Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 53

The Pillars of Hercules, on the O. R. & N.

From the back of the postcard:

The Pillars of Hercules, on the O. R. & N.

The storm God of the mountains fashioned these stately 

pillars, and made them the gateway to scenes beyond 

of unspeakable beauty and grandeur. About these 

pinnacles there dwelt the guardian angels of the God 

Coyote.

The Pillars of Hercules pictured here are not in the Straits of Gibraltar but on the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon. The train tracks no longer run through the columns, and the tree on top is gone, but they can still be seen today. The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, O. R. & N., provided travelers a gateway to the Pacific Northwest.

This postcard was part of the Gifford Series, published by Benj. A. Gifford, The Dalles, Oregon.
Copyright 1908, card No. 240.

            Postmarked November 4, 1911 at The Dalles, Oregon.

Addressed to:

Mrs Edith Sisson

Ottawa

Illinois

Marcy. St.

Dear Sister Edith-

We are on our way to California at Dalles to day. 

Will leave here for Portland Sun morning we are O.K. 

hope you are all well I will write you again

Lovingly

Sister Mae.

Marie Louise "Mae" Duffield and her husband, Herbert Bragg, moved from Ottawa, Illinois to Long Beach, California between the years 1910 and 1920 according to the Federal Census records. This trip may have been the actual "move" or perhaps was just a pleasure trip that put the thought into their heads. Mae was two years older than Edith, and from her notes seems to have been a practical and to the point type of woman. 

Edith (Duffield) Sisson saved many postcards and letters. I am honored to be the current caretaker of this wonderful collection and keep them in the family.

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 52

In the early 1900s, before automobiles were parked at nearly every home, travel of any distance was typically by train. Postcards featuring trains and the depots were very common. Train depots were often elaborate buildings, making them an attractive postcard subject. Travelers who wanted to let the family back home know how their trip was going would purchase a postcard at the depot while the train was in the station and send an update. Postcards were also used to pen quick notes, such as this one from the collection of Edith (Duffield) Sisson.

This card was sent as a thank you note by a woman named Daisy Haywood. It features a depot in Kinsley, Kansas for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF). This depot was built in 1887 and was used first for the AT&SF and later the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The small building next to the depot was used a freight house. The buildings were demolished in 1999.

A. T. & S. F. Depot, Kinsley, Kans.

Postmarked in Kinsley, Kansas, September 1911

Addressed to:

Mrs. Edith Cisson

Marcy St.

Ottawa

Ills.

9/2/1911

Mrs. Cisson,

Dear friend: - I rec'd a letter from

the folks telling how pleased they 

were on finding things so well taken

care of in their absence and I

take this way in thanking

you, which is but a weak

way of putting it, for the kind-

ness that you have shown

them. We all fully appreci-

ate the kindness.

Your friend Daisy Haywood

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 51

I got sidetracked from this collection several months ago after posting #1-50. That was only the first half of this wonderful collection of postcards saved by Edith (Duffield) Sisson (1864-1926). The postcards were found in the Sierra Madre, California home of her grandson, Warren Brown, after his death in 2015. They were stacked and tied up with string, then tucked away in a box of photos and other memorabilia. This one is extra special because the note on the back was from her husband, Charles Herman Sisson (1868-1927).

65. Interior of Big Pavilion, - Saugatuck, Mich.

The Big Pavilion was built in the Spring of 1909 as a dance hall to entertain the families vacationing for the summer in Saugatuck. It was situated on the banks of the Kalamazoo River and not far from Mount Baldhead (if you wanted to climb more than two hundred steps to the top). Wealthy and upper-middle-class families flocked to the resort from Chicago, St. Louis and the surrounding areas for vacations. Some very wealthy drove themselves, but most came by train or by boat across Lake Michigan. They could then either drive or rent a horse and carriage to take them to the beach on Lake Michigan. Some families rented canoes and paddled the river, or fished from the docks. Many, though, came for the dances and concerts in the Pavilion. Saugatuck was in the "dry" county of Allegan, so refreshments at the pavilion were limited to soda, lemonade and perhaps an ice cream or some popcorn. Young men wishing to meet and dance with unescorted young ladies had to first be introduced by the Master of Ceremonies.

Addressed to:

Mrs C. H Sisson

Dear Madam this is

from your old man

Fennville Mich July 31 -11

Dear Edith i got here

safe and sound also 

right side down, at

two oclock in the

morning. Had a nice 

trip the lake was 

as smooth as glass

the smoothest i ever

saw it. the folks are

all well this is all this time

P(ea) S(oup) i think i will be

Home thursday

night on the CRI

There isn't a postmark, full address, or a stamp, so I think it's safe to say that this card was sent in a package or another envelope. The Sissons lived in Ottawa, LaSalle County, Illinois. His message offers a glimpse of Charles's personality. The "Dear Madam this is from your old man", "right side down", and "P(ea) S(oup)" for postscript are all fun little touches that show he was a good-natured man. 

Charles parents, Luther and Mary Jane (Bassage) Sisson, lived just west of Fennville, Michigan. In 1910, they had two grown children, James and Dora, living with them, too. James helped his father with the farming on land that they owned.  The town of Saugatuck, with the Big Pavilion pictured on this postcard, was less than ten miles from the farm. 

About 1900, Fennville, Michigan
Left to right: Belle Adora "Dora" Sisson, Dora's daughter Beulah, Mary Jane (Bassage) Sisson - seated, Emma Lucinda (Sisson) Buchanan, James Sisson, Luther Sisson - seated, and Emma's daughter Lizzie.

Charles traveled across Lake Michigan by boat, probably from Chicago, on his trip to Fennville. He likely returned the same way, but then had to get from Chicago to Ottawa. We know from his postscript that he planned to take the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, called the Chicago Rock Island, or the CRI, for short. His old lady may have been waiting for him at the station that Thursday night.

