Vintage Postcard Mystery - Help me crack the Case!
 

Not long ago I obtained some vintage postcards sold to me by a gentleman who's father passed away. They were in his father's sportscard collection and he knew nothing about the back story of how he obtained them.
There are 1 football and 6 baseball themed postcards. They are somewhat risque for the time depicting flirtatious acts and were wittingly entitled with a framed caption.
The copyright line is found on the bottom of the caption frame on the front of the postcard. It reads: copyright 1910 by the colonial Art Pub. Co., B'klyn, N.Y. Published by F.G. Henry & Co. Inc. N.Y.
These were obviously part of a set, but I'm not sure how many the set consisted of? I've seen at least two more on ebay of the same style entitled "A Highball" and "Breaking her Contract" so I know there are at least 8 different baseball ones. Any additional background or info on this set is appreciated.

What I'm really interested in, however, is on the OTHER side. All of these postcards have been written, addressed, and postmarked. All are written by the same person to the same person over the course of 5 months. I've deciphered the handwriting and have typed out each letter below its image. Some of the words I could not make out - they are in red.

What I am looking to accomplish:

1) decipher the remaining words
2) identify who the sender and recipient were
3) identify and locate relatives of the sender and recipient
4) contact the relatives of the sender or recipient and gift them with items from their family history

I have not had any experience with genealogy and quite frankly am too intimidated to accomplish such a task by myself. I thought it might be interesting to make it a group project and follow this rabbit down the trail wherever it may lead. Considering the subject matter on the front of the postcards is baseball related and quite a few baseball references are made throoughout the letters, I figured this would be a good place to do it. Whether you are able to help or just want to come back from time to time to see if any progress has been made I appreciate your time and interest.

Also, let me request, if you do quote a response on this thread that contains an image, please remove the image from your quote to minimize the amount of scrolling we have to do, thanks!

Postcard #1 of 7
 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/y...psb23836e5.jpg

Post Card #1 of 7 – Interference
Postmarked: May 20, 3:30P, 1910, Meadville, PA
Addressed to: Miss Flossie Horning, Perch River, N.Y. c/o George Northrup

Message:
Received your card. Was glad to get a (girl) card. Nobody else has sent me cards from S.D.
Ans. (answer) soon.
Lewis Jones

Postcard #2 of 7
 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps98f51e70.jpg


Post Card #2 of 7 – A Chance Play
Postmarked: Jul 23, 6pm, 1910, Redfield, South Dakota
Addressed to: Flossie Horning, Mellette, S.D.

Message:
…..two at Faulkton Thursday & Friday. I went to Faulkton yesterday by auto to see the game, and it was a good one. Came back on the train, as Norbeck made a trip North to 2 or 3 well rigs, getting in at midnight. Some of the crops west are junk others are pretty good. How are they up that way. I suppose you know of the fire at Aberdeen, loosing thier Opera House. which will put the show business on the bum? brim? burn? up there for sometime no excitement here of any kind now; Hot dusty and worn.
G.L.

Postcard #3 of 7
 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/y...psa8651bad.jpg


Post Card #3 of 7 – A Steal
#1 of 2 – sent the same day
Postmarked: Aug 8, 3AM, 1910, Redfield, S. Dakota
Addressed to: Flossie Horning, Mellette, S. D.

Message:
Redfield, Aug. 6 – 1910 – 5:30 P.M. Friend Flossie: Hello. How you was this cloudy day. Tried to rain a little here but did not succeed very well. Our boys beat Aberdeen here, yesterday and day before, but won only one out of the five at Aberdeen. They go to Huron tonight for three games 7-8-9. I am getting to be a real live fan, as I am taking in all the games here but do not get to go away to any much.

Postcard #4 of 7
 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/y...psb2d90846.jpg


***This postcard contains a derogatory word that I do not condone the use of.

Post Card #4 of 7 – Catching a hot one
#2 of 2 – sent the same day
Postmarked: Aug 8, 3AM, 1910, Redfield, South Dakota
Addressed to: Flossie Horning, Mellette, S. D.

