South Burdick St., Kalamazoo, Michigan

South Burdick St Kalamazoo pc1South Burdick St Kalamazoo pc2

“Will write later and tell you why I did not get out there. Minnie McManus, 411 Asylum Ave, Kalamazoo Mich. PS. I will only be here two weeks longer then I will go back to Frankfort.”  Minnie reiterated at the bottom of the card,  “I will only be here two weeks longer.”

An undivided back postcard that was not postmarked until 1909, and showing a print of a great old photo of a view looking down (or up 😉 ) Burdick Street in Kalamazoo, showing streetcar or trolley tracks, buildings and shops, pedestrians and horse and buggies. (Horse and buggy as my Grandpa Oliver would say – when guessing what was in a wrapped birthday or Christmas gift – “A horse and buggy?” ) The Labadie Art Co. sign is easily read on the left. Just next to them is the Imperial Tea Co.

Labadie Art Company at 146 South Burdick, was advertised in the 1906 Kalamazoo city directory as (Edmund E. Labadie), Picture Frames, Portraits, Artists’ Materials and Art Goods. The Imperial Tea Co.’s address was 148 South Burdick (same city directory) and they were advertised as (Alfred Hicks) Coffees, Teas, Spices and Baking Powder.

Frankfort, that is mentioned in Minnie’s message, is a city in Benzie County, on Lake Michigan, southwest of Traverse City, and from the sound of it, Minnie lived in Frankfort or the surrounding area. So, in looking there we find the 1910 Federal Census for Lake Ann Village, Almira Township, Benzie County, (Lake Ann is inland, about halfway between Frankfort and Traverse City) showing Minnie McManus, single, age about 37, born in Canada, occupation public school teacher. She is boarding at the home of Louis E. Knodel, and his wife Ida and daughter Ruth; also boarding are James Rosenberry, and Ella MacManus[?] This last name is difficult to read. If it is MacManus then that would be quite a coincidence, as Ella is a public school teacher, also. Note the difference in spelling of McManus and MacManus. Besides the spelling of the last names, the ladies’ parents’ places of birth are not identical, so they do not seem to be sisters.

Minnie addressed the postcard to:  “Mrs. G. A. Wallbaum, Hope, N.D.”
Nothing definite was found online for the addressee. Hope is a small town in Steele County, North Dakota.

Undivided back, used postcard. Postmarked June 1909 from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Publisher:  Owens Brothers. Printer:  Hillson Co., Boston, Berlin and Leipzig. Number and series:  1000 E., 80424. Circa 1900 – 1906.

Price:  $12.00

Sources:  R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ihling Bros. & Everard’s Kalamazoo City and County Directory, 1906. pp. 328 and 364. (Google eBooks)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Almira, Benzie, Michigan; Roll: T624_637; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 1374650. (Ancestry.com)