The Whole Year Through

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Divided back, embossed postcard. Postmarked December 29, 1922 from Blue Canyon, California. Publisher:  Julius Pollak, New York.

Price:  $10.00

For information on the postcard’s publisher, see “Publisher Julius Pollak.”

Another from The Alice Ellison Collection, this one with bells ringing under snow-covered evergreen boughs.

A Happy New Year

“May every day

the whole year through

Prove a happy one for you.”

Addressed to:   “Mr. & Mr. Ellison, 1314 F – St., Sacramento, Cal.”

The card is signed,  “Greetings from Julius.”  Now, being that the publisher’s given name is Julius, this makes us wonder if it was possible that maybe he was running some type of promotion, and then if the Ellisons were collectors or they purchased a pack of cards…..What seems to add to the idea is the sender’s rather flourish-y signature, perhaps in line with someone who would have owned his own business……Okay, probably the odds are very low, but the idea holds that glimmer of potential, enough to make us wonder.

And, as far as we can tell from online searches, this Blue Canyon, California postmark is rare, so the card is perhaps of historical interest to someone for that reason. According to the Wikipedia entry this particular postmark iteration ran from 1867 – 1927. Here’s a crop from the card:

Source:  Blue Canyon, California. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Canyon,_California (accessed January 3, 2024).

The Best of Health – A Share of Wealth

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Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked from Galt, California, December 28, year unknown, circa late 1910’s – early 1920’s. Made in United States. Publisher:  J. P., New York (Julius Pollak). 

Price:  $5.00

For information on the postcard’s publisher, see “Publisher Julius Pollak.”

From The Alice Ellison Collection, a nice one for the New Year:  A leaded, Gothic Arch-style window, lit from within; set in a stone building (church, home or tavern) snow clinging to the window ledge and stonework. Somewhat superimposed on this scene, two bluebirds sit on a holly branch while a third comes in for a landing.

New Year Greetings

“The best of health – a share of wealth

Be yours this coming year,

But best of all – a host of friends

To fill your days with cheer.”

Addressed to:   “Mrs. J. M. Ellison, 604 N Street, Sacramento, Calif.”

The sender wrote:   “Just a line to say I may be at church Sunday, but will have to come home on the first car. Hope I will see you at church. Wish you all a Happy New Year, your friend, Mrs. Hame.”

That signature is a little hard to read but I believe the surname is Hame. On the 1920 Federal Census for Alabama Township, Sacramento County, CA, there is a Mrs. Artha Hame, married to a Charles J. Hame. Her maiden name is Stout:  We’re given her maiden name on this census by virtue of the fact that two of her brothers are living in the household.

Alabama Township doesn’t show up online today, but from an 1885 map it was situated in the southeast portion of Sacramento County. You would have traveled west to get to the town of Galt. (Enlarge to see Galt appearing in the neighboring township of Dry Creek.)

Sources:  Year: 1920; Census Place: Alabama, Sacramento, California; Roll: T625_127; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 69. (Ancestry.com).

Official Map of Sacramento County. (1885). Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4363s.la000034/?r=0.385,0.711,0.535,0.215,0.

Galt. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galt,_California. (accessed January 2, 2024).

W. & J. Leonard Trade Card, Salem, Mass.

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Trade card for W. & J. Leonard, Salem, Massachusetts. Circa 1885 – 1890.

Price:  $12.00                Size:  4 and 1/4 x 2 and 3/4″

W. & J. Leonard, Boots, Shoes & Rubbers. Successors to Buswell & Leonard. 196 Essex St., Salem, Mass.

Two little Pagliacci-type figures, along with their dog, are out on the street begging for a living. Pagliaccio in Italian is “clown”.

The former Buswell & Leonard was Ebenezer “Eben” Buswell and William Leonard. Successors, W. & J. Leonard were brothers, William and Captain James Leonard, the firm being run under this name from 1885 to 1890.