Message:
2. Our business men have decided to try the Fair again this year Sept. 6-7-8-9. We have had a (n*****) Minstrel 2 nights this week. I went the first night, pretty fair. Wheat is turning out so much better than was looked for, that we may not be in such bad shape this fall after all, a little rain now soon will help the corn out wonderfully. I guess there are no exemptions to the Hills this year. By.by. in haste. G.L.

Postcard #5 of 7
 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/y...psde54e994.jpg


Post Card #5 of 7 – A Balk
#1 of 2 – sent the same day
Postmarked: Aug 19, 6 PM, 1910, Redfield, South Dakota
Addressed to: Flossie Horning, Mellette, S. D.

Message:
Redfield, Aug. 19 – 1910. Friend Flossie: Most time to go for dinner. Your cards at hand this morning. Carl was saying he thought he seen you run by him the other day, so as I take most of the ball games I kept a watch for you but did not see you. Huron beat us yesterday 5 to 2, we won the day before 4 to 0. They play again today. I did not take in any of the Lewis shows so cannot tell you anything about them. I understand they are to be here during fair week.

Postcard #6 of 7
 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/y...psfb52587e.jpg


Post Card #6 of 7 – Delaying the Game
#2 of 2 – sent the same day
Postmarked: Aug 19, 6 PM, 1910, Redfield, South Dakota
Addressed to: Flossie Horning, Mellette, S. D.

Message:
Their plays are mostly of the wild west, where the bold, brave man appears at the right time and accomplishes the impossible and as I do not take much stock in such I do not care to go. I would like to get down to the Huron Fair for a day or two, but think now it is out of the question, too short on cash. And as I have been taking in most of the ball games I may not get to our fair, but cannot say yet. I am in the office most of the time is why you did not see me, probably you would not know me anyway. How did your grain turn out. G.L.

Postcard #7 of 7
 

http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/y...ps4bc26664.jpg


Post Card #7 of 7– A Sacrifice
#1 of ? – sent the same day
Postmarked: Sep. 1, 7 PM, 1910, Redfield, South Dakota
Addressed to: Flossie Horning, Mellette, S. D.

Message:
Redfield, Sept. 1 – 1910 – 5:40 P.M. Friend Flossie: Your cards received a few days ago. Cold & cloudy today, makes a fellow wonder what has become of his summer wages. A bunch of 17 autos left this morning for Frankfort, Doland, Turton, Conde, Brentford, Mellette, Northville, Athol, and Ashton boosting for the Spink County Fair and just got back. Carl went along with Hutch in one of our cars. They were sure black when they got in. C.L. Nicholson & wife, Gen. Nicholson and our stenographer left by auto last Friday for a visit with the Nicholson girls who are on……….

Transcription
 

Here is a link to a complete consolidated transcription for anyone that wants it. It is a word doc uploaded to google docs.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0Bt...it?usp=sharing

Key words/names:

Recipient: Flossie Horning of Mellette, SD
Sender: Lewis Jones of Redfield, SD
Spink County, SD
c/o: George Northrup
Dates: May 1910-Sept. 1910

I'm thinking the 'pigs' is 'rigs.' Maybe they stopped by some oil well rigs or something.

thank you, adjustment made

Another thought. Where you have 'Ser.', it could be either Senator (Sen.) or General (Gen.) Nicholson he's referring to. Search those names out and see if anything pops.

I do now believe the first letter is a G, by comparing it to the word girls later in the same letter but I'm still not sure what the last letter is. It might be Gen. but if it is an n it doesn't look like his other n's. Is there any other abbrev. it could possibly be? Ge_?

PC's
 

Hi, these are listed in the Sports Postcard Price Guide.

The football cards are part of a set of 6 that were made by the Colonial Art Co between 1905 and 1915. The value is listed as between $15 and $22.

