The Sunken Garden, Gralynn, Miami, Fla.

Miami December 16, 1917

Miami, Fla 12/16/17

Sunday Morning and a fine one here.  I expect it is cold in P.G.  How are you all I am very well and feel fine give my regards to all

J E H

Rev.  J. W. Lynch

Penns Grove, NJ


Alas, the Sunken Gardens of Gralynn are no more.  Originally built as a residence for the Conley family, Salem Graham bought the property, remodeling it and naming it using the first three letters of his name with the last four of his wife's maiden name.  Turned into a hotel in the early 20th century, the building was demolished in 1969 and replaced with a strip mall.


Penns Grove, NJ was a fashionable resort town around the turn of the nineteenth century, and only incorporated through an act of the New Jersey State Legislature in 1894, even though Swedish immigrants had settled in the area in the 1600's.  Penns Grove has been home to both John Forsythe and Bruce Willis, the latter attending Penns Gorve High School.  The town boasts of many churches, many of them old enough to have employed the recipients of this postcard.

Strangely enough, the Reverend J. W. Lynch is hard to pinpoint in Penns Grove.  I will update this post with any reply from the Historical Society as to any survivors of Rev. and Mrs. Lynch.

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.”

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)?