs to a larger group of islands, which the French missionaries named Les Isles des Apôtres. They play a great part in the Indian traditions, and seem to have been from the earliest period the residence of hunting and fishing tribes, probably through their geographical position and the good fishing in the vicinity. The fables of the Indian creator, Menaboju, often allude to these islands, and the chiefs who resided here have always laid claim, even to the present day, to the rank of princes of the Ojibbeways…..The great fur companies, too, which, after them, ruled on Lake Superior, had one of their most important stations at La Pointe; more especially the once so powerful North-West Company, which carried on a lively trade from this spot as far as the Polar Seas.”

Many names for the Rock

From John Lindquist’s excellent webpage, Views of the Apostle Islands, Profile Rock “…has also been called Lone Rock, Floating Rock, and Honeymoon Rock – the last name being the most commonly applied today.” (We wonder too, what the native tribes called it.) Lindquist quotes J. M. Turner on the importance of Profile Rock to the Indians,

“It was thought…that when they were encamped on the island in front of the face that no harm could befall them. This belief had such a firm hold upon the Indians of this whole region that when a band of fugitives were hard pressed and likely to fall into the hands of their pursuers they would always fly to the protected camping grounds within the sight of the Great Stone Face well knowing that no enemy would dare to molest them once they were there. “

One last note

Just to clarify regarding the aforementioned Chief Na-ges-sis and daughter, they are thought to have been centered around the Straights of Mackinac area in Michigan (not the Apostles) though Louis Majeau, in his travels with the Northwest Company, must surely have made stops at La Pointe. There was a little confusion in the past about the birthplace of one of the daughters of Louis Majeau and Ikwe-wa-ni-gen-its: Madeleine Majeau’s marriage record to Henry Campau looks like it may say Madeleine’s birthplace was, “des Îles du lac Superieur” from which it was thought that she was born on one of the islands near Mackinac, but if you really scrutinize the original handwriting, and look at the transcribed copy (also in French) you’ll see it actually says, “des issus du lac Superieur” meaning from the Lake Superior area. Just mentioning this for anyone researching this line, and in the hopes that some reference may at some point turn up for more on Chief Na-ges-sis. And, of course, this Madeleine was a different woman than the one the Apostle island was named for. Madeline (formerly La Pointe) Island was named after the wife of French-Canadian trader Michel Cadotte, she also being the daughter of Chief White Crane. (John Lindquist’s webpage link above has a photo of the historical plaque regarding the same.

Sources: Apostle Islands. Google Maps.

Caves, arches, stacks and stumps. GCSE Bitesize. Web accessed August 1, 2015.

Kohl, Johann G., Kitchi-Gami. Life Among The Lake Superior Ojibway. 1860. Trans. Lascelles Wraxall. Saint Paul, MN: Borealis Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1985.

Lindquist, John. Views of the Apostle Islands. Web accessed August 2, 2015.

Turner, J.M. Lake Superior Region. Ashland, WI: W.E. Prudhomme, 1892.

Moll, Harold W. and Norman G., Lewis and Batteese Mashue, Father and Son, Through Fur and Saginaw Valley Timber. Unpublished collection assembled and bound by Michigan State Library, 1954 – 1958.

Ste. Anne, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. (1801-1842) p. 1949-1950. U.S., French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1695-1954. (Ancestry.com)

Busy Persons Correspondence Card

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Annieoakley

1942 bathing beauties for Mr. J. Matthews from his son Jack, on one of those “check off your responses” type of card. Sometimes they were straight-forward, sometimes wacky, depending both on the card choices and the sender. In this case, Jack indicated:

“Calif., Nov. 3. Dear Dad, This place is beautiful. The weather is warm and dry. The people are friendly. I’m feeling fine and happy. I spend my time sightseeing. I need sleep. Give my love to all the folks. Yours sincerely.” On the back he wrote:

“Dear Dad, How are you I am fine. It is nice country here but I prefer the East. Write to me you have my address. Jack.” Addressed to:

“Mr. J. Matthews, 291 Orange St., Albany, N.Y.”

Underneath the postmark is Jack’s address:

“J.V. Matthews. S. 36 [?] US Navy, Batt 27 HDQ Co A-B, Port Hueneme, Calif.”

“We Build, We Fight.”

