1908 Postcard from Ethel in Fort Fairfield, Maine, to cousin Marilla Holt in Weld, Maine

1908 postcard sent by Ethel in Fort Fairfield, Maine, to her cousin Miss Marilla Holt in Weld, Maine.

A transcription appears at the end of this post.

Addie Marilla Holt (1895-1979) was the daughter of Allen S. Holt and Dorcas F. (Childs) Holt.  Addie would marry Roland Fletcher (1900-1952) and raise a family in Wilton, Maine.

With thanks to researcher Greg Childs, who loves a challenge: 

Ethel was presumably Marilla's cousin Ethel Maude Rollins (1890-1980), daughter of Benjamin Sanford Rollins and Loretta (Childs) Rollins, the latter of whom died in 1895.  Loretta's untimely death no doubt explains why Ethel would appear in the 1900 Census of Fort Fairfield, Maine, as an "adopted daughter" in the household of George E. Childs (1857-1905) and his wife Mary Adelaide (Gammon) Childs, both natives of Franklin County, Maine. 

Marilla's mother, Dorcas F. (Childs) Holt, and Ethel's mother, Loretta (Childs) Rollins, were sisters; they had also lost their mother at a young age, perhaps as a result of Dorcas' birth. George E. Childs (1857-1905) was their younger half brother.

It appears that Ethel married three times: 

1. Augustus Bryant, who died in 1914. He and Ethel had a son and a daughter. The son, George Childs Bryant, was named for George E. Childs; and the daughter, Loretta Adelaide Bryant, was named for both Ethel's mother Loretta (Childs) Rollins and stepmother Mary Adelaide (Gammon) Childs.
2. William W. Wyer
3. Nathan S. Mansur

Ethel was born in Litchfield, Maine, and lived in various towns in Maine, in New Hampshire and, finally, in California, where she died.  She's buried in Fort Fairfield, Maine.

Transcription

Dear Cousin. I made the skirt to my dress by a borrowed pattern. It was a plain seven gored skirt with two cross grained folds on the bottom. The waist pattern I'll send you. I made it by this pattern only had a square neck with one band of insertion as low as the bottom of my neck; and half sleeves with a band of insertion on each. Hope you'll have good luck in making it. Give my love to Aunt Dorcas. I'd love to see her. From Ethel.

If you have information to share on the Childs, Holt and/or Rollins families, please leave a comment for the benefit of other family researchers.

7 Related Early 1900s Photographs: Nantucket, Sailing, Sanitorium & Staff, possibly in Massachusetts

Seven presumably related early 1900s photographs, purchased together in a booth at an antique mall some years ago. 

Five of the photographs appear to show rooms and staff from a hospital or sanitorium, perhaps in Massachusetts. One photograph shows Nantucket village from the Steamer Gay Head; another shows a family enjoying a sail.

Sadly, no one in the photograph at top is identified.  

The photographs all have the same marking on the reverse, showing they came from the same seller.   Below is the reverse of a photograph of Nantucket, the only one with any identification; you can also see the seller' mark.

The photographs:

• the image shown at top, an oval about 5-1/4" by nearly 4", showing 17 medical staff at, perhaps, a sanitorium in Massachusetts; 15 nurses, a matron and a young man who might be a doctor, nurse or orderly.
• photograph, about 5" by nearly 4",  of a cozy room with beds, table, wheelchair and large wood burner
• a blurry photograph, about 5" by nearly 4",  of a room with multiple beds and a woman sitting at left; some of the beds are occupied
• photograph, about 6" by nearly 4", of a nurse in a room with several beds, at least two occupied
• photograph, about 6" by nearly 4", of a nurse in an examining or operating room
• photograph, about 4" by 3-3/4", taken from the Steamer Gay Head while off Nantucket, showing vessels at anchor, wharves, a smoke stack at left, many buildings and a church on higher ground
• a photograph, about 3-1/2" square, of what appears to be a family enjoying a sail on a schooner, with a man in uniform steering

If you have a theory as to the identifications of any of the scenes or people, please leave a comment for the benefit of other family historians.

Photograph, presumably Graduation Photograph of young man IDed as Bill Drisko; by the Flanagan studio

Photograph, presumably a graduation photograph, of a young man identified on the reverse of the jacket as Bill Drisko.  The photograph was taken by the Flanagan studio.

There's no clue as to locale other than the photographer's name. It's interesting that this photograph was found with others, one a CDV of Eugene Cyrus Drisko (1953-1943) of Jonesboro, Maine.  But even though related, Bill Drisko may have lived somewhere else, perhaps not even in Maine.

If you recognize Bill from your family history and photographs, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

CDV of a Man IDed as Eugene C. Drisko; by the Vose studio of Machias, Maine

Carte de Visite of a man identified on the reverse as Eugene C. Drisko; by the Vose studio of Machias, Maine.

His given name starts with "Eug" and then fades but is presumably Eugene.  

If so, he was likely Eugene Cyrus Drisko (1853-1943) of Jonesboro, Maine, son of Joseph Whitney Drisko and Isabel Frances (Farnsworth) Drisko.

Eugene married:

1. Asenath Ingersoll Barton (1852-1876), with whom he had a daughter Mabel Drisko,
2. Arathusa B. Smith (abt 1861-1933), with whom he had two children, a daughter Mina Eva Drisko and a son Joseph Whitney Drisko, with the latter dying in infancy.

