John F. Kennedy Space Center, N.A.S.A.

JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER N.A.S.A.

The original 7 Astronauts selected by NASA.  From left to right, Navy Lt. Comm. Malcolm Scott Carpenter, Air Force Capt. Leroy Cooper, Jr. Marine Lt. Col. John Glenn, Jr., Air Force Captain Virgil Grissom, Navy Lt. Comm. Walter Schira, Jr., Navy Lt. Comm. Alan Shepard, Jr., Air Force Major Donald Slayton.

postmarked March 29, 1968 Evanston, Ill.

Bob-

Just wanted to say "hi" -

Love,

John

Robert A, Strain

The Maytag Company

Oakbrook North

700 Harger Road

Oakbrook, Illinois

Bob Strain passed away in 2008.  (Coincidentally that same year, a different Robert Strain took over as director for NASA's Goddard Space Center.)  Bob did indeed work for the Maytag Corporation, retiring after 35 years.  After reading his obituary, I've decided against using any Maytag Repairman jokes- the man lived a full and happy life, well after his career at Maytag was over.  

As far as the original seven Mercury astronauts pictured on the front of this card, many are still with us:

Malcolm Scott Carpenter was the pilot of the second U.S. orbital flight, and is currently retired with his third wife, Barbara Curtin.

Leroy Cooper, Jr. , also known as Gordon Cooper, flew the last Mercury mission.  He passed away in 2004, still steadfast in his belief in UFOs and the government conspiracy to hide their existence.  

John Glenn, Jr.,  was the pilot of the first U.S. orbital space flight, and famously became the oldest human in space on board the Space Shuttle in 1998.  The former Congressman is retired and living with his wife in Ohio.

Virgil Grissom, the pilot of the second U.S. suborbital spaceflight was killed the year before this postcard was sent in the Apollo 1 fire. 

Walter Schira, Jr.,  the only astronaut in the Mercury group to receive an Emmy for the live television feed inside his Apollo mission.  After his retirement, he became a spokesman for Actifed, which kept his famous cold at bay during his mission.   Wally Schirra died in 2007.

  

Alan Shepard, Jr., pilot of the first Mercury flight passed away in 1998.

Donald "Deke" Slayton went on to found a company in Houston that launched the first private vehicle into space, the Conestoga.  He passed away from a brain tumor in 1993.

The links go to their official NASA biographies, but there is much more of their story (as well as Bob Strain's story) to tell on this little post.  Check it out, and go visit the Kennedy Space Center to learn about the rich history that went down in central Florida.

JFK Space Center, Vehicle Assembly Building

Postmarked March 27, 1968 Evanston, Ill.

Hi-

We went on this bus tour of Cape Kennedy on Friday.  We went into this biggest building in the world & we also saw the Saturn V rocket to be launched in April.

JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA NASA

NASA's Vehicle Assembly Bldg. (VAB) 525 ft. tall, occupying 8 acres of land, world's largest building in volume, where Apollo- Saturn Space Vehicles are assembled and prepared for lunar launch.

Andy Strain

583 Brookside Rd.

Barrington, Illinois 60010

With the recent scrub and retry on Tuesday of the SpaceX Dragon launch vehicle, I thought we'd travel over to the space coast for these next two cards, from the same sender, John.  You may notice that John refers to a Cape Kennedy, which is the name given to Cape Canaveral shortly after the President's assassination.  Since the Canaveral name had been established since the time of Ponce deLeon, many Floridans on the Space Coast objected, and finally got the state of Florida to restore the Canaveral name in 1973.  The Kennedy name is still memorialized in the title of the launch center and tourist attraction, of course.  

The Vehicle Assembly Building, built in 1966, was originally built to assemble the Saturn rockets for the Apollo missions.  It's one and half times the height of the Statue of Liberty, and contains nearly twice the volume as the Pentagon.  It was the tallest building in Florida until the Wells Fargo (Modis/Independent Life) Tower was built in Jacksonville in 1974.  

The 3 bedroom, 2.25 bathroom house in Barrington was built in 1962, and was sold in 2000.  Andy never owned the house, since he was most likely a child when he received this card.  Today, he is the chair of the Tahoe Transportation District Board of Directors in Lake Tahoe, California.  I'll update this post if he replies to my email.  

Beautiful Hialeah Race Course, Hialeah, Florida

A rear view of Hialeah Race Course Grandstand, a familiar sight to thouasands of tourists.

Jupiter, Fla., January 29, 1949

I am having a grand time.  Have a good sun tan already.  We also catch a lot of fish.

Marion, Dora send regards. 

Rose

Mrs. Louis Niegel?

756 Irving P.Red. 13

Chicago, Ill.

After seeing the misspelling of “already,” I read the last line as “Me also catch a lot of fish.”

An Exclusive Helicopter Scene of Miami Beach

An exclusive Helicopter scene of the Fabulous Miami Beach Hotels from 29^th St. and Collins Ave. to the “Firestone estate.”  Indian Creek Drive is on the left.

March 12, 1955.

French text?

Mrs. Anthony Pospisil

6714 W. 16^th Street

Berwyn, Illinois

Ooh!  An exclusive Helicopter scene!  So exclusive that it’s Capitalized!  Just Like The Hotels In Fabulous Miami Beach!

