The Wilds of Lewis County

This card was sent from the wilds of Lewis County, Washington to C.E. Shea of Portland, Oregon in 1917. Even today, the population of Lewis County is only about 75,000. The largest city is Centralia, with a population of just over 16,000. There's plenty of rural land, and the eastern end of Lewis County is national park and forest. Unfortunately, we don't know where this photo was taken in Lewis County, especially since it was sent from Seattle.

 The message on the back reads:

Picture taken in the wilds of Lewis County. Notice the dog. I can get a separate picture of him very lovely looking.

Have you seen Aunt Hattie lately. I am contemplating taking the G.N. train which goes through Rainier and thought I would let them know.

Leon

While we don't know who the people in the picture are, I am fairly certain that the card's recipient was Cora E. Shea, born in about 1870 in Illinois. She and her husband, James Shea, lived in Portland with their three children Leo, John, and Margaret. I wonder if the son, Leo, sent this card to his mother. Leo would have been 26 at the time. Although the Census records show the name as Leo, I guess it's possible that his full name was Leon.

Giant Potatoes and Typhoid Fever

Both the message and the card itself are a little unusual. Viola sent it from Dixie, Washington (current population about 220) to her friend Edith McKinzey in Portland, Oregon.

The message scrawled on the front says:

Has S. and E.B. made up and got married again - we will surely pull old Daddy by leg. best Regards to Carl from John.

Here's the back of the card.

The message reads:

Dixie Wash

Ans soon

Dear Edith, can't write much as I have the Typhoid Fever, been down in bed 15 days all ready, don't know when I'll be able to sit up. John is getting awful then gives me dope all night and works all day - Viola.

Presidents Day, Presidents' Day, President's Day

You decide. Which is it?
Tomorrow is Washington's birthday. Lincoln's birthday was February 12th. Some people think that Presidents Day is just Washington's birthday moved to a consistent and more convenient Monday. Others think of it as a combined Washington/Lincoln birthday, and still others think of this day as a day to commemorate all presidents. Since states are not required to observe federal holidays, observance varies. Some states still observe Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays separately, others don't.  The fact that I am posting George Washington cards and no Abraham Lincoln cards, only means that I have lots of Washington cards and very few Lincoln cards.

George Washington

 

George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born on this date in 1732. When Washington died in 1799, Henry Lee delivered the funeral oration, saying that of all Americans, Washington was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

The message on the card says:

Dear cousin

Arrived home + heard that Eugene Lynch (?) housekeeper was dead + buried. maybe you have heard of it.  Mary