This circa 1908 postcard shows an old adobe structure, built around 1834 or 1835, called the House of the Four Winds, or La Casa de los Cuatro Vientos. It was so named because it was the first house in Monterey with a weathervane on it’s roof. It served as a residence for Mexican Governor Alvarado, and later was designated as the Hall of Records. It is now privately owned by the Monterey Civic Club; it’s street address is 540 Calle Principal. Below is a very similar image, courtesy of eHumanity, from a lantern slide. The postcard may have been based on this image and altered somewhat or taken from a later photo.

The sender addressed the card:  “Miss L. Seamas, Sacramento Cal”
and wrote,

“Am in Monterey today. Mamie Seamas. Hagemann Hotel. Santa Crus”

Not much was found regarding Mamie or L. Seamus (without looking too extensively) but a 1910 ad was found for the Hagemann Hotel in Santa Cruz. Besides being the proprietor of the hotel, W. K. Krieg, was listed as secretary for the Santa Cruz Brewery Company in the 1910 city directory.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked August 1908 from Monterey, California. Publisher:  Paul C. Koeber Co., 85 Franklin St., New York City and Kirchheim, Germany. “The PCK Series.” Number or series 4099.

Price:  $10.00

Sources:  House of the Four Winds. Historic Monterey. Web accessed April 3, 2015. [http://www.historicmonterey.org/hb/house_of_four_winds.html]

About Lantern Slides. University of South Florida Libraries. Web accessed April 3, 2015. [http://www.lib.usf.edu/special-collections/arts/about-lantern-slides/]

Hagemann Hotel advertised in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. 20 May 1910, Friday, p. 7. (Newspapers.com) Web accessed April 3, 2015.

Santa Cruz County Directory, 1910 – 1911. p. 78. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.