Throughout my life I have enjoyed looking at old photos. My earliest memories of examining such photos came when I visited with my paternal grandparents beginning before I started grade school. These two photos were among a few others in a stationery box where she kept them. Her photos were quite a treasury to her, since all the photos she once had were destroyed when my grandparents' home burned. The few she had were duplicates relatives had given to them after the fire. After the death of my grandparents, my parents ended up with the photos, and eventually they were given to me probably because I was interested in the family history.
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| Possibly Pierce, Johnston (Johnson), Durbin, or Shively family in St. Paul, Neosho, Kansas |
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| Possibly Pierce, Johnston (Johnson), Durbin or Shively family in St. Paul, Neosho, Kansas |
Unfortunately, if anything was said to me about the people in these two photos, it slipped from my mind long ago. Nothing was written on the back and no other relatives have been able to help me to date.
The assumptions that I have made are that both photos most likely were taken at the same time and outside at a rural location. It was most likely on a farm. It seems to me that the time of year was probably late summer or early fall, as there appears to be tall cornstalks in the background of the bottom photo. The people in the top photo appear to be gathered at a large table outside getting ready to eat a meal. There are at least six shade trees quite close to the table. Some food has already been set on the table and one woman is pouring a drink from a large kettle.
I do know that these photos are of my grandfather's relatives, since my grandmother had no photos of her parents and relatives. Her mother died when she was about two years old and relatives of her father took the various children to live with them.
Since my grandfather was born near St. Paul, Neosho, Kansas and many of his family lived there, I think the people in the photos are very close relatives of my grandfather.
Some of the family had dark hair and olive complexions which seem to fit some of the women in the top photo. I think that the woman, not wearing a hat in the bottom photo is possibly the same as the woman in the foreground of the top photo. Due to the brightness of the bottom photo, it is difficult to see how dark her complexion is. She resembles a relative that has been identified for me, but without knowing exactly when the photo was taken it is hard to be sure that it is the same person.
I think that the man between the two women in the bottom photo is the second husband of my great grandmother. He was first married to my great grandfather's sister. Another interesting thing is that my great grandfather's sister and my great grandfather died in the same year, but not in the same month. My two widowed ancestors ended up getting married to each other a few years later.
If the lady without the hat in the bottom photo is the same lady as in the foreground of the top photo, she could possibly be my great grandfather's sister or my great grandmother, or a daughter from the man's first marriage or a stepdaughter from his second marriage.
The time frame for these photos, if my speculation is correct, is that they were taken sometime in the late 1880's and no later than 1916.
So unless there is someone who has a photo of these people and can identify them, the time, and the place, I'm still not sure exactly who they are, but I would like to solve this puzzle.
That is the story as much as I know. If you have stuck with this story to the end, you either have a glazed look in your eyes, or you enjoy family history research as much as I do. I promise, I'll select a completely different photo the next time around, so do come back.
Some of the family had dark hair and olive complexions which seem to fit some of the women in the top photo. I think that the woman, not wearing a hat in the bottom photo is possibly the same as the woman in the foreground of the top photo. Due to the brightness of the bottom photo, it is difficult to see how dark her complexion is. She resembles a relative that has been identified for me, but without knowing exactly when the photo was taken it is hard to be sure that it is the same person.
I think that the man between the two women in the bottom photo is the second husband of my great grandmother. He was first married to my great grandfather's sister. Another interesting thing is that my great grandfather's sister and my great grandfather died in the same year, but not in the same month. My two widowed ancestors ended up getting married to each other a few years later.
If the lady without the hat in the bottom photo is the same lady as in the foreground of the top photo, she could possibly be my great grandfather's sister or my great grandmother, or a daughter from the man's first marriage or a stepdaughter from his second marriage.
The time frame for these photos, if my speculation is correct, is that they were taken sometime in the late 1880's and no later than 1916.
So unless there is someone who has a photo of these people and can identify them, the time, and the place, I'm still not sure exactly who they are, but I would like to solve this puzzle.
