Category: Antique

1911 Courtship: Oct 21 Dear Ethel

1/7/2014

Ink and Inkwell at Fort Battleford Living Museum, Saskatchewan, Canada. Photo by Anita Mae Draper.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: Oct . 21 . 11 .
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Belhaven, Ont., My Dearest Ethel
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Pencil
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half and written in booklet form with the inside paper turned sideways and written across the short side for the full length. Noah hasn't numbered the pages, but he has written them in the order that I've shown them below.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Percys - Noah's brother, *Percy Draper
- Louies - Noah's sister, *Louie (*Sarah Louise) & husband, *Fred Coventry
- Stan & May - Stanley *Mahoney and Mae Anderson - friends/neighbors

**Beating or Bettie or Bready ???

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- *Regina
- drawing wheat - threshing without using a threshing outfit
- **ink

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Written up the side:

So Say I addressed
this
envelope.
three weeks ago.
N.D.

Grand Coulee Sask.
Oct. 21. 11.

Miss. E. Nelson
Belhaven, Ont.

My Dearest Ethel; -
Well another week has
gone by. & it brings me that
much nearer my hearts desire.
the time seems to pass but
I dont seem to get much done
on account of rainy weather
I tell you Ethel I struck a
good week for threshing the
gang I had left a week a
go last night & have been
at Beating ____ farm for
3 days threshing I see they
finished there last xxxx
night but part of the men

are still there. they go back to Percys
from there to thresh oats about
1/2 day I guess.
Say Ethel you will have to excuse
the pencil but I told you
before I was out of ink & I never
think of it when I am at the
store. Was down last night but
did not get a letter from you
& was so dissapointed I forgot
to get bread so have to eat
biscuits today. ha. ha.
Regina
Say I was in town last night
after fruit got a couple of boxes of
plumbs 2 baskets of grapes & a box
of crab apples. quite an asortment
eh. bet you will say I know
how to can fruit when you get
a taste of them. Ha. Ha.
Say I guess I am going down to
Louies after church this morning
wish you were here to go along
it seems like ten years since I
left Belhaven so you dont
want to be surprised if you see
me an old man this winter.
But never mind if I am maby I will
get young a gain next summer. eh.

Oh say Ethel guess I will
not get out to shoot geese
after all the rain last week
stoped me drawing wheat
so I have to do it this week
have about two day s yet I
guess but enough other work
to keep ten men going until
it freezes up. & that wont be
very long now if the weather
does'nt change.
Oh say you never told me
who got your box at the big
social & what kind of a
time you had. Suppose Stan
& May are back by this time
and she has changed her name.
Well Ethel I guess I will
have to close. and getready
for church. so good by. love and
kisses xx N.C.D.

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note 1 - Ink and Pens in 1911

I love the way Noah wrote about going to the store for ink and being so disappointed by not receiving a letter from Ethel that he even forgot to buy bread. That got me thinking about what kind of ink Noah would have used in 1911...

Wikipedia states, Progress in developing a reliable pen was slow until the mid-19th century, because of an imperfect understanding of the role that air pressure plays in the operation of pens and because most inks were highly corrosive and full of sedimentary inclusions...

Then in 1832, Dr. Henry Stephens (1796–1864) invented an indelible "blue-black writing fluid" which became the famous Stephens' Ink around the world.

In the information part of my 1911 Courtship Letter posts, I always include the type of writing instrument and paper used. Usually, I've said it was black ink that faded to a grey or bluey-grey until the pen was dipped in the ink. After researching ink and pens, I now know that the pens weren't dipped, but filled with ink, and that all ink was a blue-black to start with.

Ink was sold in bottles and then poured into inkwells with a hinged or screwed-on lids to prevent:
- contamination
- evaporation
- accidental spillage; and
- excessive exposure to air

Inkwells were as expensive or cheap as a person could afford, depending on the material used in manufacturing. Clear or blue glass inkwells similar to the one on the right are the kind I've found at most museums and forts out here in Western Canada.

English: Glass inkwell 2¼" square with rounded shoulders and corners. silver collar, slightly domed and hinged silver top (Hallmark Bimingham 1910). Wikipedia picture taken by author John Beniston.

As for the type of pen Noah would have used, the fountain pen seems to be the pen of choice...

If you'd like to learn more about fountain pens, check out these videos:
- Fountain Pen Maintenance http://youtu.be/OxH5VS9BeO8
- Filling Mechanisms http://youtu.be/tMNxzOFJ5fw

Genealogy Note 2 - Beating or Bettie or Bready ?

