Aerial View of Lido and Bird Keys on Beautiful Sarasota Bay Florida

June 7, 1983

Dear Lorna,

We enjoyed spending some time with you.  We’re having a nice time here at Lido Beach.  Our condo is at the far end by trees, see other side of card.  Karen, Rick and Bailey were here with us for a week. 

Getting a nice tan, relaxing and eating good.

Doris and Dick

Mrs. L.F. Powell

P.O. Box 904

Edgewater, FL 32032

Lido Beach is just south of Longboat Key in Sarasota, FL.  Both are known for sugary-sand beaches and, if you believe Wikipedia, a "seasonal night club scene."  

I enjoy seeing how Doris and Dick marked their condo with an "x," just to Mrs. Lorna Powell in Edgewater.  Unfortunately, Mrs. Powell only has a Post Office Box, and a quick White Pages search turns up no records for her.  Maybe someone in Florida knows her.  Maybe somewhere in Florida Doris and Dick are planning another week with Karen, Rick and Bailey.  It's only been 29 years.

In a way, this mystery is a fitting start to this blog.  Five fairly standard sentences that typify a Florida Post Card, complete with a treasure map with an "x" on the front, and the only people that have any clue of what that week in 1983 meant were the writers and recipient of this card.  The conceivable fact that these folks might very well still be living accentuates it.  

Washington’s Headquarters, Valley Forge, PA

July 29, 1918

Dear Friend:

I am glad to hear from Mrs. N. that you are all well and hope you will all have a good summer in spite of the heat here.  Well it can’t last forever. 

Yours, Mrs. Hammond

Mrs. Adams

Brookline, N.H.

R.F.D. 40

George Washington’s headquarters has been a tourist attraction since the birth of our country, but this little house, built by Isaac Potts in 1773, didn’t get designated as a National Historic Landmark until 1972, almost 200 years later.   Archeological digs have revealed quite a bit about life during and after the American Revolution- they even have a blog that documents recent activity at this National Park. 

Of course, my focus is on the identities of Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Hammond.  Postal addresses from the early 20^th century omit much of the information we take for granted today.  The town of Brookline, New Hampshire and surrounding Hillsborough County have historical societies that link to genealogical information such as marriages through 1912.  Further research shows there was an Alacia Hammond married to a Frank A. Austin in 1907, so perhaps in this small New England town, Alacia had a sister who traveled to Pennsylvania for some patriotic sightseeing. 

The record high for Valley Forge in July was 99 degrees set in 1988. 

As Mrs. Hammond states, “Well, it can’t last forever.”

The Hotel Winecoff, Atlanta, GA

January 28, 1933

Sat. A.M. Here we are at the bus station getting breakfast.  Leave here at 9 o’ clock our time 8 their time.  Was so cold here last night and this A.M.  Notion to go back to Toledo.  Colder here than it was at home when I left.  Have to get my underwear lined I guess.  Ha!  Ha! 

Love Maude

Miss Virginia Rusher

2008 Calumet Ave.

Toledo, OH

The Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, GA was built in 1913, and is the site of the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history.  13 years after Maude sent this postcard to Miss Rusher,  119 people died leading to better building codes.  One of the survivors, Daisy McCumber was photographed jumping 11 stories by Arnold Hardy, who went to become the first amateur photographer to win the Pulitzer prize for photography.   Mr. Hardy passed away in 2007, but his photograph is still noted for it's haunting depiction of that eventful night.  Today, the building has been restored into the Ellis Hotel, after about 20 years of vacancy.

As to the identity of the recipient, there are quite a number of Virginia Rusher’s in various geneaological sites that have partial information that could indicate a probable match for the unmarried recipient of this card.   One puts Virginia Rusher's birth at 1899, making her 34, and another places her as being born in 1915, making her 17 when she received this postcard from Atlanta.  As far as the identity of "Maude" is concerned, I stumbled across a 2004 obituary from the Salisbury (Ohio) Post for a Anna Owen Troutman, daughter of a Maude Rusher Owen.   It lists a Nora Lee Barbee in the contact for memorials, so perhaps Ms. Barbee will Google herself and provide some more insight into the Rusher family.


The house at 2008 Calumet Drive was built in 1924, and is still standing.   Lucas County's property records are difficult to access, but perhaps this home is still owned by descendants of the Rusher family.

