Raschka's Store and Wells' Garage

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This postcard shows William and Carrie Raschka's store in Ainsworth around 1910. I know, we've seen this image before. But the last time we saw it, it wasn't scanned from my personal copy of the postcard, which I myself bought, personally, and which therefore is my own personal postcard. Mine, mine, mine!

… Yes, I was a bit excited to get my very own Ainsworth postcard!

The message on the back is cute:



If I've deciphered the signature correctly, the sender was Helen (Wilson) Wells. In 1910 she was 30 years old, married since 1903 to Burgess C. Wells (28), a Ross Township farmer. They had no children.

I think Burgess was the "B.C." Wells who for a time around 1912 ran a garage in Hobart. I don't know how long that garage lasted. If I've found the right people in the census, the Wellses had moved to Denver, Colorado, by 1920.


Sources:
♦ 1900 Census.
♦ 1910 Census.
♦ 1920 Census.
♦ Indiana Marriage Collection.

His Own House in Town

John Baessler, whom we've only mentioned so far as the brother of Michael Baessler, Jr., was born and raised on his parents' farm in Union Township, Porter County. In 1888 he married Sophia Ols of Hobart, and as their little family grew, John continued to farm — moving around, renting land. In 1900 he rented a farm in Portage Township, Porter County. In 1909 he moved into Ross Township, renting land somewhere about two miles southwest of Ainsworth; five years later he moved again, renting Earle Blachly's farm on "the Joliet Road," aka 73rd Avenue. Four and a half years later, he'd had enough of farming, and of living in other people's houses.


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And so the 1920 census finds John and Sophia living in their own house on Lake Street in Hobart. John has not retired — he is earning wages in some capacity in, I believe, a garage (the version of the census I'm using is almost illegible).


Sources:
♦ 1880 Census.
♦ 1900 Census.
♦ 1910 Census.
♦ 1920 Census.
♦ Indiana Marriage Collection.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 5 Mar. 1909; 30 Jan. 1914; 26 Sept. 1919.
♦ "Public Sale." Hobart Gazette 30 Jan. 1914; 26 Sept. 1919.

Superior Farm Milk Bottle Cap (Random Old Image)

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OK, so the milk was pasteurized on Saturday. It would be nice if we knew which Saturday. This cap could date to the Gruel era, or the Carrozzo era, or perhaps a subsequent era, but I know nothing of the dairy's post-Carrozzo history.

Dan Maybaum

I am puzzled by the identity of Dan Maybaum, whom in September 1919 we find announcing a public sale on the Charles Maybaum farm.


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I've found him in the 1910 census, where he purports to be the son of Charles and Caroline Maybaum, and yet the obituary of Charles Sr., whence I gathered the long list of their children, does not mention a Dan, nor does Caroline's, nor any census other than the 1910.

Here and there I find Dan in my notes: in 1905 he bought a "trick donkey" (and then sold it); in 1910 he won a prize for his comic costume at a Deep River masquerade ball.

My theory at the moment is that this is one of the Maybaum sons (other than Charles Jr.) going by his middle name, or just a name he preferred.

Anyway, with all this selling going on, I wonder if the Maybaum land itself will go soon.

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About two weeks earlier, William and Carrie Raschka made the 50-mile trip down to Knox, Indiana, for a big party in honor of Louis and Anna Raschka's 25th wedding anniversary.

Frank and Frieda Raschka also attended the party, traveling from their sadly quiet farm in Winfield Township.


Sources:
♦ 1910 Census.
♦ "Ainsworth Pick-Ups." Hobart Gazette 13 Jan. 1905.
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 18 Sept. 1919.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 4 Feb. 1910.
♦ "Public Sale." Hobart News 25 Sept. 1919.

42 Miles in 3.5 Hours (Random Old Photo)

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I recently bought this postcard, postmarked 1909, of Hobart High School. I had already posted a colorized version of this to the Downtown Hobart blog; now I can add this version.

The message on the back is interesting — we have a retired farmer taking a road trip by automobile.



The sender was, I believe, Jacob H. Van Nuys, and I call him a retired farmer because he called himself a farmer in the 1880 Census; by the time the 1910 Census came around, he gave his occupation as "None," but he and his Lucinda ("Mrs. J.H.") were able to maintain their own household in the village of Colon, Michigan … and, the previous year, Jacob had been able to afford a road trip to Chicago.

When he writes of traveling 42 miles in three-and-a-half hours, I think he's bragging, not complaining, since he goes on to mention that "the car runs fine" and is "a vary nice one."

Back in the Army Again

Our war hero, George Severance, Jr., had at long last come home from the army, but it seems he soon decided that the army was his real home. By early September 1919, the News was reporting that George had re-enlisted for another four years. Within another week the Gazette noted that he and Alberta had left Hobart to do some visiting and touring before, I suppose, he reported to wherever he would be stationed in this time of peace.


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You will notice that social column also has an item about Mr. and Mrs. George Yager, Jr. ("Mrs." being the former Pearl Severance): they had left Chicago and were now Gary residents.

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Here's what was playing at the Gem in mid-September 1919:


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From the Hobart News of Sept. 11, 1919.


Dorothy Gish (Lillian's little sister), from Stars of the Photoplay, 1916, via Wikimedia Commons.


Sources:
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 11 Sept. 1919.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 19 Sept. 1919.

Three of Seven (Random Old Images)

Evidently someone in Hobart sent these cards to Helen Hopp when she was serving in the Women's Army Corps.


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According to the WWII Army Enlistment Records, Helen enlisted in the WAC in February 1943, when she was 22 years old (per the Social Security Death Index).

I know that she went on to teach at Hobart High School for many years, and was among the founders of the Hobart Historical Society.

From Hobart High School's Brick-art yearbook for 1948, here is Helen Hopp (at left) with Esther J. Risinger; both teach commercial courses.


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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.