That is the story as much as I know. If you have stuck with this story to the end, you either have a glazed look in your eyes, or you enjoy family history research as much as I do. I promise, I'll select a completely different photo the next time around, so do come back.
what a strange place!* the streets are all straight an flat.
ReplyDeletethe other thing I noticed (here and in other similar era photos) is the subject aesthetic of placement of houses. here in New England, it's not uncommon to see houses just about directly on some of the roads. And not the city or town roads, the country village type roads... the concept of being set back from roads not carved in stone
I'll try to take a photo of such a place and put it in my TToT this week.
fun FTSF
*I searched St Paul Kansas on the google and then did my favorite thing, go to street view and walk (kinda run) up and down the streets of St. Paul (Kansas) c. 2014**
** you're right, if they could get the google street view to show the streets of towns at any time in history, that would be way cool
I've never been to that area of Kansas, but know that it is a very flat area. I have travelled some roads in New England and know how dissimilar they are to Kansas.
DeleteI look forward to seeing your TTOT.
I'm interested in photos and history! You can keep sharing photos like this if that's your desire. I enjoyed the post. I wonder why the woman with the hat seems fancier than the other two. At first glance I thought the other two ladies were her servants. One of the girls sitting definitely appears to be of a mixed race judging by her hair.
ReplyDeleteI also wondered about the younger woman wearing the hat. I even tried to figure out the time period based on the style of hat, but wasn't successful in my attempt. I don't know if the family would have had servants, nor if there are any mixed races in the family. My DNA doesn't indicate that is the case for me, although I did wonder about the possibility based on where some of the family had lived earlier on.
DeleteWhat struck me about the first photo was how close the sturdy bench was to the table! Those two littlies look as if their chins would be on the table. And look at the backrests! You certainly don't see that today. So very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI have seen tables with benches that have backrests like that, but I don't remember where. I'm guessing it might have been at a museum.
DeleteI love old photos and this reminds me that first, I have old photos of me as a girl with my grandparents (not this old, obviously, but if my son's children are looking at them later, they won't know who's in the photo so I should write on the back. I hope I remember to use it in the next Photo Share Friday post. I have some old photos of my grandparents too, and my dad as a young boy (1945). I should write on them, too. I also have some where I don't know who the people are... The hat worn in the first one is amazing. Like you mentioned, it's hard to tell the complexions of the people - the woman pouring, could she be a servant? So fascinating. I hope somebody in your family knows more to help you nail it down.
ReplyDeleteKristi, if you decided to write names on the backs of photos, pick up one of those pens that are specifically for that purpose. Ink pens sometimes imprint through to the photo. Pencils aren't too bad for this purpose if one doesn't impress to hardly, but the penciled names will fade over time. Dates and places are very helpful too.
DeleteThe one woman could be a servant, I suppose, but I really have no idea.
It would be great if someone was googling any of the names under the photo, saw my link, and good help me identify these people.
I don't know if I remember seeing these--although I probably have, at some time. Anyway, keep posting! :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you have seen these or not. These two are printed on the back of a postcard. I just learned a little about the history of printing family photos on postcard stock yesterday. The practice began about 1902. There is a guide online where you can determine the date of the postcard stock used. In my case it was between 1902-1918. The place where the stamp is placed varies in design. Based on this information, the photos could have been taken near Parsons, Labette Co. Kansas, because some of the family lived there too by then.
DeleteI love old photos. I do have a few of unrecognizable people and places as well. I am sure they are family, but who and where, I may never know. It is still great to have them, though.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I often stop to look at old photos in antique shops and second hand shops and wonder about the story of their arrival to such a place instead of with descendants.
DeleteI'm glad that you enjoyed this post. I hope your mom is enjoying her Ancestry.com subscription. You might be able to make duplicates of older family photos if you contact some of the oldest relatives to see if perhaps family photos were handed down to them.
ReplyDeleteSo so cool. One of the earliest photos I have is from my grandfather at age 2. So that must have been 1914 or so! So crazy to see it. Now my son looks so much like him, and we'd have never known that otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that is so interesting to me are the similarities in personalities and looks to uncles and aunts. Even speech patterns can sometimes be the same, even when they had not grown up around the person.
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