Central Avenue from the Air. Looking West from Yacht Club and Basin, St. Petersburg, Fla

January 29, 1957

Dear Son and family,

Your 20 below figures gave us the chills.  Too bad we can’t all be down here in the 80 every day.  I am having therapy treatments now from a sweet little woman.  She expects to cure me.  Very good looking but married. 

Best wishes,

Dad

Albert W. Smith

Dixfield, Maine

Box 52

St. Petersburg has long been the summer destination for many tourists and retirees looking to escape the harsh winters of the Northern United States.  Founded in 1876 and named after St. Petersburg, Russia, the population nearly doubled from 1950 to 1960, during which time Mr. Albert Smith's Dad went to seek “therapy treatments from a sweet little woman.”

Dixfield, Maine is a small community that touts the fact that it is the only place in the world named “Dixfield.”  The town was founded in 1789, and originally called Holmantown after the founder, Colonel Jonathan Holman, and renamed Dixfield in 1803, after an empty promise from a Dr. Elijah Dix to build a library.  The library didn't materialize until 1935, but left a deep commitment to local history by the residents, who formed an historical society and museum.

There is a marriage record for an Albert W. Smith to Ada Berry or Murch in Dixville, Maine in 1924, 28 years before this postcard was sent.  There's a marriage record for Alan Todd Smith to Jeanette Elizabeth Turner in 1994 that could be a direct descendant.  Perhaps Alan Smith or the Dixfield Historical Society can shed some light on Albert's Dad's treatments or the "sweet little woman" who was very "good looking but married."  Did Dad wish to find romance in Florida after being divorced or widowed?  Was he playing matchmaker to his already married son?  And what kind of therapy treatments were available in St. Petersburg that beckoned him down from chilly Maine?

Hotel Lizotte, Pass-A-Grille Beach, FL

March 22, 1913

Dear Paul,

Had a (short?) dinner today at this place.  It is a fine day and warm- oh my!  We go to Clearwater tonight and write you then a letter. 

(Love?) (Ardell?)

Mr. Paul W. Rusher

Toledo, Ohio

c/o Goulet and Co.


Today's card is a well-weathered missive from Pass-A-Grille Beach, FL.  Pass-A-Grille Beach, homesteaded in 1886, has been a beautiful beach destination for many generations and is home to the historic Don CeSar Hotel.  A Pass-A-Grille history blog run by Bill Kneppler of Prudential Tropical Realty has two entries (near the bottom of the page) from a Boyce Keith Smith,  whose Great Grandfather George Henri Lizotte "built the very first hotel The Bonhomie," later called the Hotel Lizotte.   According to Mr. Smith, George Lizotte was the "very first Post Master and the very first Post Office for Pass A Grille was located in his Hotel."   Mr. Lizotte "also had the very first restrauant located in the Bonhomie then his other hotel the Lizotte," where the sender ate a short? dinner.


Mr. Paul Rusher, was married to an Ardell Van Vorce, had a daughter in 1914, Virgina Rusher, who may have been the recipient of the Hotel Winecoff postcard seen in my earlier post.  It's hard to make out the handwriting, but Ardell seems to be the sender of this card.  Both Paul and Ardell Rusher died in 1916,  at the ages of 44 and 26 respectively.  Why was Ardell in Florida two years before her death, traveling separate from her husband, who was busy working at Goulet and Company?  And what became of the couple who died at relatively young ages in the same year (or day)?  

Post Office Building, Tampa, FL

December 3, 1947 11:30 AM

Made it!  It(‘s) so beautiful, and the weather is perfect.  We’ve shed our winter clothing.

Linda

The (Watem’s?)

521 Walnut St

Rockford Illinois


I am originally from Tampa, FL and know this building at 601 Florida Avenue well.  According to the Florida Department of State Division of Historical Records, this 4 story Federal building was constructed between 1902 and 1905 with Second Renaissance and Classical Revival elements. 


Rockford, Illinois is the third most populous city in the state behind Chicago and Aurora, and has had its share of downtown development, which unfortunately obliterated any trace of 521 Walnut Street.  I can't decipher Linda's handwriting to figure out the surname of the recipients, but since the address is a block away from Rockford City Hall and Carpenters Union Local 792, some longtime resident may have the answers to how Linda came to "shed (her) winter clothing" in Tampa in 1947.

One of Florida’s Beautiful Parks

March 2, 1954 Clearwater, Florida

Lovely hot Sunday.  Wish you were here to get the sun.  Saw black swans too, in a park like this.  Expect a friend for overnight next week- haven’t seen her for 20 years!!  She has bought a house at Ormond Beach on the East Coast of Fla.  Hope you are fine.  Will write letter soon. 

