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Those Places Thursday: 1038 Grand View, St. Louis, Missouri

In the Gould’s 1917 City Directory for  St. Louis, Missouri, Samuel J. Lee is listed as residing at 1038 Grand View Place.

Gould's 1917 City Directory listing for Samuel J. Lee. Ancestry.com
Gould’s 1917 City Directory listing for Samuel J. Lee. Ancestry.com

The family probably purchased the house sometime between 1910 and 1917, as at the 1910 census, the family was living at 4063 Chouteau, very near Sam’s store at 4067 Chouteau. (Were they possibly living over the store in those early years?)

The family was still living in this house on Grand View Place when the 1920 US Federal Census was enumerated. Samuel J. Lee, his wife Dorothy (Aiken) Lee, their son Lloyd E. Lee (later known by his middle name, Eugene or “Gene”), and Dorothy’s mother Dora J. (Russell) Aiken (she was separated from her husband, William H. Aiken) were still living in the household. Sam had his own store and worked there as a druggist, and his mother-in-law also worked there, as a saleswoman.

Dorothy (Aiken) Lee, probably in front of their home at 1038 Grand View Place, St. Louis, Missouri.
Dorothy (Aiken) Lee, probably in front of their home at 1038 Grand View Place, St. Louis, Missouri. (Known identification of Dorothy, per Gene Lee.)

The house was in a beautiful area- just a long block to Forest Park, the 1300+ acre park that was the site of the 1904 World’s Fair (AKA ‘Louisiana Purchase Exposition’). The park also houses the Art Museum, zoo, bandstands, picnic areas, lakes, etc., and has been a centerpiece of St. Louis life for well over a century. The surrounding homes were big for the time period, with two or three stories. Yards were fairly small since the home was in the city, but there were small trees planted on the lot to provide shade and some cooling in the relentless sun and heat of St. Louis summers.

Learning more about a house and it’s setting can help us to understand the socio-economic position of a family, their passions (gardens, yard art, etc.), their style, etc. Looking at the architectural features of a home can help us to identify unknown photos, and possibly help date them and give us clues about the people in the images.

Tomorrow: using clues from a house to help identify unmarked photos.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Photo from the Lee family treasure chest.

2) Gould’s 1917 City Directory for St. Louis, Missouri: Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. http://interactive.ancestry.com/2469/11419399/619815277?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dUSDirectories%26h%3d619815277%26ti%3d0%26indiv%3dtry%26gss%3dpt%26ssrc%3dpt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&ssrc=pt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&backlabel=ReturnRecord. Accessed 10/14/14.

3) 1920 US Federal Census for Samuel J. Lee household: Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: St Louis Ward 24, St Louis (Independent City), Missouri; Roll: T625_960; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 468; Image: 245. Ancestry.com. Accessed 10/14/14. http://interactive.ancestry.com/6061/4313228-00245/103082041?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1920usfedcen%26h%3d103082041%26ti%3d0%26indiv%3dtry%26gss%3dpt%26ssrc%3dpt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&ssrc=pt_t4160486_p-1645006806_kpidz0q3d-1645006806z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&backlabel=ReturnRecord

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
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Amanuensis Monday: Lee-Russell Postcard from Golden, Colorado, 12 July 1922

Pahaska Teepee, Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum, Lookout Mountain, Colo.
Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum, Lookout Mountain, Colo.

Buffalo Bill’s memorial was a popular place. The back of the postcard description states,

“PAHASKA TEPEE ATOP LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, COLORADO

The Wm. F. Cody “Buffalo Bill” Memorial. Erected by the City and County of Denver, in honor of the noted Scout and Indian fighter, 1921. The “Tepee” contains the many relics and paintings of the famous frontiersman and was opened to the Public May 29th, 1921. From May to November 1921, 70,000 people from every corner of the globe wrote their names in the register and 280,000 visitors passed through the Museum.”

 

Postmarked Golden, Colorado July 1922, -PM, the card is addressed to Mrs. Sam Lee, or Dorothy Adele Aiken (1884-1953), called “Dottie” by family and friends. The Lees were living at 1038 Grandview, St. Louis, Missouri, at the time.