The “Firestone Estate” refers to the mansion of Harvey Samuel Firestone, the founder .  In 1954, it was demolished for the construction of a new hotel- the Fontainebleau, so this card was printed and sat around for at least two years.  

Berywyn, Illinois is a town of about 55,000 people in Cook County, near Cicero.  Mr. Pospisil's address is unclear through Google StreetView, but it's in a nice little neighborhood across from Abe's Auto Repair.  As to Mr. Pospisil's identity, the state of Illinois lists a barber license that expired in 1987 for the same name.  Perhaps someone in Cicero remembers a French speaking barber?

I hope someone can make out the text.  The script makes it difficult to read, but as stated above, I believe it’s French.  

Bryan's Residence, Miami, Fla.

Miami, Fla., March 26, 1923

Miami, Fla.

Dear Friends-

We are going to start home next week.  We are having nice weather although it is rather warm.  We are all anxious to get home. 

Ellis

J.C. & L. Heflin

Fairfax, Okla.

Mrs. Fred Glass

Alexis, Illinois


Interesting that the current Indiana University director is also named Fred Glass.  Alexis, IL is small enough (only 800 people in 2000) to be easily researched, but since it straddles two counties and four townships, research is hard to come by without a physical address.  And mores, who are J.C. and L. Heflin in Fairfax, Oklahoma?  The Fairfax High School Alumni page lists a James Heflin, Class of '28, but the connection across three states and two surnames is strange.  

The William Jennings Bryan residence is still standing, registered with Miami's historic preservation department.  The estate was built in 1913, and Mr. Bryan occupied it until he died shortly after the Scopes Trial.  Just before that trial he was giving speeches daily about the sound decision to own property in Florida, and sermons in the local Presbyterian Church.

Service Club, Camp Grant, Illinois

Private Roland D. Miller

Area A BKS-148

Serial No. 364008105

Camp Grant, Ill.

U.S. Army

Postmarked Rockford, Ill, November 24, 1942

Dear Kids:  
Here I am in the good old Army & having a great time.  They feed us very good, all we can eat.  See you sometime.

Love, Roland

How is the big baby?

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Miller

232 Cobrain St., S.W.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

I looked up Private Miller's serial number in the National Archives, as well as posting on this wonderful site run by volunteers for World War II vets to reconnect with friends.  There is no match for the serial number Roland gives in this card, but there is a match for an enlistment of Roland Miller in May of 1942 in Omaha, Nebraska.  Unfortunately, this Roland Miller was born in 1914, making the likelihood of him still being with us today small.  I will update this post with any responses to my posting on the WW2 vets website.

I will find who this Miller family is!

War Department Theatre, Camp Grant, Illinois

Rockford, Ill, May 14, 1942

Pvt Don W. Rich

Co. A 29^th BR 3^rd Pl

Camp Grant, Ill

Hello Kids:

How is the farming coming along.  Is your garden producing yet.  Leo Everst add. Is co. A 29 BR ist Pl.  He is just a couple of bldgs from me. 

So Long,

Don

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Miller

232 Colrain St., S.W.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

I'm not certain if our military got franking privileges in 1942, but I do like Private Miller scrawling the word "free" where the stamp goes.  That's just the sort of Moxie Uncle Sam needs, Private!  In all serious, I am not familiar with World War II era Army structure, so I ask any readers to see if Private Miller's address contains more than just where his mail was delivered.

Donald and Irene must have moved in 1942, since since their Floridian winter resident friend Vicki was sending her correspondence to a different address.  Unfortunately, again this residence is home to more empty lots and redevelopment.  The Miller's new address is now the home of a branch of Cofessco Fire Protection Systems, which has only been in business for the last 41 years.  There are plenty of houses in the 100 block of Colrain Street, which leads one to believe that the warehouse development in the 200 block happened sometime after 1942.

Camp Grant is also a place no more as well.  Used as an induction center for draftees during both World Wars and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, most of the Camp was razed to become the Chicago Rockford Airport.   There is a museum (listing only-no website), a great website with photos of the camp during World War One and a restaurant called "The Command Post" in one of the few remaining buildings.

It is also very probable that the Millers, like an estimated 20 million other patriotic Americans had planted a Victory Garden.

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.

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

Maas Bros. Department Store, St. Petersburg, Florida

Saint Petersburg, Florida

April 30, 1958

Hello, Greetings

It is sunny here.

Will go swimming today.  Hope to see you soon.

Love,

Hazel & Boyd

Edith Erickson

1024 West 103 Pl

Chicago, Ill.

Maas Brothers Department Store was founded in Tampa in the late 1880's and became one of Florida's more successful retail outlets.  Their first branch store was opened in 1948 in this building in downtown St. Petersburg, until closing its doors in 1991.  Until 2005, it was the home of the Florida International Museum until the building was demolished for the new Florida Progress Tower.  But in 1958, that was the place for Hazel and Boyd to look fashionable for that swim.

Chicago is home to thousands of Ericksons, but this obituary lists a 98 year old Edith who passed away last year, making her 45 at the time of this postcard.  The Fernwood home, built in 1910 is still standing, but the Cook County Assessor's Office does not list ownership data.  If the obituary is the correct Edith Erickson, she lists many survivors that may know who Hazel and Boyd were.