Love,

Vera

Mrs. James Wright

West Paris, Maine


Clearwater, FL was settled just before the U.S. Civil War, and incorporated as a city in 1915.  The freshwater springs that dotted the bluff overlooking the gulf inspired the name.  It has been a popular tourist destination and winter residence, as well as a training and hosting center for troops fighting in World War II.  In the 1970's, the Church of Scientology purchased the Ft. Harrison Hotel for $3 million, and established Flag Land Base, much to the concern of city residents.

West Paris, Maine began most of its history as part of Paris, Maine along the Little Androscoggin River in the western part of the state.  The area was settled in the late 18th century, but it wasn't until 1957 when it was formally incorporated into its own entity.  The fact that this postcard is addressed to West Paris shows that it must have been a de facto change before then.

The spouse of Mr. James Wright must have enjoyed a prominent and powerful local family.  According to the Paris Reigster, 1906 (courtesy of archive.org), a James S. Wright was "elected Clerk of Courts," opening a law practice in South Paris in 1883, becoming County Attorney for several years. Another source, "History of Paris, Maine from settlement to 1880" states, "He has been among the most respected and valuable ot our citizens who have come here on account of election to office." Mainegeneaology.net lists many Wrights who married in different towns in Western Maine, but since the surname is fairly common and the bride's name is unknown, it is hard to discern if any are direct descendants, or the recipient of this postcard. There are 2 Wrights currently living in West Paris, Maine, a Marcia Wright and Alice Wright, both of whom could be possible daughters of Mrs. James Wright. Perhaps they would know of their mother's longtime friend Vera, and the other friend who bought a house across the coast in Ormond Beach.

Lake Eola, Orlando, Fla.

Lake Eola, Fla.

Postmarked March 11, 1905 Received March 14 1905 Northhampton, Mass.

March 10

We have been in Orlando since Wednesday, but shall stay but one week so direct your next to Jacksonville, Gen. Del.  Papa is better but I think the water in Tampa was not good for him.

Mama

Miss Beaulah Wells

Albright House,

Northhampton, Mass.

As a Tampa native living in Orlando, I can attest to the lesser quality of Tampa’s water system, and I am not surprised that Papa suffered some as a result. 

Northhampton, Massachusetts is a town of about 23,000 people with an eclectic social history.  It's been home to a Great Awekening, Transcendental Abolitionism, Industrial Age and Rust Belt Decline, and now vibrant music scene and large LGBT community.    Albright House is a dormitory still in use today at Smith College, and there is a mention of a Beulah Wells in the October 1905 Smith College Monthly newsletter (archived here) that informs us that Miss Wells went to Rochester, N.Y. to work at the Rochester Business Institute.  From there, the trail grows cold.

On a tangent, if that's a receiving postmark from Northhampton, then that shows it took three days en route through our Postal Service.  Before optical character recognition and ZIP codes.  Before Interstate Highways.  Wow.

Here's the game I invite all my Orlando readers to play with me.  Try to find the correct shore of Lake Eola that corresponds with this photo.  My guess is the camera is located on the northwest shore looking south, which would put the structure in the photo where the bandshell is today.  I welcome your thoughts and photos, with which I will update this blog to compare the two!

Shawmut Congregational Church, Tremont and West Brookline Sts., Boston, Mass.

April 29, 1909

Everything in (Revere?) is booming

What in the world is the matter that you don’t write.  I wrote you telling you of my youngest br. Death Mar. 10^th and you haven’t ans.  I am very well and busy.  The (Marks?) have moved in Dr. Morris’ house so we have lost our neighbor.  Try to get time to write. 

(H. Gary?)

Mrs. Henry H. Haines

Madison, Maine

Haines the Druggist


Boston's Shawmut Church is a very historic building in the South End of Boston.   There's a New York Times article about the church's divisions in 1892, an address on Abraham Lincoln, delivered by civil rights leader Moorfield Storey in 1909, and a Flickr page set up by the Boston Public Library with early 20th century photographs.  The church was severely damaged by fire in 1978, and was converted into residences in 1990.  Some units are for sale today!

