Divided Back postcard. Postmarked June 26, 1930 from Port Byron, New York. Publisher: Geo. V. Millar Co., Scranton, PA. Series or number 1814.
Price: $4.00
Watkins, New York and Seneca Lake
Addressed to: “Fred Rothert, R. D., Elmore, O.” The R. D., of course, stands for Rural Delivery, and the “O” was the standard abbreviation for Ohio.
Frederick Rothert, the son of Henry Rothert and Elizabeth Steinkamp was born in Clay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio on August 29, 1876. He married Katie M. Croll on November 28, 1901 in Clay Township. His WWI Draft Registration Card shows the address on the postcard, and that he was a self-employed farmer. There is no shortage of records appearing online for him and his family, so we’ll stop there on that part.
The sender, who’s initials appear to be KWS, wrote:
“6/25/30. Were at the ‘Glen’ yesterday. Will meet my parents in Syracuse Saturday and head for Quebec. KWS.”
The “glen” is the spectacular gorge (with waterfall) which runs through the town of Watkins, which was renamed Watkins Glen in 1926. I had found one account online which indicated the town was first named Jefferson and another account stating it was first named Salubria. Which was it? According to a 1917 account from the State of New York:
“Dr. Watkins was the son of John Watkins, an owner of extensive lands on Jochem Pieter’s Hills before the Revolution. (Riker 819.) He is a particularly interesting figure to the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, because the village of Watkins at the head of Seneca lake, and Watkins Glen (which latter was made a State Reservation at the instance of this Society) are named after him. The village of Watkins was first known as the Dr. Flint Purchase. Dr. Flint sold it to John W. Watkins, brother of Dr. Samuel Watkins, but about 1820 John W. became financially embarrassed and in 1828 Samuel went there from New York to help him. Samuel laid out the village and named it Salubria, but it was incorporated April 11, 1842 under the name Jefferson. Hence the references to Dr. Watkins as being ‘of Jefferson.’ He died in April, 1851, and in 1852 the village was named Watkins in his honor.”
Below, the reason I bought the postcard – the very charming publisher’s logo:
Note the two figures that appear to be making their way toward the bridge. Did you do a double-take? I think the one is supposed to be a cow, though, to me, he looks more like a mythical beast that walks upright. (We’ve entered a nice fantasy world. 😉 )
Sources: Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1774-1973.
Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993.
Registration State: Ohio; Registration County: Ottawa County. (Ancestry.com).
Twenty-second Annual Report of the Scenic and Historic Preservation Society. Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York, No. 51. May 3, 1917. Page 760. (books.google.com).