Noah writes on page 1, "have been at Beating ____ farm for 3 days threshing"

Page 1 looks like a mess because of the multiple images which look like they may have been caused by old-fashioned carbon copy paper, or perhaps just someone fooling around. We'll never know for sure. However, I spent some time trying to decipher what he meant by the Beating farm.

I pulled up the 1911 census record for Noah in Grand Coulee and then checked the pages around it. I found one messy entry for a name which the transcriber listed as BETTIE but to me looked like BATTIY...

Since Noah starts page 2 by saying the threshing crew then goes to Percy's, I checked the old land location map to see if any names similar to the ones above lived near Percy who lived at NE 29-17-21 W2 and found a Margaret E. Bready living on the SW quarter of the same section as Percy, but that was it.

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Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie

7/7/2013

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The Massey Harris binder about to start cutting the wheat. Courtesy of wikipedia.

In this week's letter, Ethel's ma tells Ethel that Pa bought a new binder and already has some wheat cut. This was necessary since their old binder burned in their barn fire. Although the above photo shows a binder pulled by a tractor, in 1911 Ethel's pa would use horses to pull his binder which would cut the wheat, tie a string about a bunch of stalks to bind them in a sheaf, then drop the sheaves by the side where someone would come along and stand them in stooks or shooks to dry. The shape allowed the rain to slide off.

Author of Letter: Ida Amelia Glover Nelson and Sadie Nelson
Dated:  July 20th, 1911
Addressed to: Dear Ethel (Ethel is up in Huntsville, Ontario visiting Ida Amelia's sister, Sarah Elizabeth Glover)
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Ethel's ma, and Ethel's 16 yr old sister
Profession:  Farm Family
Writing instrument: Blue Ink
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half. Two notepapers, one with a pansy motif, the other with a forget-me-not motif.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- *Christie - Christine Maud Nelson - Ethel and Sadie's 6 yr old sister
- Crouders - *Crowders
- *Noah Draper - Ethel's fiance out on the Canadian prairies
- *Elva Mitchell - see Special Letter of July 15 as well as Label list
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- Grandma - *Eliza Crouch Nelson in Aikens, Benton, Iowa, USA
- Aunt Lill - Lillian Maria Blizzard married to Pa's cousin, James A. Nelson- **Sarah - *Sarah Elizabeth Glover, sister of Ethel's ma
- Theao Ralston
- Francis Slingerland
- Edna, Wilmot, Gertie, and Lottie
- Sweets and Thompsons
- Gertie and Walt Brooks
- Nancy
- Perry Morton

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Page 1 - Written by Ethel's ma, Ida Amelia Glover

Belhaven July 20. 1911
Dear Ethel.
got your letter tuesday
I suppose you are going
to the picnic. we are
staying at home having
a good time watching the
people go by Crouders just
went by in a buss it is Just
1/2 past 9 oclock. I washed tuesday
Sadie and Christie went picking
berries got 2 quarts we had 7
men tuesday. yesterday Just

Page 2 - Written by Ethel's ma, Ida Amelia Glover

our own men and J and
your pa went to theao
Ralstons raising and I
got the sick head ache
came home and went to
bed. there was only about
50 men and 15 women
and some kids. they had
a nice supper but I couldnt
eat any they were very
clever with me. and there
was Noah Draper from
the west there. when I heard
them peeking about Noah
you bet I did some squinting
untill i saw him but it
wasnt tall Noah.

Page 3 - written by Sadie

Ma is getting to be a
regular gad about
since you went away
She has been away
nearly everyday. Tuesday
was the only day she
stayed home. Christie
wants us to tell you
that she can comb her
hair. I have got two
cards and you got
a letter from Elva
and pa got one from
grandma. I am having
a fine time since you
went away. Francis
Slingerland came here

Page 4 - written by Sadie

Sunday after dinner
and stayed until
after nine at night
Edna, Wilmot, Gertie
and Lottie have been
here. I was down to
Sweets and Thompsons.
The rigs are just stringing
along here to the picnic.
There has been an awful
lot go. Mine hasn't come
yet but will be here soon.
Gertie was here last
night and Walt Brooks
walked home with her.
Ma is going to see how
Aunt Lill is if she can

Page 5 switches to Ethel's ma where she writes, "Well Sadie has been spinning yarns..."

over the 'phone
She did and she
is better. We have
got beets and
beans on for
dinner and we
are going to have
green apples for
supper. (Don't your
mouth water?) We have
got liver too for dinner.
well Sadie has been
spinning yarns I was
to Crouders 1/2 a hour was
not in house and to

