Giesecke Boot & Shoe Manufacturing Co.

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Annieoakley

Trade card for the Giesecke Boot & Shoe Manufacturing Co. Circa 1885 – 1901.

Availability Status: SOLD

Grand! And it is, this lithograph from an unknown company showing two children riding a duck (or goose?) The girl, sitting “side-saddle” holds a parasol, while the boy sits astride holding the reigns and is turning back to gaze at her. The duck or goose, take your pick, is about to be happily paddling his way thru some lily pads. The reverse shows:

“Not how cheap, but how good

For Fit. For Wear. For Economy buy

‘Little Shoes for Little Men and Little Women’

None genuine unless stamped on bottom ‘Little Shoes for Little Men’ trade mark registered.

The Giesecke Boot & Shoe M’f’g Co. Makers”

Owner and president of the company, William Frederick Giesecke, was born in Germany December 4, 1833. He emigrated to the U. S. around May 1, 1858. City directories show that he was manufacturing shoes and boots in St. Louis, Missouri at least from 1870, with addresses centering on Washington Ave. He paired (no pun intended) with Edward A. Meysenburg from about 1876 – 1881. And 1885 thru 1901 directories show the business name as it appears on this trade card. By 1904 the business is under the name of Giesecke – D’Oench – Hays Shoe Co., and the 1908 directory shows there were factories in both St. Louis and Jefferson, Missouri. The obit below from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, dated March 21, 1910, gives more information:

Sources: Edwards’ St. Louis Directory, 1870. p. 360. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Gould’s St. Louis City Directory, 1876. p. 343. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Gould’s Street and Avenue Directory, 1881. p. 428. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 329; Volume #: Roll 329 – 20 May 1889-24 May 1889. (Ancestry.com)

Gould’s St. Louis Directory, 1895. p. 554. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Gould’s St. Louis Directory, 1901. p. 707. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Gould’s Street and Avenue Directory, 1904. p. 757. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Gould’s Street and Avenue Directory, 1908. p. 658. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

“W. F. Giesecke, Retired Shoe Manufacturer, Buried Monday.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 21 March 1910, main edition. (newspapers.com)

Necks To Nothing

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked October 31, 1908 from Harrisonville, Missouri. Publisher: J. Murray Jordan. Copyright J. Murray Jordan, 1905. Series or number 207.

Price: $10.00

“H’ville Oct – 31 – 1908 Dear Louise: In the absence of a Halloween card I will just send this which I think just beats them all to pieces anyway. How are you? My school is fine. Evelyn and I are coming over some Sunday soon but not tomorrow.”

On the front: The sender’s comment to “Necks to Nothing” is “Isn’t it the truth?” regarding a comical, kind of grotesque image that makes fun of a couple of gents, with their exaggerated shirt collars, quizzing glasses and posteriors, the caption implying they have nothing much upstairs, above the neck.

The sender goes on to say, “Ernest is here now and will be here over [?] I expect. We are coming some Sun. soon tho perhaps I am going to……[?]……..next week and perhaps Evelyn too. Ernest will be in K. C. then. I am going to….[?]…….lessons soon perhaps today[?]…..Love to all G. C.”

Addressed to: “Miss Louise Henley, Pleasant Hill, Mo.”

Louise Henley is likely the Mary L. Henley that appears on the 1910 census in Pleasant Hill, MO. Born Missouri, about 1891; daughter of James and Ella Henley, and sister to James, Jr. and George……Sure enough, we find confirmation in Find A Grave, among other places. Mary Louise went by Louise, and she married Ucilious Calvert Sterquell.

Source: Year: 1910; Census Place: Pleasant Hill, Cass, Missouri; Roll: T624_770; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0041; FHL microfilm: 1374783. (Ancestry.com)

Find A Grave Memorial# 54015645. findagrave.com. (accessed October 30, 2016)

Scheuneman’s Store, Gary, Indiana

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Annieoakley

The page below had likely been part of a publication on Lake County history or maybe German immigrants to Indiana. Per the writing on the back, it had been saved by a Scheunemann and Raasch descendant, until it later ended up at a paper fair, where we found it.

Size of full page: About 9 x 5 and 1/2″ Size of image: 6 x 2 and 3/4″

Price: $10.00

A page out of Gary, Indiana history….circa 1880s – 1890s

“Uncle Fred. Scheunemans store in Gary with Aunt Alice, Alma & Walt & their hired girl standing[?] also Uncle Fred…[?]… Granpa Raasch was the delivery man, Granpa Scheuneman & Aunt Minnie’s home next door to south & Uncle Fred &…[?]…lives up stairs above store.”

Cropped version below. The sign on the right in the photo is quite difficult to read, and we could be wrong, but the first two lines look like “Howe. U.S.”

