Children Long Ago

I do not know who these children are - I only know that the

picture was taken around 1911-1912.  I  know that because

the church in the background was built in 1911,

and it looks like the bell has not been installed yet.

I wonder what these kids were doing?

Were they on their way to school?

Or just having fun?

Perhaps they were just posing for a rare photo.

Notice the boy on the left with his torn stockings.

Hand-me-downs?   

Or has he just worn them out playing?

We can only wonder if these kids are

related, or if they are just playmates

who live in Dalton.

I may never know who these kids are----

But it's a cute picture1

Letters from the Trunk

It's kind of a lazy Saturday afternoon, and rather than go someplace where

I would spend $$$, I decided to stay home.   Here is the trunk I 

have upstairs, full of albums & scrapbooks that were my Mom's.

[Oh, I have some stuff in there, too - it's not just Mom's!]

I think letter writing has become almost a lost art.

These days, we communicate by e-mail, Facebook

and telephone.  My mom kept a few special letters and I will share 2 of them here.

The first one is from my Dad to her (before they were married) - 

Nothing terribly romantic about it - I think Mom kept it since it

was probably the only letter Dad wrote to her.  We kids used

to laugh when we read the letter, owing to its lack of romance, I guess...

September 15, 1929...

Dear Friend, I received your letter this morning, so I better write you now when I have time.  It has been cold all week, but fine weather and that suits me, you know.   I hope you are enjoying yourself out there, even if it is quiet.  I should have seen you that night that I went out to Carl's place but I had to hurry back, as Joe was going to Kvam for choir practice.  I am going to Young People's meeting in town tonight.  I guess it is the only place to go.   If the weather is nice next Sunday I will drive out after you, but that is the only day that I will get time you know.  If you write let me know how far it is from Sisseton and the direction.  Please write at once as the mail is so terrible slow.

Your friend, Ralph.

The second one is from her sister, Selma - also known as "Sammie" {You can read a bit about Sammie on my March 4, 2011 post}  This letter was written in August 1934; she was very sick with cancer, and in October of that year, she died, leaving her husband and  2 little girls. My notes in italic (it's fairly long - be warned)

Dear Mabel, Have you froze up yet?  Wonder if you have it so cold today.  We have windows & doors shut and a fire in the range, but cold!  I have an extra quilt and a water bottle, too.  It is so tough to write in bed lately.  I've had all sorts of pain so have almost given up writing,  I like letters so well I have to try answering.   

I've been thinking about you and the new girl so much.  It's hard for us to realize you have your Kathleen.  Tell us what she's gotten.  Esther (her sister) and I have talked about getting her something but we never decide what.  Would you like a comb & brush set or a hot water bottle (special small & light color for baby).  Say "no!" if you don't.  Are you "pinking" or "bluing (?)" her? 

Lois is getting so tall now, they'll soon look like twins.  She walks so good along furniture but hasn't yet the nerve to let go all together.  Grace talks more all the time.  A couple days ago she pulled up her dress and said, "I want to see my heart in my tummy, mother."  She had just taken a tumble and her heart was beating so fast.   Clarence (her husband) is threshing.  They have one job left after where he is now.  They'll finish the one today--maybe.  It sure doesn't take that long.  

Alice Berg was here Tuesday & washed blankets in our Maytag.  Amy Hagen  & Alice were both here Monday.  Wednesday p.m. Inez & her five girls were here in the afternoon.  I've felt so punk this week I haven't enjoyed it. I get so tired talking.  I got a nice bouquet of mixed garden flowers from the Civic League in Edinburg (North Dakota) Wednesday.  (Amy Ulberg brought them.)

Well, I've used a bunch of your transfer patterns as we stamped the blocks last Saturday.  I have sewed two and started the third.  It's fun but I haven't felt much like sewing lately.   Hope you excuse I'm writing in a note book.   The paper doesn't get such a chance to jiggle then.

Last Saturday an Edinburg man age 49 was killed in an auto accident.  He was rushing to Park (Park River, ND) for repairs, was on wrong side of the road, met the bread truck, go excited, lost control of car and went off.  The car rolled over 3 times & he was thrown several feet.  He leaves a wife but no children.  Surely isn't long between happenings like that here at Edinburg.  They (or I should have said "we") are certainly getting warnings.

You surely have enough to do without sewing a quilt for Lois, haven't you?  I saw by the Dalton news you had Mrs. Thompson awhile.  Do you still have the Tripp girl?  Seems you'd need one steady now awhile anyways.   We haven't gotten anymore canning done.  Would like to get some chokecherry.  Amy said she'd come and take Esther to pick some one day & Inez could stay with me.

We've gotten 3 new catalogs, dresses all look so nice this year I think.  But what I look at is nighties, slippers etc.   Was trying this morning to pick out some everyday sweaters for the girls, but they're so expensive!  Lois needs shirts & what not.  I think I'll send for everything though.  I won't be able to go any place.   I haven't as much as had my feet out of bed for three weeks now.

Hope you are getting strong again.  Are you strong enough to nurse Kathleen?