Madison, Maine is a small town in Somerset County with a population of about 4,000, incorporated in 1804.  In 1900, the population was 2,700 and had a thriving business center.  Maine genealogy records show a Henry Haines that died at age 92 in 1972, but there is no mention of his drug store, or any "Haines" currently doing business in Madison.  Taylor's Drug Store boasts that it has been family owned for over 100 years, so perhaps they changed their name or provided some stiff competition for the neglectful Mr. Haines.

The scolding tone of H. Gary? is a departure from the usual text seen on postcards.  It is a tale of loss, displayed for any postal worker to read, as well as a plaintive cry for communication.  Was H. Gary a dear friend of Mr. Haines?  Or perhaps a former lover?  If the latter is true, than the sender was out of luck, if ancestry.com's marriage record of Henry Haines is the recipient.

New Hoffman Hotel- Bedford, PA

July 18, 1949

Here we are at Bedford, you would like this town very much.  This is a very nice hotel.  How is Cecil coming along?  I will write when we get to Detroit. 

Much Love to all.

Elizabeth

Mrs. Julia M. Bryan

2812 W. North Ave.

Baltimore, Maryland


This is a very nice hotel indeed!  Now owned by Omni Hotels, the Bedford Springs Resort beckons travelers to enjoy the many springs that are around the town of Bedford, Pennsyvania.  The town itself was incorporated in 1795, and the resort hosted U.S. Presidents and industry titans, who vacationed here extensively.  The name change to the New Hoffman Hotel must have been brief, as there is little mention of it in articles about the hotel.  However, the current pictures look exactly like this scene from 1949, so there is no mistaking this building.

Bryan is a common surname, and Baltimore is a large city, so it is very difficult to discern the identity of the recipient of this postcard.  There is a Julia Bryan who is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, but it is unknown if she is a descendant of the recipient.

The house at 2812 W. North Ave, built in 1920 is still standing, and thanks to GoogleStreetView, we can see where Ms. Bryan lived while Cecil was "coming along" from his unknown difficulties.

St. Petersburg, Florida (Sunken Gardens)

February 16, 1971

228 ½ 12 Ave No.

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Hi Ardeele.  Here we are in the sunny south and some days not so sunny.  On the whole it has been very nice.  Guess you have had a bad winter.

Love Pauline + Willie(Nellie?)

Mrs. Robert (McCombies?)

75 Manor Drive

Portsmouth New Hamp

03801 


Sunken Gardens was built by a plumber.  In 1903, George Turner drained a lake that was on his property and set clay tiles around the muck that would provide the rich soil for his garden.  Through three generations and the purchase of a former Coca-Cola bottling plant, Sunken Gardens thrived as the tourist destination it is today.  Facing financial hard times, the city of St. Petersburg bought the property in 1999, restoring it to its former splendor.  Growing up in Tampa, I remember many family and field trips to this place, and how boring it was without the thrill rides and shows I had come to expect as a Florida boy living near Busch Gardens and Adventure Island in Tampa.  


Portsmouth, New Hampshire is a very old city, founded in 1653.  It's the birthplace of John Paul Jones, the naval hero and Ronnie James Dio, the rock hero.  The small house still stands at 75 Manor Drive, but the Rockingham County website does not seem to support property searches by address.  There are a few obituaries, and even a sex offender with variations on Robert McCombie (McCombies?), but neither birthrates nor surviving relatives match with anything on this postcard.


This postcard is typical of many postcards from Florida, with the sender really rubbing in the fact that it's sunny and warm with no snow.  I admit I do the same thing every winter to my brother in Seattle by phone.  (Oh, you had an ICE storm!  Wow!  I went to the beach!)  But old Pauline and Willie really put an passive-aggressive spin on things, with the right scintilla of concern- "guess you had a bad winter."  

West Palm Beach. Florida skyline framed by cocoanut palms

February 29, 1968

Dear Glenna,

Wish to thank you so much for everything.  Guess you think I have forgotten you.  We were (?) boat on Sat N for a dinner.  Gone all day Sun.  Monday (?) friends of ours.  Pat a+ Rich went on to Miami (?)  I was going home from there.  (Shaw?) father sick she might have to go there.  Judy will be here.  I will write you.

Mrs. Glenna Castul (Casteel?)

5203 Cortez Road

Orlando, Fla. 32808


West Palm Beach was incorporated by Henry Flagler in 1894 as a stop on his railroad.  If he knew that visitors to his city would be stricken with frustratingly bad handwriting, he may have stopped at St. Augustine.  Researching the people mentioned on this card is tantalizingly difficult, mainly because the search tools I use are local.  Here's what I pieced together so far:

The house at 5203 Cortez Drive still stands in the Orlando neighborhood of Pine Hills, and was probably in a much safer neighborhood back in 1968 than it is now.

