Category Archives: Postcards Used

To Tottie From Lucy

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“Friendship’s Offering”

Here’s the third in a little mini-series in the Ethel Main Collection. This one shows that her nickname was “Tottie” rather than “Lottie” as one might think from the handwriting on some of the others. Since there is more than one Ethel Main, and preliminary forays into this possible branch of the Main Family have shown that research time will be lengthy, we’ll save that part for later, after the rest get posted. The card is addressed to:

“Miss Ethel Main, 299 Sunol St., San Jose, Calif.”  And the sender wrote:

“Dear Tottie. Just a few lines have you got to busy again to write if so stoped for a minut and think of me. hope to see you by the last of the month some time. With Love, Lucy.”

Divided back, embossed postcard. Postmarked 1910 from California. Publisher unknown. “Flower Series.”

Price:  $4.00

Greetings From Occidental, California

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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).

Main St. South From 12th St., KC MO

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To:   “Miss Nora Gillmore, Fernwood Okla. Beaver Co.”

“From your friend Hazel. Mrs. C. O. Shirley, 4145 Penn St. K.C. Mo.”

Fernwood, Oklahoma is one of those here today, gone tomorrow locations (of which there were a number of in the OK panhandle.) It shows up in the ghost town category on the Oklahoma GenWeb website, as being located in Texas County, though obviously the postcard sender stated Beaver County. Beaver County takes up the easternmost section of the Oklahoma panhandle and Texas County is the neighboring county to the west. Nora, the addressee of this card, is Nora Gillmore, daughter of Ephram Gillmore and Mary Hunt; born about 1870 in Missouri. She married William James Brooks, May 23, 1909. Their marriage license gave her residence at the time as Hooker, Texas County, OK, and his as Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, CA. Hooker is located about fifteen miles west of the dividing line between Texas and Beaver Counties. Per Ancestry.com family trees Nora was a schoolteacher who formerly resided in Kansas City, MO, which makes sense – the sender of this card was her friend, Hazel, showing a K.C., MO address.

When was Fernwood?

Very few other references regarding Fernwood show up online (as of the date of this post) but it seems to have been recognized as a town or community from at least 1905 – 1908.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked August 9, 1907 from Kansas City, Missouri and August 13, 1907 in Fernwood, Oklahoma. Publisher:  IPCN & Co. Series or number:  120-15.

Price:  $15.00

Sources:  “Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPX-DYBS : accessed 31 May 2015), William James Brooks and Nora Gillmore, 23 May 1909; citing Oklahoma, county courthouses, Oklahoma; FHL microfilm .

“Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2PH-W31 : accessed 31 May 2015), E. B. Gilmore and Mary E. Hunt, 24 Dec 1867; citing Pike,Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,315,801.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Kansas City Ward 4, Jackson, Missouri; Roll: 861; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 0039; FHL microfilm: 1240861. (Ancestry.com)

Lee & Gillmore Family Tree. “Nora Rachel Gilmore.” Web accessed May 31, 2015. (Ancestry.com)

Beaver County, Oklahoma. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_County,_Oklahoma. (accessed May 31, 2015).

State of Oklahoma – Ghost Towns that Begin with the Letter “F”. USGenWeb. Web accessed May 31, 2015. [http://files.usgwarchives.net/ok/okstate/history/fghosttowns.txt]

Fernwood, Oklahoma mentioned in Appeal to Reason. October 28, 1905. p. 4. Web accessed May 31, 2015. (Newspapers.com)

Fernwood, Oklahoma mentioned in Cigarmakers Official Journal:  May 15, 1908, Vol. 32, p. 9. Web accessed May 31, 2015. (Google eBook)

Greetings From Waverly, Missouri

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Divided back, used “Linen” postcard. Postmarked September 23, 1938 from Waverly, Missouri. Publisher info:  “NYCE” Quality Colored Landscape Locals. Made in U.S.A. Series or number 61240.

Price:  $5.00

“Dear Mrs. Ellison. We are leaving for home next week. Have had a grand visit. Have been to visit all of Mac’s relations. And have pictures of them all. Love. from Virginia, Mac & girls.”

Oh, how the historians today for Mac and Virginia’s family would love to see those photos! Hopefully, they still exist and are in the next generation’s safe keeping. This is another from the Alice Ellison collection.