Page 6 - written by Ethel's ma

Nancies about 3/4 hours
took her nives home
well i must quit
this and get to work
perry Morton is working
here to day Christie
has got to go to
belhaven for salt
for dinner.
Sadie has got the blues every rig goes
by it makes her worse
there was a big storm
yesterday. we have got
our new Binder set
up and one piece
of wheat cut

Page 7 - written by Ethel's ma

well my head aches
and i dont feel
very good wish
i could scribble
some more. but i
must quit how
is Sarah hope she
is better did you get
a return tickit if
you did you will have to come
in a month for it is only good
for a month unless you got
if for longer. say you
write soon for i get
the blues once in a while.
Sadie is looking bad she is
holding her mouth on one side
she looks so cross.

Page 8 - written by Sadie

Ma wants to know
if we can set the old
hen behind the bee boxes
If so how soon? How
many eggs do you
think she can cover.
It is the grey hen that
has a red feather for
a collar. They have
got the barn boarded
in and the floor
nearly all laid. As we
can't afford to waste
any more paper over
you we will have to quit
Write soon
Ma and Sadie

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note 1: Update on Fred Coventry's Sister in Alberta

Update to Louie and Fred Coventry going to visit his sister in Alberta which Noah mentioned in his last letter in 1911 Courtship: July 19 Dear Ethel... we have a new development. While researching the Coventry family and trying to find out what happened to Louie (Noah's sister), I hit a newspaper goldmine on the usual ourontario.ca website I use for the Newmarket Era except this time, I've discovered the Halton News which encompasses the Acton Free Press and Georgetown Herald.

The Coventry family came from the Halton area of Peel Country, Ontario and the newspapers covered many of their social events. One of the first items I discovered was a wedding announcement for Maggie Coventry aka Margaret Jane Coventry and a Mr. W. T. Campbell.

Acton Free Press (Acton, ON), 1 Aug 1901, p. 2

CAMPELL-COVENTRY - At the residence of the Bride's parents, Kenlis, Assa., on Wednesday, 10th July 1901, by Rev. A. Robson, Mr. W. T. Campell to Miss Maggie Coventry, daughter of David Coventry.

From the same newspapers I've found the obituary for Fred's father, David Coventry, as well as the brief announcement on Louie's death. They are both almost illegible due to the inking process and I need to decipher them. However, I've read enough to know that David Coventry's daughter, Mrs. W. T. Campbell (Margaret Jane) lives in Vancouver, BC and his other daughter, Mrs. C. F. Powell, lives in Alberta. So it's not Maggie in Alberta, but rather Mary Catherine whom I thought stayed in Ontario. (I've updated last week's Genealogy Note 1)

Genealogy Note 2 - The Lennox Picnic

Can't you just picture 16 yr old Sadie in this week's letter as she stands by the door watching all the rigs and outfits (autos and conveyances) filled with excited people as they make their way to the Lennox Picnic?

I love the part where Ethel's ma writes on page 7, "Sadie is looking bad she is holding her mouth on one side she looks so cross."

For more info on the Lennox Picnic, check the Genealogy Note 3 on July 2: Dear Noah. Here is a news article about the post 1911 Lennox Picnic:

The Newmarket Era. July 28, 1911 - Page: 5, Part 1

That's 15,000 people attending the Conservative Party's annual picnic and a good portion of those people drove right past the Nelson farm where Sadie stood by the door watching them go by. No wonder she felt she was missing out.

However, other snippets tell of pickpockets in the crowd, as well as people coming home with empty pockets due to buying the refreshments. Many people commented that their neighbors either got home late and loud, or didn't get home until the next day. By most accounts, it sounds more like a 'liberal' party than a 'conservative' one.

The Newmarket Era. July 28, 1911 - Page: 5, Part 2

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Early 1900 Camera Talk & Giveaway

5/20/2012

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In recent weeks I've shown my Finnish heritage in photos and memoirs, and although I haven't spoken of my husband's ancestry, I've shown items belonging to his namesake, Uncle Nelson.

This week I want to show a shared passion - photography. If you've followed any of my blogs, you know I'm never without a camera and take pictures of everything. What I didn't realize when I started posting my family history was that my grandfather, known as Pappa, was a professional photographer before he left Finland. Couple that with the knowledge that my mother started taking pictures as a teenager, and you see where my love for the hobby comes from.

Although I'd love to claim this early 1900's photo as one from my family history, I'm actually using it with permission from the collection of www.kodakgirl.com.