The earliest online record from the Orange County Property appraiser is from August 1993,  when the house built in 1953 was sold by a Bruce and Beatrice Cutshall.


That's it.  No birth records, obituaries, or marriages with any variation on the name of the recipient.  I'm going to physically research this one, since it's close to home.  I'll update this post with any new leads.

Entrance to Women’s Building, University of Illinois

October 23, 1924

Dear Florence,

Rreceived your letter to-day.  Will answer later.

Lieber Papa, Diesen Brief schneibe ich Dir aus champaign.  Heute bin ich deinen.  Brief bekommen.  Dankeschon Hoffentlich geht es sie familie gut.  Grusse sie, bitte, von mir.  Mit herzlichenn grusse.  Deine Gorther, Elma

P.S. I’m copying this from a letter in the German grammar book.)

Ms. Florence Gerlich

Hollywood, Illinois

Hollywood, Illinois is  a small community in Cook County, Illinois.  The owner of the property sold lots to attendees of the Columbian Exposition of 1893, and developed it into  a subdivision.   To transform into the community it is today, took a bit of community organizing as quoted by the Hollywood Citizen Organization:

Way back in 1915, a group of public spirited citizens residing the weed-infected, countrified, dirt road community of Hollywood, IL decided that an improvement association should be formed.  They desired representation in the Village of Brookfield board meetings, also greatly needed improvements.  Thus the Hollywood Citizens Associations was born."
-- by Edith Hyler from the History of Hollywood, IL

The University of Illinois was founded in 1867.  And both Elma and Florence Gerlich attended.  One supposes that her sister's correspondence encouraged Florence to attend.  Ancestry.com lists a Florence Gerlich from Cook County, Illinois being born in 1909, making her 15 years old when she received this postcard.  Both Florence and Elma are listed in Board of Trustee records from the University of Illinois that seem age-appropriate.  This Florence Gerlich died in 1975, and the only son listed died in Los Angeles in 1993.

Just for fun, I ran the German portion of this card through Google Translate:

Dear Dad, This letter I Schneiber champaign from you. Today I am your. Letter received. Hopefully it's already thank you family well. Grusse they ask of me. With heart lichenn salutation. Your Gorth, Elma

Fine Specimen of Palm Trees, Scene in a Florida Garden

New Smyrna, February 6, 1921

New Smyrna, Fla Feb 5^th, 1921

Dear Neighbor,

I was ever so glad to receive this letter from you folks & hope you still keep well.  We sure have had a variety of weather today rain thunder and now bright sunshine.  I have no fire and doors and windows open today.  The church ladies had a 3 days carnival this week and made enough to clear the debt on their field hall. 

Regards to you both. 

Mrs. C. C. Young

Mrs. J E. Milner

Danielson, Conn

#36 Reynolds St.

Yes, a fine specimen of palm trees, indeed, Mrs. Young!

Sunshine Pleasure Club, St. Petersburg, Florida

March 2, 1956

Hello, All-

We are having a good rest on a wonderful vacation.  The weather is very warm and all our summer plans are in bloom.  They built four thousand houses here last year and are still going strong. 

J. V. (?)

Haverhill Lumber & Supply Co.

22 Phoenix Row

Haverhill, Mass.


Sunshine Pleasure Club is my favorite band from the 1980's.

Haverhill, Massachusetts is one of the oldest communities in the state, settled in 1640, and incorporated in 1870.  It became a manufacturing center, specializing in shoes and hats until the Great Depression.  Its rich history includes the first retail establishment of Rowland Macy, the first Macy's Parade, and Haverhill High School, which inspired Bob Montana's Archie Comics.

The Sunshine Pleasure Club was my favorite 1970's kids show.

The Haverhill Lumber and Supply Company is gone, replaced by an assisted living facility.   In addition, the sender has an undecipherable signature.  It is very conceivable that the sender worked at the lumber company when he notes the number of houses built in St. Petersburg.  Perhaps the Haverhill Lumber and Supply Company could have benefitted from a southern migration- the population of St. Petersburg doubled from 1950 to 1960.

The real Sunshine Pleasure Club started in Williams Park in St. Petersburg sometime before 1917.  Google has an archive of the St. Petersburg Times, and apparently shuffleboard, horseshoe pitching and the athletic prowess of the Sunshine Pleasure Club were hot topics for decades.