Waverly is a small town in Lafayette County (northwestern MO) that was established in the 1840s. It’s known for its wineries and also as the “Apple Capital of Missouri.” It overlooks the Missouri River, though it’s likely that the image depicted here is a generic one.

Sources:  Waverly. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverly,_Missouri. (accessed May 28, 2015).

Waverly – Apple Capital of Missouri. Web accessed May 28, 2015. [http://www.waverly-mo.com/]

Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh

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“Dear Family – We were through this old palace today – Happy can tell you its history and the State rooms that we saw are gorgeous. We love Edinbourgh and hate to leave it. Having good weather & a wonderful time. Write me in London. June.”

Addressed to:   “Mrs. Eva Thompson, Pittsboro, Indiana. U.S.A.  RFD”

The year is unreadable on the postal marking which looks like it might indicate 24 July but the stamp is a brown three halfpence Postal Union Congress 1929 stamp. This was one of five special commemorative stamps that were issued on May 10, 1929 by the 9th Postal Union Congress. The PUC was a formal meeting that took place every four years between members of the UPU (Universal Postal Union).

Which Mrs. Eva Thompson….

One could easily get led astray here:  There is an Eva Thompson in Guilford Township, Hendricks County, but another Eva Thompson in Center Township, Hendricks County. Most likely the connection is with the second Eva:  Center Township is closer (3 – 4 miles south) to Pittsboro than Guilford Township. And the 1920 Federal Census taken in Center Township shows Nathan J. Thompson, born about 1867, his wife Eva, born about 1867, and their children Milbern, Maurice and June. All are natives of Indiana. So, our postcard sender should be June Thompson, born about 1908, who is likely married to “Happy.” June would be about 22 years old then, when she would have addressed this postcard to her mother.

Looking a little further we discover an October 1929 Laconia passenger list (Liverpool, England to New York, NY) for Milford and June Davidson (spelled Davison.) June’s date of birth on this record is June 3, 1907, and place of birth Danville, Indiana, which is in Center Township. Milford was born in Hanford, California, March 27, 1905. Find A Grave shows a June (Thompson) Davidson. June and Milford were living in Berkeley, California by 1930. Milford’s occupation is chemist. A couple of Peoria, Illinois city directories (1955 – 1956) list Milford and June, with Milford as chief chemist for Pabst Brewery.

Divided back, used Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked July 24, 1929[?] location difficult to read, possibly Edinburgh, Scotland.

Price:  $15.00

Sources:  1929 Postal Union Congress Stamp Issue. GBStamp.co.uk. Web accessed May 24, 2015. [http://www.gbstamp.co.uk/1929-puc-stamp-issue.php]

Year: 1920; Census Place: Center, Hendricks, Indiana; Roll: T625_436; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 30; Image: 607. (Ancestry.com)

Find A Grave Memorial# 126019609. Find A Grave. Web accessed May 24, 2015.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Berkeley, Alameda, California; Roll: 111; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0320; Image: 1028.0; FHL microfilm: 2339846. (Ancestry.com)

Peoria, Illinois city directories for 1955 and 1956. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989

Heather And Roses For Clara

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Here’s a lovely old postcard (does it remind you of Scotland?) from around 1910 or so, of a lone figure on a pathway that zigzags through fields of purple heather. Overlaying this scene are some pale pink old roses.

“Best regards from Mabel Reeves.”  Sent to:   “Miss Clara Mason, Shannon City, Iowa.”

Though the postmark year is missing this postcard is probably from around 1910 from which we’d feel pretty certain that the Mabel E. Reeves appearing on the 1910 and 1920 Federal Census’ for Vinton would be the correct Mabel. She appears there with her parents and younger siblings, all natives of Iowa; Mabel born about 1895; parents Lewis and Lula M. Reeves, both born about 1873; Florence R. Reeves, born about 1901, and Harold Reeves, born about 1905. Lewis Reeves on both records is working for the Standard Oil Company.

Clara Mason appears to be the daughter of Marcus Mason and Lola (Streight) Mason, per Clara’s marriage record to Harry (Henry) J. Dippert. Clara and Harry were married August 26, 1921 in Creston, Iowa. The 1910 census for Grant, Union County, IA shows Clara, born in South Dakota (a nice tie-in to the prior post set in SD) about 1890; her father M. D. Mason, a self-employed farmer, born in West Virginia about 1858; mother Lola, born in New York about 1866.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked from Vinton, Iowa, April 10th or 16th, year unknown. Publisher unknown. Circa 1910.