The note is signed, “Mother,” and if it was Dottie’s mother, she would have been Dora J. (Russell) Aiken (1864-1955); if Sam Lee’s mother, it would have been Maria Louisa (Brandenburger) Lee. I am inclined to think that if was addressed to both, “Mr. and Mrs. Sam Lee” it might have been written by Maria, but since it is only addressed to Dottie, my hypothesis is that the writer was her mother, Dora J. (Russell) Aiken.

 

Reverse of Buffalo Bill Memorial Postcard, 1922
Reverse of Buffalo Bill Memorial Postcard, 1922

The card reads:

“Wed-12. Lookout Mt

I am sending you this card from this building up pretty high but a wonderful ride up here. am feeling fine. We are leaving Friday for Estes Park. I do not know when we will leave for the Springs or Manitou. will write soon.

love, Mother”

 

NOTE: The handwriting under the address is my note from the 1980s that “Mother” was probably Dora Russel per Gene and Vada Lee as we looked through family treasures and discussed them. I am so thankful we did that back then!

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Manitou was a mineral resort and at the foot of Pike’s Peak.

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
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Friday’s Faces of the Past: the Lees and Reuters in Colorado

1940s trip to Colorado. From left, Bobby Lee (Robert E. "Bob" Lee), Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Lee, Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter and Walter Reuter on the trail on horseback.
1940s trip to Colorado. From left, Bobby Lee (Robert E. “Bob” Lee), Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee, Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter and Walter Reuter on the trail on horseback. (Click to enlarge.)

The gift of the “FAN Club” continues- Jeff Reuter has more images for us with dear family on a Colorado trip.

Robert E. "Bob" Lee on the mountain in Colorado, 1940s.
Little Bobby, or Robert E. “Bob” Lee on the mountain in Colorado, 1940s. (Click to enlarge.)

Little Bobby Lee was born in 1932, so would have been eight if this trip was in 1940.

1940s trip to Colorado- Gene & Ruth Lee family and Henrietta and Walter Reuter.
1940s trip to Colorado- Gene & Ruth Lee family and Henrietta and Walter Reuter. (Click to enlarge.)

Here is another clue to place. Victor, Colorado is about 6 miles from Cripple Creek, and all these historic towns are part of a mining area that has been frequented by tourists for many, many years. Our son was about the same age as his grandfather, “Little Bobby,” when we visited Victor and Cripple Creek. Going down into the mine was such fun for us- wonder if the Lees and Reuters made that trip deep into the earth back in the 1940s?

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Family photos shared by Jeff Reuter- thank you again, Jeff!

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Thankful Thursday- Lee “FAN Club” Pictures from a Kind Person

Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter on left and Ruth Nadine )Alexander) Lee on right in Colorado, 1940s.
Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter on left and Ruth Nadine )Alexander) Lee on right in Colorado, 1940s. (Click to enlarge.)

Jeff Reuter is the wonderful person mentioned on my Monday post who found our blog after reprinting images from his family treasure archive of negatives.  Thankfully he enjoys photography, and has all the equipment needed to reprint the found negatives. (Jeff has a business called Silver Coast Photography in Bradenton, FL; he may be found on weekends taking and making black & white images at the Coquina Beach Market.)

Here was the first comment Jeff left on our blog:

“Gene and Ruth were friends of my mother and father, Henrietta and Walter Reuter. I have reprinted photos of Ruth and Gene and Henrietta when they were in Colorado in 1940.”

1940- from left Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter, a friend, in center, and Ruth's husband, Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Lee on right with 1940 Pontiac, license plate from Missouri.
1940- from left Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter, a friend, in center, and Ruth’s husband,  Walter Reuter. Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee on right with 1940 Pontiac, license plate from Missouri. (Click to enlarge.)

From an email:

“When I printed the photo with the car, I knew that was Gene, but I had never met Ruth.  I would have been nine when she died.  I did a Google search for Gene & Vada Lee [Vada was Gene’s second wife, after Ruth died.] and found the Heritage [Ramblings blog] website.

“After finding photos of Ruth online I concluded that the other woman in the photo was Ruth.”

Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee on left with young boy, probably Robert Eugene "Bob" Lee, her son with Lloyd Eugene Lee, probably on right in Colorado, 1940s.
Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee on left with young boy, probably Robert Eugene “Bob” Lee, her son with Lloyd Eugene Lee, who is probably the man on right. In Colorado, 1940s. (Click to enlarge.)