Home Surrounded by Tropical Foliage and Hedge of Flame Vine St. Petersburg, Fla.

January 12, 1959

Hi Come on down.  No snow here. 

Bob Martino

640 8^th Ave. South

St. Petersburg, Fla.

Mr. & Mrs. Tom Fairbanks

Rear 496 Main St.

Groveland, Mass


A short quick note from our good friend Bob Martino, one month prior to the previous message he sent to the Fairbanks'.  I'm trying to coin a neologism for the ubiquitous Florida weather contrast seen on most postcards- maybe "sunboasting."  This is the first of several postcards addressed to the Fairbanks family in Groveland, MA that came in the last lot of postcards I purchased.  Most antique stores get their inventory from either auctions or buying estates.  Postcards and greeting cards get saved in a stack over the years, and generally get discovered when the antique dealer finds them in that sweet roll-top desk or Victorian hutch.  They get added to the inventory, and generally put into a section of the store or booth.  If there's enough inventory, a dealer may organize the cards by location and theme, mixing in the used and unused cards.  This process is why the frequency of the same family name s fairly commonplace, but it still holds excitement and provides a more secure anchor to discover the identities of the recipients.

Thankfully, our friend Bob was kind enough to provide his return address on this card.  Unfortunately, Bob's house was swallowed up by the continuing expansion of Bayfront Medical Center and All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.  There is a drywall company owned by a Bob Martino in St. Petersburg, but their website is under construction and very generalized.

The population of the town of Groveland was 3,297 in 1960, over half of what it is today.  Groveland is located in Essex County, made famous by the oddly shaped state legislative district drawn for Eldridge Gerry.  A cartoon of "the Gerry-mander" was published in 1812, and our political system had a new word that would shape our government every ten years.  The tidy white house at 496 Main St. still exists, as was listed in the Essex County deeds as being sold to a Claude Ritter in 1975.  Fairbanks seems to be a prominent surname in Groveland, maybe they were members of the Garden Club or descendants of the same Fairbanks family that owns the oldest timber house in America.

Parliament House Motor Inn

Parliament House Motor Inn

410 N. Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, Florida 32805

Phone (305) 241-6771

June 30, 1972

Hi Edna,

Was here for 2 days took a tour to Disney.  We enjoyed it very much.  Leaving for St. Augustine tomorrow.

Regards,

Marianne and Joe

Mrs. Edna Stertz?

30 Hampton Gardens

Middlesex, N. J.

Orlando residents, especially members of the Orlando LGBT community know of this mecca to all things fun and hedonistic.  It's uncertain if guests at 1972's Parliament House (just to warn you this link is very LOUD in a fun way), would stand outside their rooms on the balcony as an open invitation to come inside, but let's read the description from 40 years ago:

"120 luxurious rooms, swimming pool, excellent Restaurant and Lounge, meeting facilities for 300, 8 blocks from Downtown, ample parking space.  American Express, Diner’s Club, Bank Americard, Master Charge cards accepted.

Dancing and Entertainment"

Yep.  Things haven't changed.  I mean, look at those two boys on the paddle boats.

Okay, so the phone number has changed.  The Parliament House now has 130 rooms and the meeting facilities put a different spin on the term "meeting."   But there's still dancing and entertainment that is enjoyable, no matter your orientation.  Just don't drink anything handed to you poolside by a man in a red coat.  Trust me.

The most interesting thing about this postcard is the date, since it was just three years later that Don Granatstein and Susan Unger purchased the hotel that became the "gayest place on earth."

Middlesex, New Jersey is a borough of about 13,000 people, incorporated in 1913.  Edna's surname is a little illegible, so it makes it hard to search for her.  It's very probable that she could still be living today, or has living children.  The Middlesex County Clerk's office is not living up to its motto "The Best County in the Land!", as its land record search will not load.  Maybe it has something to do with all that radioactive waste in the landfill.

I'd like to think that somewhere, just minutes from me, Marianne, Joe and Edna are just arriving in Orlando, anticipating a warm welcome for the Red Ball, where they will dance the night away with their new "family."

Among the Orange Groves in Florida

St. Petersburg, FL
February 3, 1959

Greetings from Florida.

Come on down where it is cold and wet.

Bob Martino

Mr. & Mrs. Thom. Fairbanks

Rear 496 Main St.

Groveland, Mass.


Thanks, Bob.