If you have information to share on the Drisko, Farnsworth, Barton and Smith families of Washington County, Maine, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

Baby Book of Edward Hellwig Wagner (1902-1982), California Native; would like to Reunite with Family

Baby book of Edward Hellwig Wagner (1902-1982)

This is a guest post, from a person who has come into possession of this wonderful book and would very much like to see it returned to the Wagner family.  Write to the email address in the right margin under Inquiries, and your email will be passed along.

The baby of the book is Edward Hellwig Wagner. He has an established FamilySearch page. I will add a link at the end here. The family lived in San Joaquin, California. According to the FamilySearch page, the family had immigrated a couple generations prior to California from Germany. This book contains names of family, places they lived, and just a lot of details that give this family history some texture. 

I don’t need this book. It does not to pertain to me or any of my research. I am so very happy to pass it on to anyone researching this family. 

The tree on Family Search 

More on Edward, who grew up in Stockton and graduated from Stockton High School. 

Edward Hellwig Wagner (1902-1982)

• Born 7 February 1902 in Stockton, California, to Edward Charles Wagner (1869-1940) and Helen Augusta (Hellwig) Wagner (1873-1951), "Nellie.
• 1910 - at home in Stockton, California, with his parents
• 1920 Census, at home in Stockton, California, with his parents
• The 1930 Census, at home in Stockton, California, with his parents, working as an assistant manager at an investment firm. 
• The 1940 Census , at home in Stockton, California, with his parents; manager of an airport in or around Stockton. 
• His World War II draft card shows that he was living on his own in Carson City, Nevada, and working for Pathfinder Flying Services.  
• By 1950 he was ranching in Garberville, California and living with his widowed mother.
• Death - 1982

If you are a member of this Wagner family, please make the connection or share to a Wagner family member.

1913 Photograph of 3 Young Men, each with a Ribbon; only one IDed is G. R. Willis

Photograph of 3 young men, presumably in college, and all with a special ribbon, with only one identification on the the reverse: G. R. Willis, November 19, 1913.  

No studio imprint to give a clue to locale.

If you have a theory as to the identification of G. R. Willis and his friends, who may have been college students in the Class of 1913, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

Photograph of a Young Woman IDed on the Reverse as Phyllis Young (Johnson); Melrose Massachusetts studio.

Photograph, perhaps a graduation photograph, of a young woman identified on the reverse as Phyllis Young (Johnson).  By a Melrose, Massachusetts studio.

She could have been Phyllis (Johnson) Young or Phyllis (Young) Johnson.  Hopefully a reader will recognize her face and/or name and leave a comment to nail down her identity.

If you have a theory as to the identity of this woman, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

Snapshot of 11 People, some IDed: George, Helen & Minnie Fisch; Ivar & Hild Olson; Elsie Schuster, Henry Swanson

Snapshot of eleven people, with seven of them identified.  The person writing the partial identification mentions a Francis, or possibly Frances.

Francis would recognize all in this picture. You would know some.

The names below might be in random order.

• Ivar Olson
• Elsie Schuster
• Minnie Fisch
• Helen Fisch
• Henry Swanson
• George Fisch
• Hild Olson

Although searching brings up a possible cluster of these names in Chicago, Illinois, it's best to hope that a knowledgeable reader will recognize all of the names, and, even better, the faces, and, even better than that, the four unidentified people.

Cabinet Photograph of a Baby; by a Gardiner, Maine studio; to be given to Uncle Thomas & Aunt Nancy

Cabinet photograph of a baby, old enough to stand; by the P. F. Noyes studio of Gardiner, Maine.  

The photograph, as noted on the reverse, was intended as a gift for Uncle Thomas and Aunt Nancy.

Hopefully a reader will be able to identify the baby based on the clues and leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

1912 Photograph, presumably Colby College Graduation Photograph, of Richard Austin Harlow (1888-1959)

Photograph dated June 26, 1912, presumably graduation photograph, of Richard Austin Harlow (1888-1959), who graduated from Colby College in 1912.

Harlow was born in Auburn, Maine, the son of Alvan Carroll Harlow and Mary Viola (Austin) Harlow. In 1917 at Portland, Maine, Richard, by then a banker, married Jane Pinal Phinney, "Jennie", a native of Standish, Maine.  They lived in Portland, Maine, and had at least one child, a son William. 

By the time of enumeration of the 1940 Census, Richard and Jennie had divorced. Richard died in 1959 and is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Falmouth, Maine.

If you have information to share on the Harlow, Austin and Phinney families of Maine, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

Cabinet Photograph of a Woman Identified as Augusta Holland; no Studio Imprint

Cabinet photograph of a woman identified on the reverse as Augusta Holland. No studio imprint to give an idea of locale.

If you recognize Augusta Holland from your family photographs and/or research, please leave a comment with information, for the benefit of other researchers.

Photograph of a Young Woman IDed as Vin Bowes

Photograph of a young woman identified on the reverse as Vin Bowes.  Perhaps Vin was a nickname for Lavinia Bowes.  No studio imprint to give an idea of locale.

If you recognize this woman from your family photographs and/or research, please leave a comment with information on her identity, for the benefit of other researchers.

Snapshot of Older Woman and Dog; names Mrs. D. Perry and Lacey Maplewood on reverse

Snapshot of an older woman and a dog, with the names Mrs. D. Perry and Lacey Maplewood on the reverse.  Perhaps the woman was Mrs. D. Perry, and the dog was Lacey Maplewood.

If you are able to use these clues to unlock the identity of the woman, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.