Monday, June 22, 2020

From an Ebay seller in Berwick, Maine. Three unidentified children posing at the William Boswell Studio in Traverse City.This studio operated between 1900 and 1906.


Friday, March 6, 2020

Two photos from an Ebay seller in Danville, Virginia.

Both are from the McManus Brothers studio. The top photo is a man posing with his dog. The man holds a book in one hand.

Unidentified man with dog.

The second photo has on its back: "Aunt Jule This is W. N. Kelley Nellies' Husband.

Walter Nathaniel Kelley has an entry on the Findagrave website. He was born in 1866 and died in 1938. There is a different photo of him posted on that website, and my photo appears to be a younger version (he had gotten rid of the mustache, changed his hair style, and gotten plump by 1903). He was married first to Nellie L. Van Lieu, who died in 1908. 

Walter Nathaniel Kelley, circa 1890.

Monday, September 23, 2019

An Ebay purchase from Arundel, Maine.

On the front of the photo is the date "5-22-28"

On the back: City Office, Traverse City
Left to right: Geraldine Hogan
Mr. Voice
Frances Huebel
?
?
Atty Hubbard
Mr. Moffatt


Arundel, Maine. On the back is written: City Office, Traverse City. Left to right: Geraldine Hogan, Mr. Voice, Frances Huebel, ?, ?,  Otty Hubbard, Mr. Moffat.
Geraldine M. Hogan was born on 26 March 1900 in Traverse City, daughter of Edwin C. Hogan and Helen E. Wilcox, and died on 1 August 1955 in Grand Traverse County.  She was working as an Assistant Clerk in the City Office in 1930.
There were several men with the Voice surname in Grand Traverse County in 1930. None worked for the City.
Frances I. Huebel was born on 30 January 1898, the daughter of William Huebel and Caroline Horrbe and died on 11 June 1977 at Mount Pleasant, Isabella County, Michigan. She was working as the Assistant Clerk in the City Office in 1930.
Ottilie A. (Thienhaus) Hubbard was born on 18 April 1894 in  Germany, daughter of Otto Thienhaus and Florence Kendall, and died on 9 September 1964 in Traverse City. She was married in 1911 in Grand Rapids to Russell Hubbard. Otty was the Deputy City Treasurer  in 1927 to 1930.


Orlando C. Moffatt was born on 6 August 1866 in Lyons, Ionia County, Michigan, son of Seth C. Moffatt and Emma R. Linnell. He died on 18 January 1943 in Traverse City He was listed as a Public Official in a City Office on the 1930 census.




Monday, July 22, 2019

An Ebay purchase from Utica, New York. A photograph from the E. N. Molblo studio, which operated in Traverse City between 1893 and 1913. This is an unusual photo because of the presence of the dog.

The back of the photo has the surnames Krauss and Lautner written in Palmer-style handwriting.

On the 1900 census for Grand Traverse County there are three Kraus(e) girls. Pearl (b. 1885) and Ida (b. 1887) were the daughters of Charles Krause and Ida Vanderhoof. Ester (b. 1895) was the daughter of Wilhelm A. Krause and Wilhelmina (Minnie) Zander. Actually, now that I think about it, I am not sure that the smaller child is actually a girl.

There were five Lautner girls on the 1900 census- Julia (1883), Amelia (1897), Bertha (1884), Mabel (1893), and Rosa (1894).

Dog, Krauss, and Lautner.

Friday, July 19, 2019

I purchased a small Victorian-era photograph album from an Ebay seller from Washington State. It measures 5.5 inches by 4 inches and contains 16 images, all identified. All but one are members of the Wyckoff and Hallett family, who lived in Grand Traverse County. In this blog entry, the photos are presented in the same order as they are in the album.

Cover

Most of the images are tintypes and none of those have photography studio labels.

"Grandpa Wyckoff"

Elias Wyckoff was born in July 1919 in Tompkins County, New York, son of Jacob Wyckoff and Betsey Isabel Vogen. He was married prior to 1842 to Mary Ann Spade. They lived in Jasper, Steuben County, New York in 1850 and 1860. He served in the Civil War. They moved to Grand Traverse County in 1867. He died in 1907 from "La Grippe and old age."