From Jeff’s second comment:

“There is also a photo of a sign post in Victor, CO. with directions to Florence, Divide, and Cripple Creek.”

When I saw the above image, I felt that I had been there, and thought it might be Cripple Creek or Victor, Colorado. Jeff’s thorough description of what was in with the photos gives us a more specific clue as to place.

Email:

“The photo [below] of Henrietta and Walter was taken in about 1935 around the time they were married.  I have no idea how they met Gene and Ruth.  My mother’s maiden name was Fasterling and there is a building in St. Louis called the Fasterling building.  She was born in 1913 and grew up in south St. Louis around Magnolia and Brannon.  My dad was born in St. Louis in 1908 and grew up on a farm in Batesville, Arkansas.  He worked for Southwestern Bell in downtown St. Louis his entire career.  The photo with the 1940 Pontiac has a Missouri license plate from 1940, so that pretty much dates the photos.”

Walter & Henrietta (Fasterling) Reuter, 1940s
Walter & Henrietta Reuter, 1940s

Jeff’s second comment included:

“I remember that Gene and Bob would bring fireworks to the home of Mildred and Pete Peterson in Affton, MO on July 4th in the fifty’s. The Petersons were good friends of our family. I can also remember Gene inviting us out on a yacht owned by a drug company and we motored up the Mississippi for a while. That was around 1960 when I was 16.

“The negatives from the Colorado trip that I have printed were stashed in old envelopes that Henrietta kept. I don’t know what happened to the original prints. She died in 2011 at the age of 97. I found the negatives and printed them in my darkroom along with other photos that look to be from that same time. They show Henrietta’s mother Hilda Molin and stepfather Algot Molin and his 1939 Dodge.”

Since the Petersons were good family friends, that might explain how the Reuters met Gene and Ruth Lee- Mildred (Alexander) Peterson was Ruth’s sister. Another tidbit that seems small but can actually provide a link.

 

When we started this blog, we were hoping it might be ‘cousin bait’ but it has also been a great way to connect with friends, associates, and neighbors, AKA the “FAN Club.” Our family so appreciates Jeff taking the time to contact us and share these wonderful photos!

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Photo from Lee family treasure chest.

2) Commented post: http://heritageramblings.net/2014/09/22/mystery-monday-tressa-cullen-and-eidlh-cullen/

3) October 2014 comments and emails from Jeff Reuter, reprinted with permission.

4) Willard Goodale “Pete” Peterson (1913-1992) was married to Mildred Rosalie Alexander (1912-1981), the sister of Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee.

5) Monday’s post about the Lee’s trips to Colorado: http://heritageramblings.net/2014/10/13/mystery-monday-where-are-our-photos-of-the-lee-family-and-friends-visiting-colorado-in-the-1940s/

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

 

 

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

 

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Mystery Monday: Where are Our Photos of the Lee Family and Friends Visiting Colorado in the 1940s?

I was excited this morning to see a comment on a previous blog post from a reader whose parents were friends of Gene and Ruth (Alexander) Lee. Henrietta and Walter Reuter were close friends of Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee (1907-1991) and his first wife Ruth Nadine Alexander (1906-1953). The commenter has photos of Henrietta with Ruth and Gene in Colorado in the 1940s. What a great opportunity this is to share images and help each other identify people and places!

I knew there were quite a few photos of being out west in Colorado or in Banff, Canada, in our Lee collection. Closer scrutiny, however shows the majority of the photos are from the 1920s- too early probably to include our commenter’s parents, and Gene was a teen in those photos- too young to be married. The only photo I could find from the 1940s with a person in it is the above photo with Gene Lee sitting high on a rock outcropping by a lake.

(I really need to get my photos into a program like Lightroom- my search would have taken just a short time had I tagged all the images I have.)

I wonder if the family visited the same places year after year? Gene did tell us that they went out west frequently for the good air. (Of course, they were all smokers then so maybe the fresh air cleaned their lungs a bit.) There are some images from the twenties that could be the same place as above. It is sort of hard to tell with beautiful mountains and lakes though- they do look somewhat similar, I suppose.

We are really looking forward to seeing the new photos!

 

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

1) Family Album-Lee 
 
 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.