Below, the 1880 Federal Census for Tolleston, Indiana (now part of Gary) shows Fred Schoeneman (Sheuneman) born 1830, his occupation listed as Extra Sand [?] something to do with the sand mining industry; his wife Wilhemina, born 1825; son Fritz, born 1855, working in general grocery store and bar; daughter Gusty, born 1860, clerk in store; son Richard, born 1863, works on railroad; and daughter Wilhelmine, born 1868, keeping house. All are stated to be from “Pommern” except for Wilhemine, born in Indiana.

Below, the 1900 Federal Census for Calumet, Indiana also may fit the Scheuneman family that owned the store. (The ages fit if Ludwig is Fred and for daughter Wilhelmina.) Appearing there are Ludwig Scheunemann, born May 1830, Germany, widowed; daughter Wilhelmina, born November 1868, Indiana, single. Living next door is William C. Bunde, born April 1871, Indiana; his wife Emma, born November 1875, Indiana; stepchildren (to William Bunde, if census is correct) Alma Scheunemann, born February 1883, Indiana and Walter Scheunemann, born December 1885, Indiana; and servant August Wagner, born October 1880, Germany. Note that August Wagner’s occupation is grocer-delivery man.

Sources: Year: 1880; Census Place: Tolleston, Lake, Indiana; Roll: 291; Family History Film: 1254291; Page: 487B; Enumeration District: 066; Image: 0393. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1900; Census Place: Calumet, Lake, Indiana; Roll: 383; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0022; FHL microfilm: 1240383. (Ancestry.com)

Tolleston. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolleston. (accessed October 29, 2016).

Pomerania. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomerania. (accessed October 30, 2016).

Colorado State Fair Postcard Ad, 1908

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Annieoakley

Undivided back, used postcard. Postmarked September[?] 1908 from Pueblo, Colorado. Publisher: Clark Eng. Co., Pueblo. [?]

Availability Status: SOLD

This is the only one of its kind found online, at the time of this posting. Great graphics on this postcard ad showing a goat pushing a blindfolded guy off of a high board into a big wooden tub of water. And at the top right, an enticing bag of money with coins all around. It reads as:

“Don’t fail to visit the big Colorado State Fair at Pueblo, Colorado on Fraternal Day. Sep. 14 to 19 1908. William will be there. $3,000.00 to be given as prizes to drill teams and attendance.”

Who was William?

Stamped at the bottom of the card is “W. R. McFarren, clerk.” The 1908 Pueblo city directory shows Wm. R. McFarren, clerk, Woodmen of the World (Camp No. 2) Office 218 W. 4th, residence 1420 E. 9th. Ahhh, makes sense, a clerk for a fraternal organization for Fraternal Day. Per the 1920 Federal Census for Pueblo, William Rush McFarren was born in New York, about 1849, married to Annette, born Missouri, about 1846. And the 1920 shows he’s still working for this organization.

This card is another in the Alice Ellison Collection, a large group of postcards that we’re still scanning and adding. It’s addressed to: “J. M. Ellison, 26th and Cheyenne, City.”

Last but not least, our best guess on the publisher is Clark Eng. Co. of Pueblo, appearing in very small print on the front of the postcard.

Sources: R. L. Polk & Co.’s Pueblo City Directory, 1909. p. 305. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

WoodmenLife. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WoodmenLife. (accessed October 23, 2016).

Year: 1920; Census Place: Denver, Denver, Colorado; Roll: T625_158; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 11; Image: 170. (Ancestry.com)

Kids In Leaf

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused. Circa 1914 – 1917.

Price: $5.00

A good one for a new category, which really should not be new (eee gads, will have to backtrack and see which ones I missed in the past) anyway…under the title Shaped Borders. This one looks like it could be a group of seven school kids, with a young school mistress in the back, or possibly just family members or a group of friends. The date is estimated from Playle’s for this particular style on the reverse, of unknown manufacturers with no stamp box. Check out the doorway: That’s an odd-looking door, we don’t see a handle, just wooden slats running horizontally, but maybe it was boarded up.

Source: Real Photo Postcard Stamp Backs, Unknown Manufacturer’s. playle.com. (accessed October 23, 2016).

Charlie Guidotti’s School Photo

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Annieoakley

Group photo of Salinas Valley School Children

Availability status: SOLD

Size of photo without cardboard mat: About 7 x 5″

Photographer unknown, photo is glued onto cardboard mat.

A wonderful original group photo, albeit in very rough shape, that had belonged to Charlie Guidotti. You can see that it looks like he (or someone) was practicing their handwriting on the back, underneath the name at the top. This photo, labeled on the plastic covering as “Salinas Valley School Children 1920s” was found in Pacific Grove, CA, so if the label is correct, we don’t know for sure, it stayed local. We’re counting 79 children, ages ranging from about six to teen-age and two teachers (if the gentleman in suit and tie on the right is a teacher.) But which boy in the photo could be Charlie?

