darkormex
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Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
Posts: 2,145 
What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Mar 5, 2022 3:50:51 GMT
On June 26, 1911, Hester Ann Dotson's granddaughter, Julia May Barton, sent her grandmother this birthday postcard. The card was postmarked in Lima, Ohio and has a one cent Franklin, Sc. no. 374 paying the rate at that time. Julia May was 43 years old and grandma Dotson was 80. Julia May was one of 4 children born to David Barton and Jarusha Kelley, David Barton's first wife. This is odd because it is only after Jarusha dies in 1879 and David Barton remarries Hester Ann Dotson's daughter Leanna Dotson, that Julia May Barton becomes connected to Hester Ann Dotson via this second marriage of her father. David Barton's second marriage will be important later, as I tell this story in postcards and covers. On the FamilySearch genealogy website, Hester Ann's date of birth is June 17, 1831, however there is no record that I can cite for this as it is not included on her person page here.  Hester Ann had been living in the home of her parents in Salt Creek, Hocking, Ohio, at least until she met Samuel Dotson and at the age of 23, married on July 20, 1854. 8 years later, Samuel enlisted in Company G., 81st Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1862 and served in the Union Army for the duration of the war. The below photo of Samuel appears on his person page here. According to his obituary, Sergeant Samuel Dotson participated in the siege of Atlanta and Sherman's March to the Sea. He was an orderly sergeant for his company.  |
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darkormex
Member
Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
Posts: 2,145
What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Mar 5, 2022 4:43:37 GMT
Almost one year later, another grandchild, Edgar Orlano Barton, age 14, sent what I think is also a birthday greeting to his Grandmother, Hester Ann Dotson.The postmark is somewhat illegible but by looking at Edgar's person page, around the time period I think this postcard was sent, Edgar and his parents, David and Leanna (formerly Dotson) were living in Criderville, Ohio. This fits the remnants of text within the circular cancel. The stamp is a bit more interesting only because it is mis-perforated. The stamp gauges perf. 12 on all 4 sides and so is likely to be Sc. no. 405 issued on February 12, 1912. This is why I am pretty certain this postcard was mailed on June 22, 1912 around the time of Hester Ann Dotson's birthday.   421 days later, on August 17, 1913, Hester Ann Dotson born Hester Ann Boucher, passed away at the age of 82. The following image of Hester Ann Dotson (center) and her children appears on her Find-a-Grave page. I realize the image is quite small but a caption on the page notes the children from LEFT TO RIGHT: Leannah, Rufus, Lavina, Francis, "Hester", Sarah, Gracie, Justus & Marietta. Leanna, of course, is the mother of Edgar Barton who sent the above postcard.  |
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darkormex
Member
Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
Posts: 2,145
What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Mar 5, 2022 5:44:30 GMT
13 years later, another grandchild of Hester Ann Dotson. For me this cover is the one that took me down this postal and family history rabbit hole. Harlan D. Barton is another son of David and Leanna Barton (formerly Dotson). The cover, marked private, is from a Mrs. Duncan in Berkeley, California. Unfortunately, I do not know who Mrs. Duncan is and will probably never know. It is possible she is a family member but I have no way of knowing this for sure. Harland had married Ms. Elsie May Rox on March 4, 1905 (I am posting this on March 5, 2022 so yesterday would have been their 117th wedding anniversary!) Here is what I found out about Harland...he was of medium height and slender build. He had blue eyes and dark hair. At the time he registered for the draft in 1917, he was Manager of the Collection Department and Reporter for a company housed in the Chamber of Commerce Building in Toledo, OH. Unfortunately the cursive writing on the draft card is hard to read and might be R.G.Dew Co. While, he seems to have registered for the draft, it does not look as if he ever entered into service during World War I. Postmarked July 24, 1926 in Berkeley, California, the cover is a stamped envelope which I think is Sc. no. U431e, Oriental Buff color envelope with the embossed Washington being Die 7. Anyone who is more competent with identifying these types of stamped envelopes, please chime in if I am wrong.  |
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darkormex
Member
Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
Posts: 2,145
What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Mar 5, 2022 13:42:14 GMT
Let's skip forward 7 years. The world is changing since Hester Ann Dotson's days. Harland and Elsie May Barton gave birth to a daughter on June 4, 1908 and named her Virginia Clara Barton. I wonder if naming her this was meant to echo the name of the famous nurse and founder of the Red Cross, Clara Barton? I also wonder if Virginia Clara met her great grandma, Hester Ann, who would have passed away 3 years later? At the age of 25, Virginia Clara received this postcard from Chicago, Illinois. For me, of all the correspondence I have related to this family, this is one of the most interesting covers. Everything is tied to the Chicago 1933 International Exposition; the stamp, the card itself, the neat century of progress postmark and even the note from Genevieve and Perry, a couple that I can only imagine were friends of Virginia Clara. Perhaps Genevieve was Virginia's childhood friend? Perhaps she and Perry went to the Exposition on their honeymoon? Unfortunately we will probably never know. The stamp is the Restoration of Fort Dearborn, Century of Progress issue, Sc. no. 728, issued on May 25, 1933. The reverse side of the postcard depicts the Federal Building which also showed up on the companion 3c stamp issued for the Century of Progress.   |
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Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,654
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Mar 5, 2022 14:08:01 GMT
Very interesting thread, Darrin ( darkormex), thanks for starting it! I note that the last postcard is addressed to 519 Highland Avenue in Toledo, Ohio. I lived in Toledo for several years of my life, but that was quite a while ago. I wonder if daveg28, who lives there now, might be able to tell us more about that location. I did a Google Maps search, and it looks like there is an old house there now. Anyway, just musing about the story!  |
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darkormex
Member
Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
Posts: 2,145
What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Mar 5, 2022 14:28:28 GMT
Chris, I have more to come. I think there are at least 5 more covers related to this one family.
