Another beautiful old postcard for St. Paddy’s Day. This one, showing the Celtic Harp and some shamrocks on a green flag with gold-tone trim, and a white clay pipe in the foreground, is addressed to:

“Master Joseph Miller, 220 – 14th St., Oregon City, Ore.”

And the unknown sender wrote:  “Greetings from St. Patrick”  which is a little amusing (across the centuries from the blessed saint.) …The phrase Erin go Bragh is an English spelling for the Irish Éireann go brách (or go bráth) which is normally translated as “Ireland forever.”

The postmark year on this one is hard to figure out, but it looks like it could be 1900 or 1907. The use of the form of address, “Master,” indicates that Joseph was still a boy when he received this card. He is found in census records with his family. The 1900 and 1910 Federal Census show the street name and city as matching the address on this card. (The street number was not given on these census records for 14th Street.) Per the 1900, Joseph was born in Oregon, March of 1898 (March, a good month for St. Pat’s day!) His parents were Jacob Miller, born Kentucky about 1861, and Margaret, born Ohio, about 1870. The 1910 Federal Census shows the three Millers, and an additional family member, Joseph’s baby sister Margaret, age two.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked from Portland, Oregon, March 16th, exact year unknown, possibly 1900 or 1907. Printed in Germany. Publisher unknown.

Price:  $6.00

Sources:  Year: 1900; Census Place: Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon; Roll: 1345; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0088; FHL microfilm: 1241345. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon; Roll: T624_1279; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0043; FHL microfilm: 1375292. (Ancestry.com)