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 50

This card is from a collection of postcards dated between 1908 and 1914 that was found in the Sierra Madre, California home of Warren Brown after his death in 2015. Warren’s mother, Edythe Grace (Sisson) Brown (1897-1978), was the daughter of Edith Amy Duffield (1864-1926) and Charles Herman Sisson (1868-1927). Charles and Edith were married in Ottawa, Illinois in 1895. They remained there until the early 1920s when they moved west to Los Angeles, California. Their collection of memorabilia was passed down to Warren, my husband’s cousin, and is now in my possession.

McKinley Bridge, Peoria, Ill.

Postmarked July 26, 1911 in Peoria, Illinois.

Addressed to:

Chas Sisson

So. Ottawa, Ill.

Peoria July 26, 1911

I am down to see the

motor boat races.

Tee Hee

It's not known who the sender of this card was. I have some writing samples of Edith's that I plan to compare it to but haven't yet. In any case, I found the following article which tells us a bit more about the races:

From The Rock Island Argus, July 25, 1911

http://idnc.library.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/illinois?a=d&d=RIA19110725.1.3

PEORIA BOAT RACES ON  

Thousands Gathered for Regatta of Western Association. 

Peoria, July 25. - Traveling toward Peoria in motor boats, automobiles and or, railroad trains are thousands of motor boat enthusiasts who will arrive today for the third annual regatta of the Western Power Boat association. Dozens of fast motor craft are reposing in the Illinois river in preparation for the great speed trials today and tomorrow. Several of the fast racers were given trial spins in the lake Monday afternoon. Speed craft of all sizes and descriptions participated or lined the course during the trials. If weather conditions, including the velocity of the wind, permit, the opening event of the regatta will be started on Peoria lake at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon. The two big races tomorrow will start at 2:30 and 3:30 o'clock respectively with first prize of $I,000 and $100 as the incentive for making fast time. 

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 49

Main Street looking West. Streator, Ill.

This card is from a collection of postcards dated between 1908 and 1914 that was found in the Sierra Madre, California home of Warren Brown after his death in 2015. Warren’s mother, Edythe Grace (Sisson) Brown (1897-1978), was the daughter of Edith Amy Duffield (1864-1926) and Charles Herman Sisson (1868-1927). Charles and Edith were married in Ottawa, Illinois in 1895. They remained there until the early 1920s when they moved west to Los Angeles, California. Their collection of memorabilia was passed down to Warren, my husband’s cousin, and is now in my possession.

Streator, Illinois is located about 10 miles south of Ottawa. It's not clear why this card was chosen; there are no clues in the message. 

Postmarked May 22, 1911, in Dayton, Illinois

Addressed to:

Mrs Charles Sisson

Ottawa Ill

408 Marcy St.

Dear Ede - 

I am going to call up Vick

and tell her to bring you when

she comes for eggs. you

know I thought about what

you asked about those

Hollyhocks and Ede there

is all kinds of them, not so 

big but what I think you

could set them out again

so if you come you can get

some. Tell Vera I'll

try to get that __?___

across top:

if I can

because I 

want a 

pillow like

that so

much

It will be

nice to

have her

make me

one.

Eva

Eva Grace was the youngest of the five Duffield children, a surprise child, born 14 years after the fourth one. She was adored by her sisters Mae, Edith and Victoria, and brother Albert. In 1908, Eva married Lyle Green and moved with him to a farm in Dayton, a bit north of Ottawa. From her notes, it seems she was terribly lonely for her sisters. In this one, she even mentioned niece Vera, Edith's eldest daughter. Many of her notes are similar to this one in that the message is written very small and scrawled to cover all available space. A talker, this one. Her postcards are my favorites in the collection.

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 48

This card is the 48th in a collection of 100+ postcards dated between 1908 and 1914 that was found in the Sierra Madre, California home of Warren Brown after his death in 2015. Warren’s mother, Edythe Grace (Sisson) Brown (1897-1978), was the daughter of Edith Amy Duffield (1864-1926) and Charles Herman Sisson (1868-1927). Charles and Edith were married in Ottawa, Illinois in 1895. They remained there until the early 1920s when they moved west to Los Angeles, California. Their collection of memorabilia was passed down to Warren, my husband’s cousin, and is now in my possession.

Beautiful Idaho. -- Black Lake.

Though the postcard pictures Black Lake, it was mailed from Payette, a town located about 4 hours South of one of two Black Lakes in Idaho. The other is much farther North, in Kootenai County. Looking at photos of both lakes, I believe this is the one closer to Payette. The postcard may have been chosen simply for its beauty since it's unknown if the sender even went to the lake at all. This Black Lake is in the mountains, about 5 miles from the Snake River and the Oregon border.  It would have been a rough road in the Spring in 1911.

Postmarked April 30, 1911, in Payette, Idaho

Addressed to:

Mrs Charles Sisson

Ottawa.

Illinois.

Marcy St.

Payette, Idaho

Dear Edith,

I am in this town

Today we are in

Mr & Mrs Howards Auto sitting

out side of the church

Their is a Masonic

funeral here & we are

waiting out side

hope you are well

good bye

Mae.

Mae, born Marie Louise Duffield, was Edith (Duffield) Sisson's sister, and was married to Herbert Bragg in 1892. Sometime between 1910 and 1920, Mae and Herb moved from Ottawa, Illinois to Long Beach, California. This 1911 journey may have been when the couple made the move. Mae wrote several postcards to Edith that were saved as part of this collection. Her tone was matter-of-fact and without fluff throughout the messages, a clue, perhaps, to her personality.