But a full history, going back to about 1794, is given in the Boot and Shoe Recorder, July 29, 1908:

“The retirement of William Leonard of Salem, Mass., from the shoe business will, with the closing of his store, bring to an end a business that has been connected with the Driver family for 104 years. It was begun about 1794 by the grandfather of Mrs. Leonard, Stephen Driver, Jr., who with Louis Tucker, as Tucker & Driver, had a shop on Essex street, nearly opposite Cambridge street, in a two-story wooden building, with an attic. Mr. Tucker furnished the capital and Mr. Driver the knowledge of the business. In 1798 the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Tucker retiring, and Mr. Driver continuing the business alone. In 1816, his son, Stephen, 19 years of age, bought his time of his father, and took a shop on Central street, and the firm name became Stephen Driver & Son. In 1822, his eldest son, Thomas, bought out his father’s interest, and the firm name became Stephen & Thomas Driver. The father continued in business alone. In 1836 Ebenezer Buswell and his brother-in-law, George Driver, bought out the retail trade of Stephen Driver, 3d, who then commenced the wholesale trade. The name of the firm was Driver & Buswell, and the store was on Essex street, below Washington street, and where the store of Almy, Bigelow & Washburn, Inc., is now located. George Driver withdrew in 1847 to assist his brother in the wholesale business, and for 13 years Mr. Buswell continued the business alone, or until 1860, when Henry Morton was admitted as a partner. The firm name became Buswell & Morton, and so continued until 1867, when Mr. Morton withdrew, and William Leonard became associated with Mr. Buswell. This firm continued until the death of Mr. Buswell, June 30, 1880. Mr. Leonard, in 1885. took his brother, Capt. James Leonard, in partnership with him, the firm name being W. & J. Leonard. In 1890, James Leonard withdrew, and William Leonard continued the business at the old stand on Essex street until 1897, when the march of progress removed the building, and the business was transferred to its present location on Washington street.”

Sources:  Pagliacci. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagliacci#:~:text=Leoncavallo%20based%20the%20st   ory%20of,brother%20Luigi%20acting%20as%20accomplice. (accessed December 26, 2023).

Henry M. Meek’s Naumkeag Directory for Salem, Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peobody, Essex and Manchester, for 1888 and 1895, pp. 232 and 356. Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995. 

Sampson, Davenport & Co.’s Salem Directory for 1879, No. XVIII, p. 42. Google.com.

“Some Short News Notes of the Trade.” Boot and Shoe Recorder, July 29, 1908, p. 115. (Google.com).

Faithful Friends

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Divided back, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. 1908.

Price:  $3.00

Well, if anybody can decipher the surname for our Ed, (intuition, psychic ability, maybe you’ve seen a similar name?) if so, you are utterly amazing. What do you reckon, Ed is maybe four years old? So, born around 1904. Given name obviously likely to be Edward or maybe Edwin or Edgar, middle initial “M” and he’s a Junior. Caton is a surname that comes up pretty frequently, and certainly the first three letters fit, but the rest – ee gads – that handwriting, wow. Cotman or Catman? If only the person that wrote this had given us a location. Still, the photo’s a total charmer….Ed in his white sailor suit, straight hair, short bangs, that steady gaze. His dog “Nig” or “Mig,” looks like some kind of shepherd mix, black with a little white, wearing a heavy collar, just look at those big ears and those dark brown eyes looking at the camera  – a bit of a worried look – he doesn’t trust whatever that weird apparatus is and he’s in protection mode…..It’s fun to pick up our own impressions from photos, but I think one thing we can say for sure – we’re looking at two best friends who took care of each other.

L. F. Abbott Groceries and Provisions, Boston

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Trade cards, set of 4. Louis F. Abbott, Groceries and Provisions, Boston, Massachusetts. Copyrighted 1885 by F. C. Bryon, New York. Series 313.

Price for the set:  $40.00           Size for each:  About 5 x 3 and 3/4″

“A Merry Christmas To You., L. F. Abbott, Groceries and Provisions, 181 Eliot St., Boston.”

We’re not finding any other trade cards online for grocer, L. F. Abbott in Boston, and that’s surprising, given the size of these cards, which are larger than most – leading us to think he was doing pretty well. And these are absolute beauties, each showing a scene within a sparkling snow-rimmed leaf. (Sorry you can’t see the sparkle.) Enlarge the images and get lost in them a little – note also the flowery embellishments in the holiday message.