Mr. Martino is either a poor salesman, or close enough to his friends, the Fairbanks', that he can lay on the sarcasm.  There's more from Bob on another card, as well as the Fairbanks, so enjoy this pastoral scene from the not-too-distant past.


The first citrus trees in Florida were planted and cultivated by members of Christopher Columbus' crew, and continued under the Spanish flag as the first settlements in Florida began.  Even through freezes and disease, Florida continues to be a major producer of citrus, even as old orange groves are cleared to make way for suburban development.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the Groveland Historical Society, but check out this history from one of the Parker descendants detailing a church pageant from 1950.

Evening Shadows Fall in Florida

Cocoa, FL

April 1, 1951

Best of Wishes from Florida

The Dunbars

Mr. James Parker

Main St.

So. Groveland, Mass.

Parker’s Store


Cocoa, FL was first settled in the late 19th century and got its name in one of two apocryphal ways.  The first theory is that a resident would offer hot cocoa to the passing sailors, which became so popular that they would shout "Cocoa!  Cocoa!"  The second theory is that another resident was inspired to name the town from a box of Baker's Coca she was using.  You can't make this stuff up- check out the official city history.

I covered who James A. Parker may have been in an earlier post about the correspondence between father and son.  The Dunbar surname is too common even for Brevard County to get a definitive identity on the senders.  Even the research on James Parker turned up no mention of a Dunbar branch of the Parker family tree, or why the Dunbar's would send such an impersonal greeting from Florida as if it were a very belated Christmas Card.  

Entrance to Gulfstream Park Race Course, between Hollywood and Miami, Fla.

Entrance to Gulfstream Park Race Course, between Hollywood and Miami, Fla.

Miami, FL February 3, 1949

Dear Steven,

If everything goes well, you and grammie will be down here next year.  Mommie misses you.

Love Mommie

Master Steven Westberry

North Jay, Maine

This postcard is most poignant and powerful- a mother, separated from her son and mother, working hard in south Florida to bring them both down to join her efforts to make a new life for them.  

Gulfstream Park has been a venue for horse racing since 1939.  The track is home to the $1million Florida Derby, and has expanded recently to include gaming.  On a political note, the park is a major player in Florida , having contributed over $500,000 to Florida's politicians in the 2010 cycle alone, to further expand their casino.  They've also undergone some impressive renovations and additions to the historic property, and have included shopping, bars and restaurants- it's worth the trip, even if you aren't into gambling or racing!

The little town of Jay, Maine was founded in 1795 along the banks of the Androscoggin river, and named for John Jay, the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice.  Like most small towns in New England, there is an historical society, as well as a museum chronicling Jay's history as a paper manufacturing center.  

As to the identities of the sender and recipient, the first page on a Google search yielded this post on a genealogy forum from 10 years ago.  I'll post it in its entirety so you can share the same anticipation as I did:

hi! my name is steven charles westberry. my dad came from maine.he is somehow not in touch with any westberry's from there. my grandmothers name is jacquelyn. i am not even sure what my real grandfathers name was. i guess there was a divorce or something that my dad and grandmother never want to talk about but i stumbled onto this site and am wondering about you guys. if anyone has any information
i would be very greatful if you would drop me a line.   well if anybody is reading this i have two children. a boy (5) and girl (3).I would like to tell them about the westberry family but dont have any info.

please help,

thank you,
steven charles westberry jr

I immediately contacted Mr. Westberry, Jr. about this card, so excited that I did so before posting this.  He has responded, and I'll be back with an update on the story for all of you.

UPDATE:  Mr. Westberry, Jr. has informed me that his father was 4 years old when he received this card, and is still alive.   I'm sending him his father's card, so I'll be back with another update!

Daytona Beach from the Air, Daytona Beach, Florida

January 18, 1947

#2

Dear Dad,

We still haven’t found a job or anything and may not stay here but I’ll let you know when we get an address for you to write to. 

Love, Herb

Mr. James A. Parker

482 Main St.

Groveland, Mass.


And we're back with more depressing news from Herb's job search.

I detailed the research on the elder Parker in the previous post on Herb's first desperate message to his dad, and Groveland, MA in other posts, so let's focus on what became of Herb Parker, who migrated to Florida after the second World War.

