“Dear Beatrice, I am nearly home again. had a nice visit with Susie lots to tell you. Will be up to see you soon. Love to all – Danille Ina [Indianapolis?] Vera [Vena?] #5”
Postcard addressed to: “Miss Beatrice Boyd, 3523 W. Michigan, Indianapolis, Ind.” Dated August 5, 1910, and postmarked the same day in St. Louis, MO.
Postcard’s caption states “Typical Mississippi River Steamboat” but you can see the steamer’s name appearing on the box housing the paddle wheel. According to research, City of St. Louis was built in 1883, at Howard Ship Yards in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and was a sidewheel packet that operated on the Mississippi River. The term “packet” refers to steamers that were dominant on the U. S. rivers in the 1800s, that were designed to carry people and trade goods. City of St. Louis had five different owners during her short lifespan. She was “laid up” at Carondelet, Missouri and burned there on October 29, 1903. (We wonder what happened but this would require further research.) Carondelet is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of St. Louis, and borders the river. There was another steamer, not to be confused with this one here, called City of St. Louis that was formerly Erastus Wells, but that ship was still operating in the 1940s.
It was a little bit of a surprise to find that Beatrice Boyd was only about nine years old when she would have received this postcard. She is found in the Federal Census record for Indianapolis in 1910, at the address on the card, with her parents, George W., born about 1874, and Minnie, born about 1878. All three were born in Indiana, and George’s occupation is listed as Moulder, working in a foundry. The sender of the card is a bit of a mystery. At first glance, one might take the writing there as several girls’ names, Danille, Ina and Vera or Vena, but this really doesn’t make much sense, and now seems a little comical, as with some additional thought, the more likely possibility is that it was from Vera or Vena, whose normal residence was in Danville, Indiana (about 20 miles away). Perhaps the #5 was part of Vera’s residence address. Or, perhaps even more likely, “Ina” was short for Indianapolis, and the address was 5 Danielle or Daniel.
Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked in St. Louis, Missouri on August 5, 1910. Publisher: V. O. Hammon Publishing Co., Chicago.
Price: $10.00
Sources: http://dixieboat.hspsi.org/html/terms.html
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu
http://www.steamboats.org/forum/steamboats-history/3038-two-stalwart-steamboat-survivors-2.html
Year: 1910; Census Place: Indianapolis Ward 15, Marion, Indiana; Roll: T624_369; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0259; FHL microfilm: 1374382. (Ancestry.com)