L. F. was Louis Frederick Abbott, born October 2, 1852 in Ossipee, New Hampshire, the son of Henry G. Abbott and Phoebe Abbott, her maiden name unknown.

On October 5, 1881 in Cambridge, Mass, occupation grocer, he married Myra W. Sherman. She was age 27, born in Rockland, Maine, the daughter of Alden Thomas Sherman and Bethiah (Glover) Sherman. Myra died in 1892, and the following year Louis married Myra’s younger sister, Julia. The 1900 Federal Census shows five children: the oldest, Sarah and Lulu would have been Louis’ daughters with Myra; the younger, Bertha, Henry and Fred, his children with Julia. By the 1910 census, the family has increased with sons Warren and Robert.

The business address on the cards of 181 Eliot St. in Boston, shows up in city directories from 1886 through 1890. In 1886 we find the short ad, below:

The store in question may or may not have been the same one our trade cards were advertising; as from this and a couple of other ads, Louis was also in the real estate business. By the 1900 Federal Census taken in Boston, his occupation is listed as real estate, rather than grocer.

Some Years Later……A Helpful Owl

If you’ll indulge the pretentiousness below:  Regarding “Mr. and Mrs.” Jean Martin (in French I always must use the “et” for “and”, otherwise it sounds absurd.)

It’s unclear how long Louis owned the 181 Eliot Street address but we did find a funny article in The Boston Globe, March of 1910:  The residents at that time were M et Mme Jean Martin, who kept a barn owl in the basement. The good owl had eliminated the rat problem that had come about (let’s presume) after the butcher shop moved out, the property perhaps having stood vacant for a time. (The article went on to explain that the rats are gone, so the residents feed the owl with meat.) Here’s an excerpt:

Sources:  Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). (Ancestry.com).

New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Massachusetts Vital Records, 1840???1911. (Ancestry.com).

Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons Membership Cards 1733–1990. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. (Ancestry.com).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176768573/louis-frederick-abbott: accessed 25 December 2023), memorial page for Louis Frederick Abbott (2 Oct 1862–13 Oct 1937), Find a Grave Memorial ID 176768573, citing Seaview Cemetery, Rockland, Knox County, Maine, USA; Maintained by Sally – Midcoast Maine (contributor 48138595).

Year: 1900; Census Place: Boston Ward 21, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: 686; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 1479. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Boston Ward 21, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T624_623; Page: 11a; Enumeration District: 1587; FHL microfilm: 1374636. (Ancestry.com).

Boston City Directory, 1890. Boston, MA, USA: Sampson, Murdock and Co., 1890.

Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.

The Boston Globe, August 18, 1886. Wednesday, p. 7. (Newspapers.com).

“No Rats Where It Has Its Home.” The Boston Globe, March 5, 1910. Saturday, p. 10. (Newspapers.com).

Jolly Jumping Jack

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Divided back postcard. Postmarked December [?] 1919 from Sacramento, California. Copyright 1915. Publisher:  P. F. Volland & Company, Chicago, Illinois. Series or number 807.

Price:  $2.00

One more for now from The Alice Ellison Collection; our card shows an illustration of a child’s toy drum and jumping jack – in this case a monkey in a clown outfit.

“Jump, jolly jumping Jack;

Beat, booming drum;

Tell my little friend that

I wish I could come

To say to him gladly:

‘May Christmas for you

Be cheery and merry and

Jolly all through.’ “

Addressed to:   “Henrietta Ellison, 1314 F. St., City.”

“City,” of course is Sacramento, CA.

The sender wrote:   “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Miss Johnson.”

See Wikipedia’s entry for publisher P. F. Volland & Co. 

But what I really like about this card is the publisher’s Santa on the reverse (cleaned up in Photoshop). He with his handlebar mustache, holding the little candlelit tree…and that pointed beard, or is his beard tucked into his coat? (Your choice 🙂 )

Sources:  P. F. Volland Co. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._F._Volland_Company (accessed December 24, 2023).

Jumping Jack. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_jack#:~:text=%22Black%20Jack%22%20Per shing%2C%20who,when%20the%20strings%20are%20tugged. (accessed December 24, 2023).

