Those Places Thursday: South Dakota and Ed McMurray, Jr. at Summer Camp

Pierre Lodge, South Dakota, circa 1936, from Edward A. McMurray, Jr.’s photo album. (*Click to enlarge.*)

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

Exploring South Dakota with Edward A. McMurray, Jr., in the mid-1930s is an unexpected activity this year! His trips out west for Scouts (or just an organized camp) were fond memories throughout his life.

A South Dakota “Dream House” per Ed’s photo caption. From Edward A. McMurray Jr.’s photo album. *(Click to enlarge.)*

Ed did really enjoy the mountains, but they must have been quite surprising to a twelve year-old boy from Iowa. While Newton, Iowa, where he grew up, really has rolling hills covered in corn and now soybeans too, the 5,725 ft. elevation of Mt. Rushmore must have been mesmerizing.

South Dakota has other treasures too, carved by more natural forces than chisels and dynamite:

“The Well Known Eye” from the photo album of Edward A. McMurray, Jr., circa 1936. (*Click to enlarge.*)

“Part of the Needles” from the photo album of Edward A. McMurray, Jr., circa 1936.

It is sad that we don’t know anything about how he got out there, if family was along for the ride, and whether or not he took these photos himself.

“Scene of the Needles,” circa 1936, Edward A. McMurray, Jr.’s photo album. (*Click to enlarge.*)

Notes, Sources, and References:

Edward A. McMurray, Jr.’s Photo Album
Scenic USA: South Dakota– http://www.scenicusa.net/010706.html

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Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.

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Travel Tuesday: Edward A. McMurray, Jr., in South Dakota

“Mt. Rushmore Project,” South Dakota, about 1936. (*Click to enlarge.*)

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

Ed McMurray, Jr., sometimes spoke of going out to camp over the summer in South Dakota. It may have been a Boy Scout camp, or just a camp for boys- the memories are hazy now, because they weren’t written down twenty years ago. (Argh.) His dad, Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Sr., paid for camp for a couple of summers. Ed Jr. did love it- except, of course, having to jump in the cold mountain stream in the morning instead of taking a shower. He did say, however, that was quite effective in waking them up!

Finding this image in his photo album was very exciting. Do you notice anything missing in the picture of Mt. Rushmore? Maybe two Presidents?

This image really helps us date these photos. The carving of Washington (far left as we look at the mountain) was dedicated on 4 July 1930, and Jefferson (second from left) on 30 August 1936. The Lincoln figure (which will be on the far right) was dedicated next, on 17 September 1937, and Roosevelt (to the right of Jefferson) on 2 July 1939. So we know the image was taken sometime after 1930, when Washington was finished, and before 1937, as it seems the Lincoln face has not even been started. It does look like they have started work on the Roosevelt figure, but maybe more research will tell us exactly when the carving was at this stage. (There are some other timelines on the internet, but it has been hard to determine their sources of information for accuracy.)

Interestingly, Jefferson was carved originally to the left of Washington. Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor, did not like the way it looked, so had dynamite taken to the head, and then carved Jefferson to the right of Washington.

To me, it seems like Mr. Jefferson needs a bit of finishing up, so I am wondering if this might have been the summer of 1936, not long before the dedication. Wonder if Ed and his buddies were there to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt give the dedication speech?

And way to go, Ed, with your picture-taking! I have not found another image like this on the internet, though it seems there should be one somewhere…

Stay tuned for more summer travel pics!

Notes, Sources, and References:

Edward A. McMurray, Jr.’s photo album.
Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota Timeline– https://www.nps.gov/moru/learn/historyculture/timeline.htm
Mt. Rushmore Historic Photos– https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=F47518BA-155D-4519-3E3F35CAD0584ADE
“Construction of Mount Rushmore,”- Wikipedia– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_of_Mount_Rushmore

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Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.

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Wordless Wednesday: Ed McMurray, Jr.

Edward A. McMurray, Jr., possibly about 1934? First bicycle and first dog, Nippy, from Ed’s photo album that he created in the 1940s, with his own captions. Taken on S 6th Ave. W, Newton, Iowa.

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

Notes, Sources, and References:

Edward A. McMurray, Jr., photo album, created in late 1940s.

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Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.

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Sentimental Sunday: Edward A. McMurray, Jr., and his Grandmother, Lynette (Payne) McMurray

Lynette (Payne) McMurray holding her grandson, Edward A. McMurray, Jr. Taken sometime in 1924, as Ed was born April 12th of that year.

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

Edward A. McMurray adored his paternal grandmother, Lynette (Payne) McMurray. He always thought of her as a kind and very refined lady. (Just look at the beautiful coat and hat she was wearing!)

Lynette was lovingly called, “Ameno,” or “Amno” as Ed noted in the photo album he created in the late 1940s. He used both spellings, and he always admitted he was not very good at spelling. (As a pharmacist, however, he could spell the generic names of a host of medicines!) “Amino” was how other family members spelled her nickname, but it was always pronounced, “Am-en-oh.”

Lynette (Payne) McMurray, possibly at Cass Lake, maybe in the 1930s? From Edward A. McMurray, Jr.’s photo album.

Lynette (Payne) McMurray (1879-1968) was the daughter of Edward Biron Payne and his wife Nanie Maria Burnell. She married William Elmer McMurray and they lived in Newton, Iowa, for all of their married life.

Notes, Sources, and References:

Family treasure chests of photos, from Ed McMurray’s photo album put together in the late 1940s, probably before he married. Perhaps the album was a way to introduce his Iowa family to his fiancé, Mary T. Helbling who lived in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Treasure Chest Thursday: Edward A. McMurray, Jr.

Edward A. McMurray, Jr., and his dear mother Edith (Roberts) McMurray (later Luck). Ed would have been in high school in this photo as this was probably taken about 1940. The caption was written by Ed in the photo album he created about 1948.

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

Today is the anniversary of the 1924 birth of Edward A. McMurray to Edith (Roberts) McMurray and Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Sr.

Notes, Sources, and References:

Family treasure chest of photos.

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Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly.

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