Price:  $10.00

Sources:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Vinton Ward 3, Benton, Iowa; Roll: T624_391; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0024; FHL microfilm: 1374404. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Vinton Ward 3, Benton, Iowa; Roll: T625_477; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 26; Image: 1157. (Ancestry.com)

Ancestry.com. Iowa, Select Marriages, 1809-1992. FHL film no. 1728322. Ref. i.d. 2:3KSNJ7P.

Year: 1910; Census Place: Grant, Union, Iowa; Roll: T624_425; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0150; FHL microfilm: 1374438. (Ancestry.com)

Yucca Wood

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“Yucca Wood (brevifolia) Wood of Moods and Legends, but especially one legend which tells us that whosoever contacts YUCCA will have good luck. May this inspiration of the Ancients be two-fold, bringing you Peace of Mind and Blessings of Divine Influence.”

The front of this postcard is made from actual Yucca wood. And what a beautiful thought; It goes out to all everywhere! The sender wrote:

“Hello Sweetheart:  Guess what? Henry got one yesterday. A four pointer while we were in Reno. Grand weather up here now. Only cold at night. Be seeing you soon. by now – Mother.”

Addressed to:   “Miss Jeanette Hume, 2208 Grove St., Berkeley 4, California.”

Divided back, Yucca wood, used postcard. Postmarked September 25, 1945 from Truckee, California.

Price:  $7.00

I’m No Chicken But I’m Game

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Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked Jan 18, 1915 from Upland, California. Publisher unknown. Series or number 17 – 5.

Price:  $5.00

A cute card from 1915 showing a couple of ducks dressed up in walking attire – hats, scarves, bags, umbrella. The male duck (the drake) is trying to pick up the female. Love that sideways glance from the lady, her feather boa scarf, the drake’s carpet bag, and his persuasive hopeful look. Note the bare outline of the smiling duck along with the word “DUCKS” on the advertisement in the background. The sender wrote:

“Dear Mo. I just got my policy the day after I got Ella letter. Bert is going to town and I want to mail this. tell Liz I will write soon all are well and hope you all the same love to all fro us all. Lara[?], Gen. Del. Upland Cal.”

Addressed to:   “Mrs. J. M. Ellison. Box 757. R.F.D. No 3. Sacramento Cal.”

A Flowery Greeting From Mrs. Fred Grannis

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This is a Lena Davis one, and we’re not yet trying to figure out who is who exactly, as there are more to sort through and post, and that’ll come later. But it’s a perfect postcard to put up on the heels of the prior, since there’s a gingham reference. It’s a great one typical to the Midwest farm country in 1912, with reports of the weather, dressmaking and farming. It was postmarked in Elwood, Nebraska. Elwood is a village in Gosper County, whose population in 2010 was about 707.

“Dear Cousin, – We have had some very cold weather. It is raining now but not very hard. I have been busy. I am making a red calico dress with black color [collar?] over the patter[n] I made the ginghum one when you were here. Fred is drilling in wheat has 45A in now. From Alice.”

Addressed to:   “Miss Lena Davis, Almena, Kans.”

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked September 28, 1912 from Elwood, Nebraska. Publisher unknown.

Price:  $4.00

Source:  Elwood, Nebraska. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwood,_Nebraska. (accessed May 17, 2015).

River View, Menominee, Michigan

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Undivided back, used postcard. Postmarked from Menominee, Michigan on August 1, 1906. Incoming postmark at Fort Sheridan, Illinois on August 2, 1906. Publisher:  The Rotograph Co., New York City, NY. Series or number:  A52588. Made in Germany.

Availability Status:  SOLD

“River View, Menominee, Mich.”

“Dear Mrs. Henning: – We are having a very pleasant vacation. I am very glad you find your new home so pleasant. Miss Wilkins[?]”   Addressed to:

“Mrs. O. Henning, Ft. Sheridan, Ill.”

The city of Menominee is located at the southernmost tip of the Upper Peninsula, on the shores of Green Bay of Lake Michigan, and the banks of the Menominee River, which makes up part of the Michigan-Wisconsin border. This postcard is the last one in the Dr. Oswald Henning Collection, but we hope to come across more.