"GrandMa Wyckoff" Dated Apr. 15th 79 [15 April 1879] on back.

Back of photo

Mary Ann Spade was born in October 1821 in New York, daughter of Henry Spade and Susan (--?--). She was the mother of three daughters, Betsy Isabella (who married Elijah Porter), Alice Olyette (who married Marshall Hallett), and Ada Ardell (who married William Shearer).

"Aunt Isibell"

"Isibell and Alice"

Betsy Isabella Wyckoff was born on 25 April 1842 in Jasper, Steuben County, New York, daughter of Elias Wyckoff and Mary Ann Spade. She was married first to Jamison Moore. She was married on 22 March 1875 in Traverse City to Elijah Porter. The couple was divorced by 1880 She was married third to Silas Briggs. She died on 7 December 1926 at Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Alice Olyette Wyckoff was born circa 1847/1848 in New York, daughter of Elias Wyckoff and Mary Ann Spade. She endured marital problems that culminated in her husband deserting her. She diued on 12 October 1917 while visiting her daughter Pearl in Kirkland, Washington. She was the mother of seven children- Anna Belle (1870), a stillborn girl (1875), Leonard (1878), Leslie (1880), Rufus (1885), Clayton (1888), and Pearly (1891).

"Annabell 7 years"

Anna Belle Hallett was born on 16 June 1870 in Long Lake Township, Grand Traverse County, daughter of Marshall Hallett and Alice Wyckoff. She was married to Will Emmons.

"Annabell"

"Annabell baby"

 
"Lenord Hallett"

Leonard Benjamin Hallett was born on 26 March 1878 in Michigan, son of Marshall Hallett and Alice Wyckoff.

"Lenard Hallett"

"Lenard and Leslie"
Back side of the Lenard and Leslie photo.

Leslie Eli Hallett was born on 4 October 1880 in Long Lake Township, son of Marshall Hallett and Alice Wyckoff.

"Lenard"

"Leslie, Gean, Lenn"

(See Gena Shearer, below)

Marshall Hallett"

Marshall Hallett was born on 10 December 1843 at Canisteo, Steuben County, New York, son of Sylvester Hallett and Martha Moore. He lived with his family there in 1850 and 1860. He served during the Civil War. He was married on 22 April 1866 in Jasper, Steuben County to Alice Olyette Wyckoff. They moved to Traverse City in 1867. The family moved to Benson County, Minnesota around 1898. Shortly thereafter the couple split, with Marshall leaving. He died on 13 November 1930 in Seattle, Washington.


"Isibell"



"May Medcalf"

Although the album lists this woman as "May Medcalf" it looks like this is a picture of Betsy Isabella Wyckoff.

 
"Gean Shear"

Gena C. Shearer was born on 10 November 1876 in Long Lake Township, son of William Shearer and Ada Wyckoff. He was married on 24 June 1903 in Neal to Louise Gitchell. He died on 20 March 1958 in Traverse City.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Two photographs by R. B. Himes. Himes had a photography studio at the corner of Front and Park Streets between 1897 and 1899.

The top photograph features two men seated in chairs in front of a painted or printed backdrop with flowers and a fence. The man on the left is Harvey Avery. Avery was a Civil War veteran who worked in Traverse City as a salesman for various businesses. He died in 1924 at the age of 85. He and his wife Frances May Wilhelm had a daughter. The identity of the man he was photographed with is unknown.

Harvey Avery and an unidentified man, 1897 to 1899.

The second photo may be  a wedding portrait. The man has a bouttoniere on his lapel while the woman has an elaborate hairstyle. The photo does not have any writing on its back. 

A portrait from 1897 to 1899.

Two recent purchases.

The first was found in the Wilson Antique Store in Traverse City. Nothing on the back. The woman has big mutton-chop sleeves and some sort of jewelry at her neck.


The second photo is an Ebay purchase from California. She is also wearing a dress with mutton-chop sleeves. On the back is written very lightly in pencil is "Aug 3rd 1892."