I'm losing my hair so fast it's just awfully hard to keep my bed decent.  Just when I lie on the pillow the hair falls off & just covers it.  Esther washed quilts and blankets a day last week but they all went to the cookcar to keep the coldblooded cooks warm. {her high temperatures caused her to lose hair}

Wish some of you cold come up again.  It surely looks impossible for us.  Just the other night my temperature was 100 and the pulse so high Cal (her husband, Clarence) didn't tell me.  Poor Cal had a tooth pulled a week ago & has had such a sore mouth since.  It's hard to eat.  Esther makes him some chocolate malted milk every night.  Sometimes they get ice cream with  it.  Wish I could like it like they do.  I just had forenoon lunch of polse & crackers!  That's my type!!

Well, I could keep on indefinitely of course but have really nothing to say.     Love, Sammie

PS - You should be gaining like Esther is!  So should I!  

(Her sister Esther completes the letter for her, asking how Evelyn & Ernest like their little baby sister, etc....)

Music Notes

Here is my piano & my violin.

I enjoy playing the piano,

but I don't know anything about

playing a violin.

Of course this violin is in SORRY shape -

falling apart, no strings....etc....

It is absolutely not playable,

and it may not even be fixable,

but it does look kind of cute standing 

on the floor by my piano.

The piano was purchased at an auction sale some 

years ago, and it has a beautiful tone to it.

The violin was also purchased at an auction,

but there is no tone to it!!

I can only wonder how it sounded.

Who played it?

Was he/she any good at it?

I don't think it is worth anything

so here is my thought:

I am thinking of having it painted and rosemaled.

I saw one that was done and it was beautiful.

I mean, this one isn't good for anything else is it?

What do you think I should do?

Dad's Jobs

My Dad had quite a few different jobs/businesses throughout his years.

For a time he built houses and barns in this area.

Many of those homes & barns are still being used.

When he was young, he worked at the Broom Factory in Fergus Falls.

That was one job he said he did not like.

He farmed for awhile, but I am not sure he liked farming a lot,

EXCEPT......Threshing.

[He loved threshing with the big old steam engines.

He was in awe of the big engines when he was about 6 or 7 years old,

and by the time he was 19, he did custom threshing.

Later, he and his brother George and nephew Kenneth began

the annual threshing show in Dalton, as a means to

preserve the history of threshing days gone by.]

He was part-owned of the Skelly Gas Station in Dalton for about 10 years.

In those days, it was referred to as the "filling station."   It was also

referred to as the "oil business."  (I wish!!)

He owned & operated the Dalton Lumber Co. for many years.

This building has now been torn down.

After he sold the lumberyard, he opened the "Dalton Surplus Store,"

later changed to "Dalton Supply Store"

Besides paint, nuts & bolts, 

one could buy work clothes,  boots, hardware,

and even some kitchen items.

Day Tripper

Yesterday, we got up at the crack of dawn 

(5:00 a.m. to be exact).

We were to be in Alexandria by 7:15 to board the bus

for Stillwater, Minnesota.

Dodie, Evie, Amy and I made the trip

It was a hot day, but was still fun.

As soon as we arrived in Stillwater, we

boarded the paddleboat for a two hour cruise.

Include in this cruise was a buffet lunch.

After lunch, we were able to go to the top deck

(or bottom deck, if we preferred).

It was so calming and the breeze off of the St. Croix River

felt wonderful.   

After the cruise, a trolley car was waiting for us to take us

around some of the historical sights of the city.

There were lots of things I never knew:

Like the area around Stillwater was once a part of Wisconsin.

Ot that Stillwater and St. Paul were contenders to be the capital city.

Or did you know Stillwater is the oldest city in Minnesota?

We had a good time, but by the time we got home, we were tired out!!

This is one of the old homes - I photo-shopped  the top picture it a tad.

The paddleboat.

The "trolley" car

I loved all those old houses with the big porches 

on the front and back of the house!

Stillwater is quite hilly!

The top deck of the paddleboat - room to sit & enjoy the view

Looking down from the top deck to the one below.

Someday It Will All Make Sense

Not long ago, I talked with a woman who had been confirmed

by my Uncle Joe.

{Uncle Joe was a Lutheran Pastor at the Lutheran

Free Church in Dalton}

She told me how she remembered him so well,

and that he had made such an impression on her.

She remembered him telling her,

"Someday this will all make sense to you."

She told me that when she was converted, all those Bible verses 

she had memorized so long ago had

come back to her - Bible verses that she

thought were long-forgotten.

After many years, it all made sense to her.

Uncle Joe was right.

Small Town - Not So Small Stuff!

Dalton's population has remained about the same since the early 1900's.

Around 250, give or take - not including dogs & cats.

In the 1950's, Dalton had a ball team that was very popular.

It is said that there were 400 people who came to watch

one particular game!

Dalton's ski team organized in 1918 and tournaments were

held on the ski scaffold just NW of town.   Nearly every home in

Dalton had skis resting up against the house or garage back in the day.

The last tournament was held in 1966.   Many, many 

spectators attended these tournaments.

Dalton is also home to the annual threshing show, which started

in 1953.   The top photo is taken from the water tower, and

shows all the cars parked in the field. 

The bottom photo gives you an idea of the crowds that come to the show.

It is still going strong today and will celebrate it's 60th

show in the fall of 2013.

Wish we still had the ball team and ski team!!

Those were the days!

{click on the photos to enlarge}