Saturday, May 27, 2017

Mail Call: 27 May 1935 (Telegram from DC)

Telegram from Washington DC to Mary Potter in St. Louis confirming a job offer in Washington, DC on acceptable terms: $1440 per year and at least one year job security.



Telegraph form for response to above offer:
"P.L. Gladmon Chief Appointment Divn. Wash . DC.  Will accept appointment. Report June 17. Not married"


Tuesday, May 23, 2017

23 May 1935: Dorothy Potter graduates from Cabool High

Today in 1935, Dorothy Potter graduated from Cabool High School.  She was at loose ends after graduation and got a bit wild, as we will read in upcoming letters.  This program was originally posted by someone on the Cabool Early Residents group on Facebook; I have misplaced the original contributor's name for which apologies are offered.



Monday, May 22, 2017

Mail Call: 22 May 1935 (George)

Mary Potter in St. Louis, 1935

George Potter in Cabool, MO to his daughter Mary in St Louis.

Dave, Dorothy and Elaine ("Soph") are off to the the Cabool Junior-Senior Banquet or other dates as Dorothy will soon graduate..

Mary has been working on getting a permanent job in Washington DC for several months, and a suitable offer is about to come in...

George gives an un-subtle reminder of the need for cash on the farm; he is obligated to give the "dark side" of the story lest Mary think the farm is "too nice a place."
"Em" is George's sister Emma Potter Parker back in Corry, PA


Comment on back of the above letter....



Mary Potter in St. Louis, 1935 (street photographer)
on back:
"ain't it a mess?"
"ain't it a mess?"



Decoder for family members mentioned in letters: blue is to/from, red are mentions.  Crossouts are either deceased (Bessie Johnson, parents David and Mary) or out-of-contact and never mentioned.

-David Henry POTTER              b. 30 Mar 1850                 
 s-Mary Minerva HASBROUCK        b.  9 May 1855  m. 25 Dec 1871
  |-May Olivia POTTER            b.  4 Nov 1872   
  | s-Earl Brown                 b.  7 Apr 1870  m.  9 Mar 1890
  |-George Henry POTTER          b. 10 Apr 1875  
  | s-Gladys Effie HENRY         b. 25 Sep 1888  m.  8 Jul 1909
  |  |-Mary POTTER               b. 24 May 1911                 
  |  |-G Elaine POTTER  "Soph"   b. 13 Aug 1914         
  |  |-Dorothy J POTTER "Dot"    b. 17 Mar 1916  
  |  |-David M POTTER   "Dave"   b. 21 Aug 1918 
  |  |-Florence POTTER "Flapper" b. 30 Jun 1921
  |  |-Marjorie A POTTER "Peg"   b. 23 Dec 1923
  |-Emma Jane POTTER "Em"        b. 26 Feb 1878
  | s-Silas W PARKER "Si"        b. 14 Feb 1873  m. 25 Dec 1895  
  |  |-Lucille PARKER            b. 25 Dec 1897                 
  |-Charles William POTTER       b. 20 Sep 1880         
  | s-Alyce E SNYDER             b. 27 Jan 1884  m. 22 Sep 1906  
  |  |-Allyce Clare POTTER       b. 16 Jan 1910  
  |  |-Marjorie Janet POTTER     b. 19 Feb 1911                  
  |  |-Celeste POTTER            b. 30 Nov 1914                 
  |-Alice Marie POTTER           b. 14 Dec 1883         
  | s-Dwight Louis COWLIN        b.  4 Mar 1875  m. 17 Aug 1903 
  |  |-Bessie COWLIN             b. 13 Jul 1904         
  |  |-Alice COWLIN              b. 21 Sep 1906  
  |-Bessie Luena POTTER          b. 16 Mar 1886 
  | s-Charles A. JOHNSON         b.  8 Jan 1884  m. 22 Jan 1909 
  |  |-Lillian D. JOHNSON        b.  5 Apr 1909         
  |  |-Walter D. JOHNSON         b. 22 Dec 1911 
  |-Dora E BREMERKAMP            b. 10 Jun 1892
  | s-Walter H BREMERKAMP        b. 27 Mar 1897  m.    Sep 1922
  |  |-Robert E BREMERKAMP       b. 16 Feb 1925



Thursday, May 4, 2017

4 May 1900: Eden NY School #8 Graduation

On this day in 1900, a ceremony took place at Eden (NY) School #8.  

Eden School End-of-year program
From the collection of Jackie Neitski with many thanks.

Great-grandfather David Potter is the "Collector" for the school district, while his younger brother Clinton Potter (1865-1922) is "Trustee".  Two of David Potter's daughters, Bessie (age 14) and Dora (age 7) were enrolled in the school as documented on the right hand page.  With one teacher and 32 children this was clearly a one-room schoolhouse.

David Potter and family had moved to Eden from Corry, PA sometime after 1892 (Dora was born in Corry) and will be back in Corry, PA before 1905 (they are absent from the 1905 New York State Census; David Potter's mother Mary Jane Valentine Potter had died in 1904).

Both Clinton Potter and another brother, Franklin Potter, were married to Phillippi sisters and the children on the list with those names were their nieces or nephews, while Vellam and Yager also are found on the family tree. Mr. Arthur Black, Teacher, can be located in the census records; he was around 21 years old in 1900.

Clinton Potter and unknown boy; Clinton and Eliza Potter had one daughter.
Back: "Here is a couple of bums and a pony for the children"


Clinton Potter on right is labelled,  the others are unidentified.
Might be brothers George and Franklin (older than Clinton by 13 and 9 years, respectively)
Back:  "George, these are the three outlaws of N.Y. State, I guess you know all of them? Can you bet it?

The Potter family is almost all living in Eden, Erie County, NY  in 1900, as documented in the Federal Census of June 16, 1900.  This looks to me like an "eldercare" situation, or at least operating the elder's farm(s), but there is no way to know for certain.

In one household near Eden:

George Potter (age 25), lives with his parents David "Max" Potter (50), and Mary Minerva Potter (45) and his younger sisters Bessie (14) and Dora (7). David Potter's occupation is "farmer", and George is "farm labor."

In another household a few doors away:

George's older sister May Potter Brown (27) with her husband Earl Brown (30) and three children (9, 4, and 3).  The Browns had been living near Chicago between 1890 and 1896 and will move back to Chicago by 1910.  The Brown household includes George's younger sister, Alice Potter (17).  I suppose Alice is helping with childcare.  Alice will get married in Chicago in 1903.  Earl Brown is working as a "telephone inst(aller)"

In another household nearby:

George's grandmother, Mary Jane Valentine Potter (widow, age 68) who will live until 1904.

George's brother Charles William Potter (19) is working in Pomfret, NY as a "factory hand" and living in a boarding house with a Phillippi cousin. He will move to Chicago and marry  by 1906.

George's sister Emma Potter Parker (22), her husband Silas (27) and daughter Lucille (2) live back in Corry PA at 103 Essex Street. Silas works as a machinist.

Meanwhile, in Eden, NY, Clinton Potter told the 1900 Census canvasser that his line of work was "capitalist"