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darkormex
Member
Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
Posts: 2,145
What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Mar 6, 2022 22:16:03 GMT
On June 23, 1939, , Virginia Clara Barton married Mr. William E. Lang. Bill Lang had enlisted in the US Army October 15, 1940 and apparently was initially stationed at Camp Shelby in Gaithersburg, Mississippi. The message is interesting because Virginia was apparently saving these postcards either as keepsakes or perhaps as a collector? There will be more about this in future posts. "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2Q4D-HPY : 27 September 2021), William E Lang and Virginia Barton, 1939. This postcard is dated July 24, 1941. Less than 5 months later, the US will enter WWII. I am pretty sure Bill Lang, served in the war. In October of 1943, he was admitted to the hospital in the line of duty for malaria and was not discharged until March of 1944. I could not identify the specific theater of the war he was in but malaria implies the pacific rather than Europe. I can also confirm that he was in the Army infantry at the time of his admission to the hospital though there is no notation as to rank. Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration; Hospital Admission Card Files, ca. 1970 - ca. 1970; NAI: 570973; Record Group Number: Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Army), 1775-1994; Record Group Title: 112 Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019.   |
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darkormex
Member
Swinging through Switzerland and getting tied up in Thailand
Posts: 2,145
What I collect: The World...just printing and mounting as I go...call me crazy!
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Post by darkormex on Mar 6, 2022 22:37:12 GMT
Here is another postcard home to Virginia's mother and father, Harland and Elsie May Barton. The card was sent August 1, 1941 from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The stamp on both this card and the previous post is the 1c denomination from the National Defense issue of 1940, Sc. no. 899. Virginia was apparently studying for something while she was with her husband in Mississippi. Her death record indicates she had 5+ years of college though I have been unable to ascertain what her career was during her life. August 1, 1941 was a Friday. Virginia indicates she would be arriving home to Ohio the next Wednesday which would have been August 6. In June of 1941, Germany had launched Operation Barbarossa and attacked Russian forces. On August 19, 1941, 13 days after her arrival home, Germany would invade the Soviet Union. I wonder if she was thinking about her husband and the potential for deployment in war time? Just so you know, Bill Lang survives the war and his malaria, and passes away on November 10, 1990. Source Citation Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014.   |
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daveg28
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What I collect: U.S., Canada, Great Britain & Commonwealth, France (esp. 1950-80), DDR, USSR
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Post by daveg28 on Mar 7, 2022 2:41:52 GMT
Very interesting thread, Darrin ( darkormex), thanks for starting it! I note that the last postcard is addressed to 519 Highland Avenue in Toledo, Ohio. I lived in Toledo for several years of my life, but that was quite a while ago. I wonder if daveg28, who lives there now, might be able to tell us more about that location. I did a Google Maps search, and it looks like there is an old house there now. Anyway, just musing about the story! Interesting! I love researching old homes here in Toledo, so I’ll look into it and report back. Bear with me, because I’m dealing with my mother in law passing away yesterday. But I’ll find what I can. |
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daveg28
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Posts: 1,015
What I collect: U.S., Canada, Great Britain & Commonwealth, France (esp. 1950-80), DDR, USSR
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Post by daveg28 on Mar 7, 2022 5:11:20 GMT
First glance: 519 Highland avenue in Toledo is at the north end of the neighborhood known as the Old West End. It is considered to be the largest neighborhood of late Victorian, Edwardian, and Arts & Crafts homes east of the Mississippi. At the time it was being construction in the 1880’s and 1890’s, it was quite the affluent place to live. The main part of the neighborhood is still beautiful, well kept homes. Highland avenue, however, is now a kind of rough, not nearly as nice as the rest of the area. At the time of the postcard in 1933, it was still near the western edge of the city. There were smaller neighborhoods west of there that supported the huge Willys Overland car factory, which became the Jeep factory during the war. It was originally a really nice suburb. Now, it’s inner city.
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