This week's Sepia Saturday theme suggests that we go through our old photos and post some of those "unknowns" that always pop up in any collection.
All of the ones that I have chosen for today came from our family photos, except for the very first one. My Mom found it at a thrift store in Eugene, and couldn't leave it behind. It was rather irresistible, since the "Artists" studio where it was taken was in Yoncalla, Oregon. I am having trouble finding out about the studio, though there are plenty of Helliwells to be found, including an Ernest Helliwell, born December 2,1872 in Minnesota, and died April 26, 1972 in Yoncalla. Ernest is buried at the Applegate Pioneer Cemetery, and at one time he owned Boswell Springs, in partnership with some of his brothers.
So, does anybody out there recognize these sweet little girls?:
2. This photo was in one of husband's family albums. Though there are plenty of hints, nobody recognizes who this group actually is:
3. & 4.: The next two very old photos came from my Great Uncle John's stuff, and I am guessing that they are some of my ancestors. Were they Hedricks, Letsoms or somebody else in Umpqua County, Oregon (now Douglas County):
5. I don't know who this proud couple is, but look at the huge fish they caught:
6. Mom thinks that the guy with the white hat on the left is most likely her Grandpa Ben Hedrick. The woman behind him could be Granny Talitha Letsom Hedrick. Who are the other fine gentlemen, and who's house is this?:
7. Some of these folks present even more of a challenge, with their heads being invisible, but I think that this was taken at the same home as the photo above, only the bushes were totally pruned or removed:
8. This could be Granny Litha, below, but I am not sure. Mom is pretty sure that it was taken at Jack Creek Ranch, owned by Ben and Litha Hedrick. I really like all the details in this photo, as rag-tag as it is. Check out the white picket fence:
9. Mom said that this picture was taken during a hop harvest, but we don't know who all these guys are. Grandpa Ben is the third from the right, and Mom thinks that my Great-Uncle Homer and Great-Uncle John are next to him. Are the other men some of our Tin Pot Valley guys?:
10. We are led to believe that the cuties in the wagon are Elma and Edward, but who are the rest of these people and where is this picnic being held?:
11. Is this lady at the same picnic or at just sitting in a yard at a different location?:
12. This picture was just taken in 1955, so these cute kids may be easier to place. Mom said that they are probably relatives of Aunt Signa Woods Hedrick, Uncle John's wife:
13. & 14.: The next two photos are more of Uncle John's. It looks like these guys are on a military base and are playing volleyball. Uncle John could be the the guy in the front row, third from the left:
15. Ah, more sand ... beach bums with buns:
16. "Care for a massage, fine sir?" These two have now been identified as Harry Cave and his niece Joella:
So, there you are, my friends. If you enjoyed this story, please visit my Sepia Saturday friends by "CLICKING HERE" to find other neat photos and stories. To read more about my family and other stories featuring old photos, memories and more, please look for this picture of me and my dad on the left-hand sidebar to read whatever else catches your fancy. Thanks so much for visiting!
~ Kathy M.
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26 comments:
Gosh, Kathy - so many stories in these photos. My fave is the last one. The bathing beauty is happy, and I'm wondering what her companion was thinking.
Such a huge number of unidentified photos, I don't know where to start, but I do like the hop pickers and the two gentleman having a rest from what looks like chopping wood.
Kathy, such a treasure trove of old photos. Each tells a story. I always ponder about the people on these photos, think about their live, etc. Now they are just memories, but that's life! The cattle yard brings back memories, as we used to run a grazing property with Hereford cattle, and I have photos like this one. I really enjoyed your take into the past.
I find it so interesting that all the older people in any family's OLD photos such as these all look alike! I could show you a couple of pictures where the men and women look like these....sitting on their porches, or out in the yard...and most not smiling! You are so fortunate to have such a treasure trove of these pics!
A bumper bundle of unknowns. I wonder what the collective noun for old photos is? An album, I suppose.
Oh Kathy, I feel like I've been sitting on the couch next to you with a scrapbook stretched across our laps, with you turning the page and pointing to each picture. I love how some of the pictures capture life in somewhat of a cultural-significance way (like the hops picture) while others are just plain funny (those men's buns at the beach LOL).
My daughter writes beside every picture she puts in her albums. I wish I had been that disciplined. But oh the stories that we could write about these nameless people. A door to the past!
Oh I Love Them All! I Especially Like The 2 sepia-tinted Ones....A Rare Atmosphere To Them! Lovely.Thanks For Sharing All.
I enjoyed your collection, Kathy. They would make one bundle of great family pajama party stories. My faves are nos. 8 and 10. I always dream of one day living in a cottage surrounded by a 'white picket fence.' The babies on the wagon look so adorable!
A great collection of unknowns. I particularly like #4. You actually could have used that photo for last week's theme. A nice pipe and hat photo.
Nancy
At least you know who some of the people are.
My favorite is the one with the pigs.
Don't you just adore old photos? For some reason, they seem to capture a moment... an expression... an emotion... so much better than more modern shots. You have some great pics here, and it's a shame so many of the people in them remain unknown. My grandmother wrote identification info on the back of some of the old pics I inherited, but far too many of them are simply fascinating faces from days gone by... with no name. Sad. I really MUST do a better job of writing names on the backs of all the pics I'll be passing on to my children someday.
A fine collection with 3 and 4 at the top of my list to find out about.
Hope you get somebody to jelp you identify who people are.
What a wonderful group of photos (and questions!). I especially relate to number 7 as we have quite a few photos from that era of family groups lined up. My mom, a child of about 7 in one of our photos, once wondered where Aunt Amelia was as she recalled her being in attendance at the gathering. We laughed as she likely was the photographer.
Gee...so much great material here. My favorite is the "big fish" photo. The couple don't look as happy as they should with a huge catch like this. The bums are also terrific and the pretty little girls. Wouldn't it be fun if somebody could provide an identity for some of the mysteries posted this week.
A wonderful group of photos. I especially like the last one. Do you know more about Joella? She looks so happy and a little mischievious.
The man in the last photo doesn't look very overjoyed although the woman does. Is she tormenting him?
Gee - your unidentified photos look so much more interesting than mine!
This is enough unknowns to start your own imaginary Our Town, Kathy. The fish photo is great, halibuts I think. And the strange Granny Litha picket fence photo is a real accidental abstract.
A great gallery of unknowns Kathy. The two little irlsand the babes in the cart are my favourites, but I rather like the row of unidentfied male behinds!
My favorite is the one with the "colorful" pigs. I like the sense of humor behind the photo. :-)
Great post Kathy! I especially like the one of the bathing beauty and the man. Good looking people, but I have a love of old cars,and I like the look of this one in the photo.
There are some classics in this set of photos! I love the two little girls...so cute. Just to have the older ones gives context even if you can't name them specifically....though that would surely be nice :-)
Quite the collection you have here, with so many question. Let's hope someone at the Society can help you any. I especially like the pic with the pigs, because of what's in the back, "guess who". That's the point, isn't it? He left you guessing. Reminds me of those pics from my father's side where the woman would write "myself". Still no idea who she was though...
:D~
HUGZ
What a great set of photos, your family always enjoy the great outdoors. Love those two in the wagon.
A diverse set of images with lots of fun going on. Would be sort of fun to put them all together in one story. We could create out own link.
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