As of this writing, Florida has about a 9.9% unemployment rate, so there is a bit of comfort knowing that jobs were about as scarce in 1947 as they are today.  We continue the saga of Herb, the used car salesman, who now may not stay in Daytona Beach.  The only evidence he may have stayed is from a 1976 Daytona Beach News-Journal article that lists a Herb Parker (perhaps a Junior?) as part of the city's landscape department and another article commemorating a heroic rescue of a four-year old girl in 1986 from a swimming pool.  I'd like to think that the elder Herb Parker prospered alongside the World's Most Famous Beach and had a son who also stayed.  A quick search of the Volusia County Property Appraiser's website corroborates this theory as two deeds are recorded for a Herbert Parker (Jr.) in Daytona Beach and a Herbert Parker III in South Daytona.  I guess he finally got an address for Dad to send letters.

Tropical Palm in Florida

Cocoa, FL

April 5, 1951

Still having good weather.  The cars are starting northward now.  They are travelling in large numbers. 

Best of wishes,

From,

The Dunbars

Miss Marion Parker

480 Main St.

So. Groveland, Mass.


Just over a month after the Dunbars sent this postcard to Marion Parker, Hurricane Able would brush the Florida coastline as one of the earliest hurricanes to strike the U.S. Obviously, even modern hurricane tracking cannot predict a storm moving more than a week before landfall, so the Dunbars must be observing the annual migration northward of what we in Florida call the "snowbirds."  It might be just me, but I sense an apocalyptic tone to this postcard, as if some horrible disaster had driven the winter residents away from the state in massive numbers.

That disaster is the sweltering summers here.

There are two places of interest for the identity of Marion Parker.  The first is a Marion Parker who is the chairman of the Greater Women's Club of Massachusetts Public Affairs, holding a publicity book fair.   The second, and more age-appropriate site shows a 1985 Lakeland Ledger obituary for Marion Parker, retired bookkeeper of Groveland, MA, survived by a nephew, Herbert Parker of Clermont, FL.  She is listed as a member of the Groveland Congregational Church, until moving to Lakeland in 1983.

$2 Million Banyan Tree

Dania, FL

March 8, 1946

Hello,

Just a line to say we having a grand time.  We haven’t seen this tree but have seen lots of others like it.  Went on Jungle Cruise yesterday.  Irene saw an alligator in the water.  Be good and say hello to the folks.

? Irene & Ruthie

Mr. Thomas Fairbanks

King St.

Groveland, Mass.


Irene saw an alligator.  Thanks, Ruthie.

Long before Walt Disney World had it's jungle cruise, tourists would flock to places like this to take in the exotic and strange Florida landscape.  And all the sights from the 1920's through the 1950's seemed to boast of their "million dollar" qualities.  How a banyan tree got valued at 2 million dollars in Ft. Lauderdale is lost to the ages. Since Irene and Ruthie didn't provide their surnames, it is difficult to know whether they were passing through Dania, or were winter or permanent residents of the south Florida town.

As far as the Fairbanks, there is a Wayne Fairbanks living on King Street who serves on the Groveland Congregational Church's Church and Ministry Committee today (link broken-you can visit the church's website here.)  His email address is listed, and I'll update this post if he knows of any connection between Ruthie and Irene and the Fairbanks family.

Band Shell and Ocean Front, Daytona Beach, Florida

January 18, 1947

Dear Dad,

It took longer than we expected to get here but we made it O.K. only to find the bottom dropped out of the used car market and now you can’t even give one away.

Love, Herb

Mr. James A. Parker

482 Main St.

Groveland, Massachusetts

I admit that it gave me a little comfort to know that the story of being unemployed in Florida has been experienced by many people, and as far back as 1947.

This postcard is the first of two from Herb (Parker) to his Dad, James A. Parker.  I'll go over the research on what may have become of the despondent Herb in a later post, but let's focus on the elder Parker in this one.

First, the house at 482 Main Street still stands, and the earliest online record of the property from the Essex County Reigstry of Deeds shows an easement granted from James A. Parker in 1973.  James A. Parker is also listed in a 1950 book by a Sarah Parker as a World War I veteran, and the family may have been (according to Wikipedia...) descendants of a Benjamin Parker who was the second postmaster of Groveland, having relocated the post office to his store.  An 1884 atlas shows many Parkers in residence along the same area of Main Street where this card was sent.  As to what became of the store, the Parker-Hannifin Company  boasts a division in nearby Haverhill, MA amongst its worldwide locations.  It is conceivable that many Parker family members are still thriving in Groveland, and hopefully passed on that survivability to poor Herb looking for work in post-war Florida.