Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 38

This next card in the Duffield/Sisson postcards from 1908-1914 was sent to Mrs. Charles Sisson from her Aunt Jane Cross who lived in Downer's Grove, Illinois in 1910.

The collection was discovered last year in the Sierra Madre, California home of Warren Brown after his death. Warren’s mother, Edythe Grace Sisson (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.

Going In On The 702, Downers Grove, Ill.

"Going in on the 702". I wonder if the people gathered are waiting to board, have just departed, or are waiting for others to depart. It could be a combination of all scenarios. Most of the people look like businessmen and my guess is that the 702 was a commuter route into Chicago. I love all the hats! I magnified the picture and can only clearly see one young boy without a hat in the whole crowd.

Just a year after this card was sent, Downers Grove opened a new train station for pedestrian traffic and the old station was used for freight traffic only. This was primarily because of the number of livestock that was being transported and a desire to make traveling by train more pedestrian friendly. Looking at the photo, one can imagine how messy it could be if cattle and people were being loaded and unloaded in the same general area. The animals certainly kicked up some dust and likely left waste behind as well. The folks traveling were mostly well dressed and the situation would have been very unpleasant, especially if they were commuters on their way to work in the city.

31 August 1910, Downers Grove, Illinois

Addressed to:

Mrs. Edith Sissne

Ottawa

Ills

408. Marcy St.

Downers Grove

August 31 1910

Dear Edith

I have got home safe

but I have ben sick

I am come to Ottawa then 

I will see you

Anty

Written upside down at the top:

Will I bring my freind

Edith's "Anty" was Jane Wright (Duffield) Cross (1850-1932), youngest child of Robert Duffield (1810-1885) and Mary (Wright) Duffield (1812-1875). Their oldest child, William Duffield (1833-1925) was Edith's father. 

Jane was raised in LaSalle County but moved to Downers Grove shortly after her marriage to Alfred J. Cross in 1874. It was there that they raised their children, Emma (born in 1876) and Alfred (born in 1885). Edith was about 10 years old when her Aunt moved away and it seems that they maintained a close relationship. 

Baby Alfred Cross, Emma Cross is framed in the stylish hat, and their mother Jane (Duffield) Cross is standing in the photo lower right.

Last year I mailed the photos above to a descendant of Alfred Cross. She had never seen them and was thrilled to have them for her family. 

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 17

This is the seventeenth in a series of postcards from 1908-1914 discovered last year in the Sierra Madre, California home of Warren Brown after his death. The collection of memorabilia was saved by his grandparents and passed down to Warren, my husband’s cousin.

Warren’s mother, Edythe Grace Sisson (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.

East Entrance Golden Gate, Yellowstone National Park.

An interesting thing about this postcard is the texture caused by embossing some of the landscape features. Trees, rocks, and mountain tops are highlighted this way.

The stamp skews the postmark a bit, but it looks like Sept 15 at 7pm. I can't make out the year on the postmark, but the year is included in the handwritten date.

Downer's Grove

Sept 15 1909

 Mrs Edith Sisson

Ottawa

Ills

408 Marcy St

Dear Edith

I am come

down

18 Sept to see

see you from

your *love?*

Antie *J?* C

I believe this was written by Edith's Aunt Jane, though the signature is just initials and hard to read. The handwriting matches a card written by Jane just a few weeks earlier and I know she lived in Downer's Grove, Illinois.

Jane Wright (Duffield) Cross (1850-1932) was the daughter of Robert Duffield (1810-1885) and Mary Wright (1812-1875) and youngest sister of Edith's father, William Duffield (1833-1925). Jane grew up in Ottawa, but moved with her family to Downer's Grove in the late 1870's when niece Edith was a teenager. Visits back and forth were frequent. Jane's husband, Alfred, died before the 1910 census and may have already passed when Jane wrote this note to her niece to plan the next visit. Telephone service was still in its infancy in the Chicago area at the time of this postcard and likely that at least one of the households, maybe both, had not installed a phone. Even if they had, the call was considered long distance and would have been very expensive to make.

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 15

This is the fifteenth in a series of postcards from 1908-1914 discovered last year in the Sierra Madre, California home of Warren Brown after his death. The collection of memorabilia was saved by his grandparents and passed down to Warren, my husband’s cousin.

Warren’s mother, Edythe Grace Sisson (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.

Driveway Douglas Park, Chicago, Ill.

This postcard is the first in the series that wasn't mailed, but I'm including it with the postmarked cards because it includes a date and place.

Downers Grove

August 23, 1909

Dear Edith

I received a letters from Emma say 

Miss Young to move in new home 

that will be nice 

I have been sick or I would write to befor

from your Auntie

JWC

Jane Wright (Duffield) Cross (1850-1932) was the daughter of Robert Duffield (1810-1885) and Mary Wright (1812-1875) and youngest sister of Edith's father, William Duffield (1833-1925). The Emma mentioned in the note is Jane's daughter. Jane lived in Downer's Grove for at least 30 years. Her husband Alfred died before the 1910 census and may have already passed when Jane wrote this note to her niece.

Duffield/Sisson Postcards No. 2

This is the second in a series of postcards from 1908-1914. They were discovered last year at the home of Warren Brown in Sierra Madre, California, following his death.

Warren's mother was Edythe Grace (Sisson) Brown (1897-1978). She was the daughter of Charles Herman Sisson (1868-1927) and Edith Amy Duffield (1864-1926). By the time this postcard was mailed, members of the Duffield family had lived in Ottawa, Illinois and the surrounding area for more than fifty years.

Robert Duffield, born in 1810 in Lincolnshire, England, and his wife, Mary Wright, were the parents of five children:

• William Duffield (1833-1925) married Henriette Louise DeSusClades (1841-1887)
• Edith Amy Duffield (1864-1926)
• Elizabeth Duffield (1835-1922) married August Beguin (1834-?)
• Mary Ann Duffield (1838-1864)
• Robert Duffield (1845-1863)
• Jane Wright Duffield (1850-1932) married Alfred J. Cross (1846-?)

Scene Lincoln Park, Chicago, ILL

Postmarked 2 June 1908, Downers Grove, Illinois

D. Grove Ill (Downers Grove)

June 1/908

Dear Niece,

Will be down Saturday if I feel well. Hope you are all well.

From your Auntie,

Mrs. A. J. Cross

To: Mrs. Edith A. Sisson

408 Marcy St.

Ottawa, Ill

Jane Wright (Duffield) Cross.
Photo from the collection of Edythe Sisson Brown, now in my possession.

Edith was close to her Duffield aunts. The families spent as much time together as they were able and all of the children grew up knowing their cousins well.