There are a couple of Charles Guidottis born in Monte Carrasso, Switzerland, of Italian descent, who made their way to California, both born in 1883 according to their WWII Draft Registration cards. This photo, however, is probably from the mid-1910s to early 1920s, and does not fit their particular time-frame. However, the 1920 Federal Census shows a Carlo Guidotti, born about 1908, living in Alisal Township, Monterey County, CA. His parents are Fernando and Maria Guidotti, born in Switzerland, and siblings Primo, Americo, Emma, Louis, Bianca, Florina. The family’s native language on this census is said to be German, and the children are born in California. It’s not certain whether the Charles listed below in the 1930 Salinas city directory is the same Charles. But it’s an interesting part of Salinas history, even if not.

Guidotti Brothers, French and Italian Restaurant, and grocery, 308 N. Main, Salinas

In searching for more on the Guidotti family, it gets complicated: For instance, we find two wives named Bruna on the 1930 census, one in Alisal Township, and the other in Castroville Township (Castroville Township, by the looks of it, is now Prunedale.) Also, two men named Primo. We’ll leave the search here with the certainty that it would involve more time to sort out family members. The name of the school also will require more research.

Sources: R. L. Polk & Co.’s Classified Buyer’s Guide of Salinas, Monterey and Pacific Grove (California) 1930. p. 34. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Draft Registration Cards for Fourth Registration for California, 04/27/1942 – 04/27/1942; NAI Number: 603155; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1930; Census Place: Alisal, Monterey, California; Roll: 179; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0010; Image: 282.0; FHL microfilm: 2339914. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1930; Census Place: Castroville, Monterey, California; Roll: 179; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0014; Image: 407.0; FHL microfilm: 2339914. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Alisal, Monterey, California; Roll: T625_122; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 2; Image: 634. (Ancestry.com)

White Rose Birthday Greetings

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked August 7, 1915 from Alta Loma, California. Printed in Germany. Series 444/10.

Price: $3.00

From the Alice Ellison Collection, this appears to be husband writing to wife; he writes:

“Aug 7, 1915. Dear Ma, wee got to Lena’s at nine oclock this morning and found them all well. But Lena she has Poisen yet. Wee dident have any troble. Wee only changed cars at Stockton. With Love from Dad.”

Addressed to: ” “Mrs. J. M. Ellison, Tutten[?] av. Box 382, East Sacramento, Calif.”

A few comments:

Yikes (!) on the “poison” if that’s what the sender meant, but maybe it was just that Lena was still sick.

The publisher logo on the back (the W inside the diamond) appears to belong to the F. W. Woolworth Co., New York, NY, the “Five & Dime” store or by my own era, just “dime store” (funny how these old terms creep up sometimes still, dime store, ice box…..) See Metropostcard’s website under W for more on Woolworth.

And lastly, the name of the avenue for the address is not showing up online, maybe Fifteenth? even though that’s quite a stretch when looking at the writing.

Source: “W – Publishers, F. W. Woolworth Co. 1878 – 1997.” Metropostcard.com. (Accessed October 16, 2016).

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).

Jenevieve, Bank Inspector

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Annieoakley

Mini-photo, circa 1900 – 1920s

Price: $10.00 Size: About 1 and 3/16 x 1 and 5/8″

A mini-photo of a beautiful dark-haired girl in winter-ish coat and spring hat. The writing on the back, in pencil, had been almost completely covered with black photo album paper (you know the type) but we discovered that applying water softens the paper so that it can be peeled and scraped off. Oh, and then Googled the “how to” question and saw that yep, it works on the old photos with writing underneath (in pencil, the source wasn’t sure about ink) because, after all, the photo would have been dipped in water before being hung to dry. (It would have eased my mind to have read this first, but still!) Anyway, she’s very photogenic, with that arresting look. And, oh what a hat! Straw and fabric or just fabric maybe, but the shape, along with the subtle pleats on the underside, reminds one of a flower. As to the writing: What we can make out says, “Jenevieve….” with something underneath that we can’t make out, and next, our best guess “Bank Inspector.” (Well, inspector misspelled. Plenty of entries were found under this given name cross-referenced with occupation.) And at the bottom right corner, maybe ” H. C. MO.” Hmmm, one of the counties in Missouri that begins with “H” or maybe an abbreviated company name? And if she was not a bank inspector, well, we hope she’s laughing somewhere at this, but it does sound very dramatic, doesn’t it? Jenevieve, Bank Inspector!

Laurel Cottage Genealogy

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

Monthly Archives: October 2016

Giesecke Boot & Shoe Manufacturing Co.

Necks To Nothing

Scheuneman’s Store, Gary, Indiana

Colorado State Fair Postcard Ad, 1908

Kids In Leaf

Charlie Guidotti’s School Photo

White Rose Birthday Greetings

To Miss Echo Grimes

Temple And Arnold, Coweta OK, 1910

Jenevieve, Bank Inspector