Here's a mystery real photo postcard (RPPC) in which the image is just a small oval on the front of the card. Not the best use of available space! It's an AZO real photo postcard that dates to between 1904 and 1918.
It was never addressed or mailed. Years later, someone wrote this on the back in pencil:
The 1 was likely the price of the card, $1, in a store or at trade shows. I'm not sure what "Atlantic" refers to. And I'm guessing that someone, based on other available information, knew that this postcard originated in Brayton, Iowa. It's a very small city, so maybe that's enough of a clue to help a future researcher identify the little girl who is pictured.
Brayton has never had a large population. It was 137 in the 1910 census, which is the approximate era of this card. It peaked at 244 in the 1920 census. And it was estimated at 117 in 2016.
Named after a railroad employee, Brayton sits along the East Nishnabotna River in western Iowa. Its claim to fame might be a tree in the middle of the road. On TravelIowa.com it is written that "a Cottonwood tree ... has become a landmark in Audubon County. The story is when the county lines were being established the surveyor placed a green cottonwood stick into the ground at the exact point where the lines crossed and grew into the present tree."
The current mayor of Brayton is Cally Christensen and the city's website lists this as its Business Climate: "Good location for Interstate access. County incentive programs are available and the City of Brayton will aggressively help assist business startups or expansions." Brayton had an Easter egg delivery event on April 12.
Here's a closer look at the girl holding the cat on the old postcard...
If you're interested in more mystery RPPCs, here's a dandy place to start.
No comments:
Post a Comment