From a little research online, and of the course, the year of the postcard indicating WWII, it looks like Jack was a part of the “Seabees.” This term is from the initials “C.B.” which stands for Construction Battalion, and their motto is, “We Build, We Fight.” Both the 27th and 37th Battalion at Port Hueneme (pronouced “Why-nee-mee”) were part of the Seabees, (so even if it’s 37 rather than 27 in his address on the card, the branch of service still fits.) Below is the Seabee’s emblem (courtesy Wikipedia.)

Which Matthews family did Jack belong to?

The 1943 Albany, NY city directory shows the 291 Orange St. address as the residence of John V. Matthews, machinist, and his wife, Adeline R. Matthews. A couple of entries above lists John Matthews, USA, residence 291 Orange. “USA” in this directory is the abbreviation for United States Army (an error since Jack was in the Navy in ’42?) A quick further search in city directories shows Jack and Adeline at this address at least as early as 1938.

City directory findings led to various census records. The 1900 for Philadelphia shows two-month-old John V. Matthews, with parents, James and Isabella, both born in Ireland, and William Matthews, brother to James, also born in Ireland. And finally a 1961 death record for Jack (always hate to mention these, sentimentally having become fond of the person who, in this case, sent this nice postcard to his dad) but that shows Jack was born in Philadelphia in 1900, lists wife Adeline, and parents’ names, James Matthews and Isabelle (Devlin) Matthews, thus confirming his parentage.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked November 3, 1942. “U.S. Navy.” Publisher: Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass. “Tichnor Quality Views” Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. “Busy Person’s Correspondence Cards – 10 Designs.” Series or number 65157.

Price: $15.00

Sources: Seabees in World War II. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seabees_in_World_War_II (accessed July 18, 2015).

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Albany City Directory, Vol. CXXX. p. 266. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 38, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1479; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0975; FHL microfilm: 1241479

Ancestry.com. Menands, New York, Albany Rural Cemetery Burial Cards, 1791-2011

Surf Bathing In The Pacific

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Annieoakley

Here’s a colorful card of a southern California beach scene, with reports about the weather, the tourists, and the 1908 presidential race. “Bryan” was William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate who ended up losing to William Taft. Note that the postmarked date of the card shows just two days prior to the election.

Addressed to: “Mr. John Pugh, Kahoka, Missouri, R.F.D.# 6.” The sender wrote:

“Papa, you ought to be in ‘sunny’ California this winter. The paper today stated there had been two – thousand tourists come in the last month. We have not had much rain yet and it is very warm and pleasant in the middle of the day. I suppose you are holloring ‘Hurrah for Bryan.’ A good many here think he will be elected. Della.”

The 1900 Federal Census for Union Township, Clark County, MO identifies Ohio natives John Pugh and his wife Emeline, and their daughters, Della F. and Carrie Pugh, both born in Missouri. John, occupation farmer, was born about April 1843; Emeline was born about August 1849; Della was born about September 1874, and Carrie, about April 1888. Union Township is southwest of Kahoka, about 13 minutes in driving time.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked November 1, 1908 from Los Angeles, California. Publisher info: A. A. 6. Newman Post Card Co., Los Angeles, California. Number or series 62232. Made in Germany.

Price: $10.00

Sources: United States presidential election, 1908. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1908. (accessed July 9, 2015).

Year: 1900; Census Place: Union, Clark, Missouri; Roll: 848; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0029; FHL microfilm: 1240848. (Ancestry.com)

Three Cheers For The Red White And Blue

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, embossed postcard. Postmarked June 22, 1909 from DeBeque, Colorado. Artist: Cyrus Durand Chapman. Publisher info: “Painting only copyrighted by S. Garre” [Garre or Garret?] Printed in Germany. No. 51668.

Price: $2.00

Happy 4th!

Who was artist C. Chapman for this 1909 postcard? We found multiple references and many examples of patriotic views identifying this person as New Jersey native, Cyrus Durand Chapman (1856 – 1918). This card, rather the worse for wear and tear, is another from the Alice Ellison Collection, and was sent to, “Miss Henryetta Ellison, 268 Cheyenne Ave., Pueblo, Colo.” The sender wrote:

“Dear Sister. I thought I wood drop you a card to let you know I still on the road & well so good By to all. xxxxxxx.”

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Category Archives: Postcards Used

A Message From Belgrade, MN

And Down Life’s Stream

Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, England

Five Friends

“The Raggedy Man”

Horse Shoe Falls, Niagara, Canada

Profile Rock, Apostle Islands, Lake Superior

Busy Persons Correspondence Card

Surf Bathing In The Pacific

Three Cheers For The Red White And Blue