Elna Hazelgreen at Twelve

For much of this blog's existence, I have managed to ignore Lake Station pretty thoroughly. Then last spring the coincidence of my buying a postcard of the Bijou resort and meeting some descendants of its one-time owners, Frank and Mary Kucaba, caused me to start paying a little attention to that area. And then this autumn I bought a collection of photographs and letters of the Hazelgreen family, who arrived in Lake Station circa 1880 and remained active and even prominent (though comparatively publicity-shy) for decades. This collection is too good not to share, and I suppose now I really have to acknowledge the existence of Lake Station.

The collection centers on the youngest daughter in the family, Elna Julia Johanna Hazelgreen. She was born October 24, 1894, in Lake Station, to Henry and Christina (Blank) Hazelgreen, delivered by Dr. Joseph C. Watson.

The earliest photographs we have of Elna are at age twelve (according to handwritten notes on the back), which would date the photos to circa 1906. A. Haase was the photographer.


(Click on images to enlarge)



That second photo gives us some idea of how girls got those gigantic bows to stand atop their heads: by attaching them to combs. In her hand is a portrait of a woman — who, I wonder? Some random woman, or perhaps one of her older sisters?

You can compare her to the young woman I pointed out in that unidentified group photo and judge for yourself how much of a resemblance there is between them.


Sources:
♦ "Lake Station." Hobart Gazette 26 Oct. 1894.
♦ 1900 Census.