The baseball cards are from a set of 9 from the same years and are valued between $6 and $12.

Can't help you with the wording.

Rick

set
 

Thanks Rick, a baseball set of nine. I have six and I've seen the other two...I wonder what the last one is.

Lewis Jones is a bit difficult since the name is very common. Flossie Horning is easier....born December7, 1887 in South Dakota and died July 12, 1964 in LA. She married a man named Cecil John Cropp. Her formal name is Florence Cropp. All I've got so far. Neat postcards and a great idea to pass these on to decendents.

They married February 20, 1925 in Santa Barbara. No luck finding children though, yet.

Flossie
 

Thanks Lou, that's awesome information!

So, if Flossie was born in Dec. of 1887 that makes her 22 years old at the time of these postcards and 37 the year she got married. Thirty seven isn't old but it's definitely later than most get married, especially back then. I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't any children, but hope I'm wrong. Quite a change of scenery her moving from central South Dakota to Southern California! For Lewis Jones is it possible to narrow the search down to South Dakota?

I did a follow up on ancestry.com and it also says she lived Newport Beach, CA. That would explain them finding their way into the collection of the father of the man I purchased these from. We're only an hour from there.

We're looking in the same spots. She hung on to the postcards for all of her life. I imagine the postcards were a bit risque for the time.

Lewis ( Lunis ) Jones, b 1862 Iowa 1910 Census Pennington SD. Looks like we have our man. Having trouble finding more info.

Lou,

I'm not finding any children unfortunately. I had a lead on a possibility for someone named Cynthia Cropp but her father just had the same name as Flossie's husband, no relation. Looks like we'll have to head down Lewis Jones' pathway.

Summary on Flossie Horning
 

Official strikeout on descendants for Flossie. She was born and raised in South Dakota, graduated from a local college and then moved to California between 1910 and 1920. She was a registered voter in Cerritos in 1920 where she claimed to be an actress in motion pictures. A quick imdb search pulled up no reference of her having any roles in any films. She married Cecil Cropp in 1925 at the age of 38 in Santa Barbara and they lived in Newport Beach until she passed in 1964. Flossie was Cecil's 2nd wife, he married Marie Leithoff in 1916 in Los Angeles and then they divorced between 1922-1924. Cecil had no children with either Marie Leithoff or Flossie Horning. He passed in 1978 in Los Angeles - presumably from the Dodgers losing back-to-back world series to the Yankees.

Lewis Jones
 

Lou,

Based on the info you provided with his name Lewis (Lunis) Jones was born in Iowa in 1864. That would make him 46 years old at the time of the post cards, writing to a 22 year old Flossie. Whoa! In his defense, he was a widower and probably very lonely. In 1910 he appeared on the census in South Dakota as a laborer who was working at a brickyard. He was rooming with about ten other guys at the time. Based on the info shown on the census report I uncovered that his actual name is Grant Lewis Jones. This would explain why he ended most of his post cards with G.L. I wrongly assumed he was ending them J.L. (possibly for Jones Lewis). Grant Lewis Jones married Carrie Elizabeth Jones in 1879 in Iowa where they lived and were born. He was 38 at the time, she was 23. Seems he was into younger ladies. He also appeared as a laborer in the 1900 census and showed that they had been married for 3 years at that time. So, sometime between 1900-1909 his wife Carrie died and he hit the road for work. There isn't, however, any records of a death certificate for Carrie and I haven't been able to discover her maiden name. It appears that he and Carrie didn't have any kids but still not sure. If they did, he didn't take them with him on his travels looking for work. Still trying to find out what happened to him after 1910. He never went back to Iowa so I'm left to assume he kept moving around. If he remarried later it's possible he had kids later in life. We'll see....

I too have hit a road block in 1910 with him. Sounds like he was a bit of a drifter. I'll keep looking, and am having some fun with this as well. I don't mind saying that I also like younger women:D

Carl & Mary Beard
 

In Postcard #2 Lewis Jones says, "...as Norbeck made a trip North to 2 or 3 well rigs..."

