“Hotel Tuller and Grand Circus Park. Detroit, Mich. A cosy, cheerful home on a winter’s eve. Center of Business District. Fire Proof. $1.50 per day and upwards for room with bath.”

That’s the caption for the above tinted postcard photo. Fireproof would have been a big draw in the early 1900s, and we notice a different spelling for cozy than we use today. The card was addressed to:   “Miss Rose Merkel, North Main St. Marion, Ohio.”

The sender wrote:   “Hello Rose – We are having a fine time. This is where we are stopping a fine place and dandy location. Mrs. K -”
It’s kind of funny that this winter postcard was sent in August.

Rose is Rose C. Merkle, a dressmaker and long-time North Main Sreet resident. (It looks like the postcard sender, Mrs. K., had misspelled Rose’s last name.) According to the 1909 city directory Rose was boarding at 536 N. Main; later she moved to a home on 464 N. Main. The interesting thing about the 1917 city directory is that it lists Rose’s business name as “Merkle Sisters” (dressmakers) and lets us know that she and sister Minnie M. Merkle were in business together. The 1910 Federal Census for Marion shows the sisters, Wilhelmina, age 39, younger sister Rose, age 38; siblings Bertha L., age 32, saleslady; and Otto F., age 28, plumber. Head of household is widowed mother Carolina Merkle, age 64, born in Germany. The children were all born in Ohio. Next door is another Merkle family, most likely related.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked August 7, 1909 from Detroit, Michigan. Publisher unknown.

Price:  $7.00

Sources:  R. L. Polk & Co.’s Marion City and County Directory for 1909-1910, Vol. 9. p. 259. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.)

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Marion City and County Directory, 1917-1918, Vol. 13. p 297. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.)

Year: 1930; Census Place: Marion, Marion, Ohio; Roll: 1847; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0012; Image: 650.0; FHL microfilm: 2341581 (Ancestry.com)