Poinsettia Christmas Wishes

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Divided back postcard. Postmarked December 17, 1923. Publisher unknown. Series 1013 B. Made in U.S.A.

Price:  $2.00

Christmas Wishes

“My wishes for your

Christmas hours

Are just as bright as

these gay flowers.”

Yet another card from The Alice Ellison Collection. Poinsettias in the foreground and behind, we looking out on some evergreens and a winter scene. The publisher on this one is unknown. Maddeningly, I’m without access to the best postcard i.d. reference – Walter E. Corson’s Publisher’s Trademarks Identified. (My only copy got water damage and mold – it’s a long story – and in a fit of disgust I tossed it out along with a bunch of other stuff. Definitely, the letting go of “things” is a heavenly feeling of freedom but I probably should have made an exception on that one.) One presumes that the publisher name starts with “S” since that letter appears in the oval underneath the lovely back header, rather fancy with its scroll-y curvy lines.

Addressed to:   “Mr. & Mrs. J. M. Ellison, Sacramento, Calif, 604 N. St.”

The sender wrote:   “Many good wishes to all The family as ever your sister Annie.”

A Christmas Wish From Wallace Stoebe

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Divided back postcard. Postmarked December 20, 1916 from Alta Loma, California. Publisher:  F. A. Owen Company, Dansville, New York. Series or number 444D.

Price:  $5.00                                 

Here’s another Christmas card from The Alice Ellison Collection. This collection is from a good friend’s husband’s family, so we won’t trace Alice but in this case we’ll put up a little info on the sender, Wallace, who sent this winter countryside scene with the following sentiments:

My Christmas Wish

“May the Good Luck Fairy

Knock blithely on your door

And into your household

Countless blessings pour.”

Addressed to:   “Miss Henrietta Ellison, 1415 G. St., Sacramento, California.”

The sender wrote:   “Dear Henry, I wish you a Merry Xmas Happy New Year. Wallace Stoebe.”

Wallace Theodore Stoebe was born February 10, 1908 in Humboldt, Iowa, the son of Charles A. Stoebe and Emily Laura (Fry) Stoebe. So, he would have been eight years old when he made sure to remember his friend, “Henry” in Sacramento.

Sources:  National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1743. (Ancestry.com).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136389147/emily-laura-stoebe: accessed 23 December 2023), memorial page for Emily Laura Fry Stoebe (9 Mar 1879–17 May 1930), Find a Grave Memorial ID 136389147, citing Bellevue Memorial Park, Ontario, San Bernardino County, California, USA; Maintained by Chloé (contributor 47159257).

Merry Christmas From Lentie

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Divided back postcard. Postmarked December 22, 1923 from Fresno, California. Series or number 30, publisher unknown.

Price:  $4.00

Another from The Alice Ellison Collection.

A Merry Christmas…..

A very nice scene on this one:  Partially framed with snow covered holly, a mother and son walk back from church. (We’ll take liberties with interpreting.) But there’s the church in the background, and the artist has conveyed, on this very small scale, a moment in time between mother and son.

Addressed to:   “Mrs. J. M. Ellison, Sacramento, Calif, 604 N. St.”

The sender wrote:   “Fresno – Sat.    Dear Aunt:-  Loyd is better today & sitting up. Oh we sure have had a time with him, as he certainly has been a sick child. He looks so bad but I feel now that the worst is all over. Cordie gets no vacation. Lots of love Lentie.”

We’ll trust that Loyd made a full recovery and was soon out playing in the Fresno sunshine!

Merry Xmas From the Harms Family

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Divided back, embossed postcard. Postmarked December 23, 1921 from Sacramento, California. Publisher unknown. Series C-368.

Price:  $1.00

Greetings for Christmas

“I wish you a bright Christmas:

May gladness, like a sail,

Carry your ship through happy seas,

And joy and hope prevail.”

Addressed to:   “Mrs Ellison, 1314 F. St, Sacramento, Calif.”

The sender wrote:   “We wish you a very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. The Harms family.”

A one hundred and two year-old card this time, almost to the day, and it’s another from The Alice Ellison Collection. Nice calming sailboat scene, draped with holly and a peach-colored ribbon. Nice sentiments in the verse, too. (Ditto from Laurel Cottage to you all.)