See the camera the girl is holding? It's a Kodak 3A Pocket Camera. And that's the one that brings Nelson's family history in line with mine since he's the one with that particular model. His father, Wayne Draper, passed it on down from his father, Noah Draper. Nelson also received a box of letters written by his grandfather, Noah Draper, to Ethel Nelson, the woman he would later marry. The letters and photos start in 1911 and carry through WW1. I'll be featuring them in a future blogpost. For today, I'll start with some photos of the camera.

1911 Kodak 3A Pocket Camera

A bit of history on Kodak... In 1888, Kodak was the first company to mass produce a camera. Called, the Kodak Camera, it came loaded with enough film for 100 pictures and claimed that anyone could use it without instructions.

To prove their point, Kodak began an ad compaign using women which would continue for decades. Called Kodak girls, the ads featured women in normal walks of life using cameras. What I dislike about the ad campaign is that it shows the women of that era as being so simple-minded even they can use the camera.

1888, The 1st Kodak camera and Kitty Cramer, the 1st Kodak Girl

What I found fascinating about these ads is that it features active women doing things outside the home. They're always on the go, taking photos of all kinds of interesting people and things.

A Kodak Girl on the go carrying a Folding Pocket Kodak camera.

In the above ad, the Kodak girl is carrying a folding pocket camera similar to the Model 3A that Nelson received. I think she looks great!

And here's a fun bit of research...

1890 Kodak Factory

Kodak factory at Harrow, 1890s

Kodak’s Harrow factory was in use from 1891 for emulsion-making,
paper-coating and for the processing and printing of customers’ films. In this view, taken soon after its opening, female employees are seen printing negatives by sunlight in the upper gallery of Building 1.

The egg-white needed to coat albumen paper for contact printing was supplied by a flock of a hundred chickens kept on the site.

Gelatin silver print (printed later)

Image and text supplied by the British Library Online Gallery

Considering that Kodak has been in the news lately because of it's financial woes, I found it bittersweet to research their successful early stategies which benefited so many people. I wish they had been able to continue. And I thank George Eastman for making his vision a reality for the common person.

Do you have a camera? What was your first one and what kind do you have now?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Winner's Choice!
Leave a comment with a
valid email address by midnight, May 27th
to be entered in a draw for a book
from my giveaway pile.
If you're the winner, I'll email you the list and you can pick.

The pile contains an assortment of books including
inspirationals, mainstream,
autobiographies, self-help, devotionals and children's books, all new.

And maybe even a Dean Koontz novel, What the Night Knows, if it's still available.

May 23 UPDATE
The children's books are all gone, but the Dean Koontz novel is still available.

Winner beware!
The fiction books are a mix of inspirational and mainstream and
may contain scenes offensive to some people - which is why I don't want to keep them.
But I'm just guessing because I haven't read them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Shannon Taylor Vannatter: The Dipper & Giveaway

2/26/2012

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This week we welcome Shannon Taylor Vannatter to Author Memories

Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom and pastor’s wife. When not writing, she runs circles in the care and feeding of her husband, their ten-year-old son, and church congregation.
Home is a central Arkansas zoo with two charcoal gray cats, a chocolate lab, and three dachshunds in weenie dog heaven. If given the chance to clean house or write, she’d rather write. Her goal is to hire Alice from the Brady Bunch.

The Dipper
by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Pieces of my grandparents’ lives cluttered my aunt’s back porch. Grandma had been gone three years, while only twelve months had passed since we lost Grandpa.

On this sweltering July day in rural Arkansas, a somber uneasiness filled the sticky air, as my mother and her siblings gathered to sort through sixty-years-worth of possessions. Mostly kitchen items, I didn’t want anything or feel entitled to the belongings. Yet, I hovered close to offer my mother moral support.

Unwilling to end up never speaking again, because so-and-so got this or didn’t get that, a caring hesitation settled over the siblings.

One of my aunts picked up a pie pan. “Does anyone want this?”

No one jumped on the offer.

“Didn’t you get that for Mom,” Mama said. “You should have it.”

The others agreed in unison.

“What about this?” My uncle pointed to a large platter.

A few moments of silence followed.

“If no one else wants it, I’d like to have it,” my uncle said.

“You can have it,” sibling voices blended.

“How about these old dippers?” My uncle held up two oversized dusty ladles.

I didn’t want anything, but at the sight of the stained, dented aluminum utensils, memories flooded my soul. Unaware I wanted anything, suddenly I wanted that dipper with every fiber of my being. Wanted it so bad, my heart hurt. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away, determined to be strong for my mother.

“If no one else wants it, I’d like to have one,” my aunt said.