Since we lost location of him in South Dakota in 1910, I looked at this comment and took a shot in the dark and did a North Dakota search and lo and behold I found "Lewis Jones" now drifting with a Mary S. Beard (Thiele) and a Carl Beard in a 1915 N. Dakota Census placing them in the township of Cut Bank in Bottineau County!

I am almost sure this is the right Lewis Jones as he mentions a "Carl" in postcard #5 saying, "Carl was saying he thought he seen you run by him the other day, so as I take most of the ball games I kept a watch for you but did not see you." Based on the records Carl would have been 11 yrs old when he may or may not have seen Flossie.

Side note I'll look more into is that this Mary Beard who Lewis is living with is a widow.

Here are the screenshots of my findings:

Norbeck
 

As for this Norbeck character who pointed me to North Dakota...all we know from the letters is his last name and that he works with "well rigs".

Lewis mentions in postcard #2 "...as Norbeck made a trip North to 2 or 3 well rigs, getting in at midnight. Some of the crops west are junk others are pretty good."

Well, I found him too. Norbeck is Enoch Norbeck aka Enock Norback of Platte, South Dakota in Charles Mix County. I found him along with his family on the 1920 Federal Census. How do I know it's him? His occupation on the census form is listed as "well drilling" :)

end of the line...
 

Another assumption I was wrong about. He DID move back to Iowa where he was born. I did a search of Lewis with Mary S. Beard and Carl Beard and located him on the 1925 Iowa Census living with them under the name LG Jones (similar to the way he initialed his postcards). They resided in Kossuth County Iowa and the census shows two interesting things...

...first, Lewis is still listed as single (no known kids). Second, Mary S. Beard is listed as his mother! That would mean Carl Beard is his brother. Lewis' father is listed as GT Jones. Not sure what to make of the different last names?

I also found Lewis (now listed as Louis) at the age of 51 still living with his mother Mary Beard, now 77, in Kossuth County, Iowa on the 1930 US Census. Carl no longer lives with them.

This is the last record I've been able to find of Lewis Jones or Mary Beard. I am left to assume Mary passed away before the next census. Lewis may have moved again or passed as well. At this point it's safe to assume neither Flossie Horning or Lewis Jones had any kids. :(

Not sure what to do at this point. :confused: Maybe try to trace younger brother Carl and see if he married and had kids to see if they'd be interested in these or give up the search and just keep them and call it an interesting experience.

My trial account with ancestry.com ends in less than a week so either way I'm running out of time.

Joe,

You have given this a very noble effort, with the best of intentions to return items that were very personal ( at one time ). If either of them had children, the cards would be appreciated. But now with aunts, uncles, neices and nephews, most likely the items will not be appreciated. I would hang on to them, and now you have a great story about the parties involved.

Lou

case closed
 

I think you're right Lou, my wife had the same feelings towards it. Thanks for your help during this journey my friend, I appreciate it.

closure
 

So, let me wrap a bow on this journey for those of you who followed it and wondered what came of it. I was gonna keep the cards but I needed closure for some reason on this (don't know why, weird huh?). Lewis Jones had a younger half brother named Carl Beard who was briefly mentioned in one of the postcards. Carl never had any kids (similar to Lewis and Flossie), however, Carl married a woman named Beulah in 1963. Carl died in 1993 and Beulah died in 2006. They had no kids together but Beulah had kids from a previous marriage, two of which are still alive today. I contacted one of them and explained my journey which they were fascinated by and told me a few stories they remembered about Carl. I shared with them my findings about Carl's past and his childhood and they were interested. I asked if they would like the postcards and they excitedly said yes and offered to pay me for them. I declined and said I was just happy to close the book on the journey. I sent a synopsis of my findings along with the postcards out to them this morning. THE END.

Very cool...thanks for following up with an update!

I just joined the boards and saw this thread. Fascinating! Very nice work!