For this year’s April A-Z Challenge I am blogging everyday using items taken from the letters written by my grandfather to my grandmother from 1907 to 1912, starting with “A” and moving right through the alphabet to “Z” during April.
This postcard was written during my grandfather’s summer working on the Steamer Eastern States. Click on all images to enlarge.
7/15/09
What do you remember about the 15th of last month?
A.B.C.
Unfortunately there was no card or letter written around June 15th so I had no idea what happened then. But this was such an unsatisfactory post that I had to go back and try and solve the mystery. This is what I found, looking at 2 postcards and a letter mailed on June 20 from Buffalo, although at least 1 was written on the 19th in Toledo.
All of the letters were addressed to 311 W. Ray Street, Indianapolis, IN. This was not where Pearl lived. It was the address of her brother Hugh and his wife Blanche. In several letters my grandfather asked Pearl to thank Blanche for the good feelings she had for their relationship. I can only suppose that something happened as they were saying good-bye before the trip that angered her mother so much that she could not receive Albert’s letters at home. The first postcard is the one with the cadavers. The second one can be found here D is for Detroit.
YouVe set yourself a hard task. Thanks for all the letters. I looked on the internet to see if anything significant happened on June 15 1909 and all I found was that the Detroit Tigers played the Philadelphia Athletes. 🙂
Keep up the good work/
Hi,
Thanks for looking at the news in the larger world! I went back and looked at the letters I had around the June 15th date and figured out that it was another moment that angered Pearl’s mother. I added the new information above.
Oh! But what a wonderful jumping-off point for conjuring up a tale of chance meeting or adventure.
Gail visiting for AtoZ
Hi Gail,
I went back and found more information, which I added above. Thanks for visiting.
What a great treasure you have. I am struck by the writing and the occasional bits of humor. I loved the line about sitting in the warehouse to be considered romantic. Thanks for the comment on my blog. Now I have to go back and read all the ones I missed.
I think it would have made a nice painting – him sitting in that warehouse door, writing a letter. Or photograph if only someone had been around to do it. Even a sketch!
Kris you really got all these organized. I think Momma was mad too.
keepOn … Keepin’On!
gem!
Thanks Jim! Always love to get a comment from you.
you got such memorable treasures of your grandparents 🙂 The ending line in the letter is so funny 😀
It is. I wonder if those lines just popped into his head or if he had to think them up.