A hush hung in the air and my chest felt as if it would explode. I waited for what seemed like an eternity for someone else to speak. No one did.

With effort, I cleared the lump from my throat. “If no one else wants the other one, I’d like to have it.”

My uncle handed me the dipper. Tears blurred my vision.

“What are they anyway?” one of my younger cousins asked.

I pulled myself together. “At the old farm house, Grandma and Grandpa had a well. When we’d come for summer visits, Grandpa would fill a big black and white speckled bowl with water and put it in the sink with a dipper in it. Everyone drank from it all day long.”

“Eww.” My cousin made a disgusted face. “From the same dipper?”

“And we never got sick. It was the purest, coldest water.” At that moment, I could almost taste it trickling down my throat. “We’d go home to Georgia and I’d make Mama put a bowl of tap water and a soup ladle in the sink. It wasn’t cold enough and never was the same.”

“Why was Grandma and Grandpas’ water so cold?” my cousin asked.

Out of my area of expertise, I shrugged.

“Well water comes from deep in the ground, so it stays cold,” my uncle said.

Made perfect sense.

The day continued, with numerous other items offered and claimed, and no one mad or greedy.

That night, I stared at my new treasure and tried to explain to my husband the feelings the sight of the banged up dipper had evoked.

“I don’t know why I wanted it so bad or what I’ll do with it.”

He shrugged. “Clean it up, put some flowers in it, and hang it on the wall.”

Wash it? Coated in dust from my grandparents’ house, I love it as is. For months, the dipper sat on the counter before finding a sentimental home. It now decorates the top of my refrigerator with a sugar bowl missing a handle, and a chipped creamer dish my parents received as wedding gifts.

I've never washed it. Now my own dust encases that of my grandparents and every time I notice it, warm memories wash over me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight, Mar 4th
to be entered in a draw for a copy of
Shannon Taylor Vannatter's Rodeo Dust
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rodeo Dust, Barbour Books, Available now

Ad exec, Rayna Landers meets bull rider, Clay Warren at the State Fair of Texas. While Rayna thinks she’s content solo, Clay longs for marriage and family. Though poised to win his third world championship, his ranch is in a slump. Clay convinces his publicist to hire her advertising firm in a last-ditch effort to keep his employees and lasso her heart.

Soon the city girl is on the ride of her life, until the rodeo unearths buried memories from her past. Clay sees her through the trauma, but an injury and his stubborn determination to get back in the hypothetical saddle threatens their budding relationship. Can they rely on God to find their common ground or will they draw a line in the rodeo dust that neither will cross?

Read the first chapter

Rodeo Dust is the first in a series of three Texas rodeo books. All are set in Aubrey, Dallas, & Fort Worth Texas. Characters participate in rodeos at the Historic Fort Worth Stockyard’s Cowtown Coliseum.

Rodeo Dust is available in paperback and e-book at http://www.barbourbooks.com Rodeo Hero releases in March 2012
Rodeo Ashes releases in August 2012

Shannon's debut novel, White Roses won the 2011 Inspirational Readers Choice Award in the short contemporary category. The 18th Annual Heartsong Awards named Vannatter 3rd Favorite New Author, and White Roses #1 and White Doves #8 in the contemporary category. The Arkansas Democrat Three Rivers Edition voted Vannatter one of 20 to Watch in 2011.

Shannon's books are available at:
Barbour Books,
Kathy's Book Nook in Heber Springs, AR,
The Bible House in Searcy, AR, Amazon,
and christianbook.com.

Learn more about Shannon and her books at http://shannonvannatter.com
and check out her real life romance blog at http://shannonvannatter.com/blog/

Connect with her on Facebook: facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter
and Twitter: @stvauthor

34 Comments

1911 Courtship: Oct 21 Dear Ethel

Genealogy Notes

Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie

Genealogy Notes

Early 1900 Camera Talk & Giveaway

1890 Kodak Factory

Shannon Taylor Vannatter: The Dipper & Giveaway

This week we welcome Shannon Taylor Vannatter to Author Memories

The Dipper
by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Rodeo Dust, Barbour Books, Available now

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1911 Courtship: Oct 21 Dear Ethel

Genealogy Notes

Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie

Genealogy Notes

Early 1900 Camera Talk & Giveaway

1890 Kodak Factory

Shannon Taylor Vannatter: The Dipper & Giveaway

This week we welcome Shannon Taylor Vannatter to Author Memories

The Dipperby Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Rodeo Dust, Barbour Books, Available now

Recent Posts

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The Dipper
by Shannon Taylor Vannatter