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)?
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)?
shore dinner not short dinner
ReplyDeleteI miss the days. My Grandfather took me fishing at Pass-a-grille. mid 1960's. The OLD little fishing dock, last public one on inside of pass. Caught grouper, snapper and much more.
ReplyDelete