1900s, Family Correspondence, Friendship, General Correspondence, Golden Age (1900–1915), Sent From: Iowa

Postcard #0035: Lake Starker, Always Remember, Never Forget

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A hand-colored vintage postcard depicts a serene green lake reflecting trees on the left, with two ducks on the water. On the right bank, a tall metal water tower stands next to a white building with a red roof under a light blue sky with white clouds.
Front — A scenic, hand-colored view of Lake Starker in Crapo Park, Burlington, Iowa, with a water tower and building visible on the far bank.

Postcard Metadata

  • Postmarked: Not Postmarked
  • Sent From: Burlington, Iowa
  • Sent To: Miss Pearl Byers, Carthage Ill
  • Distance Traveled: Approx. 38 miles
  • Postage: Domestic One Cent (indicated by stamp box)
  • Card Details: Undivided Back (circa 1906)

The undivided back of a vintage postcard features the printed text
Back — Correspondence from Annie to Miss Pearl Byers

Transcription

Always remember never forget Aug. 11th 1906. Annie.

Historical & Family Notes

This postcard, sent by someone named Annie to Pearl Byers in 1906, offers a glimpse into Pearl’s social life before her eventual marriage to Harvey Sights. The message, “Always remember never forget Aug. 11th 1906,” strongly suggests a significant shared memory or event that took place on that particular date between Pearl and Annie. The image itself, featuring Lake Starker in Burlington’s Crapo Park, illustrates a popular scenic and recreational spot of the era.

Crapo Park, established in 1895, was a beloved local destination, known for its picturesque landscapes and facilities, making it an ideal setting for outings and creating lasting memories. This card serves as a tangible reminder of a moment in Pearl’s youth, connecting her to friendships and experiences that shaped her life prior to her primary role as a wife and mother in the Sights family.

While the exact nature of the August 11th event remains a mystery, the sentiment of the message emphasizes its importance to both Annie and Pearl. Such postcards were vital for maintaining connections in a time before modern communication, preserving snippets of personal history and social bonds.

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1900s, Friendship, General Correspondence, Golden Age (1900–1915), Sent From: Iowa

Postcard #0034: Swiss Cottage in Crapo Park, Burlington, Iowa, with a Memory from September 5, 1906

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A vintage, handcolored postcard featuring a two-story Swiss-style cottage with a red roof, surrounded by lush green foliage and vines, situated on a hillside with a body of water visible in the background under a light sky. The text
Front — A handcolored image of a quaint Swiss Cottage nestled on a hill overlooking water in Crapo Park.

Postcard Metadata

  • Postmarked: Not visible
  • Sent From: Burlington, Iowa
  • Sent To: Miss Pearle Byers, Carthage, Ill.
  • Distance Traveled: Approximately 65 miles
  • Postage: Domestic One cent (stamp box indicates)
  • Card Details: Undivided Back (pre-1907), Handcolored, published by The Rotograph Co., N. Y., City. (Germany.)

The back of a vintage postcard with an undivided back, showing a large
Back — Correspondence from Jennie to Miss Pearle Byers

Transcription

Jennie Remember Sept. 5, ’06.

Historical & Family Notes

This postcard, sent to Pearle Byers, provides a glimpse into her social life before her significant connection with Harvey Sights. The sender, Jennie, uses a specific date, September 5, 1906, suggesting an event, anniversary, or shared memory that was important to both friends. It’s a sweet, personal message indicating a close bond between Pearle and Jennie, predating the main courtship narrative with Harvey.

The setting of Crapo Park in Burlington, Iowa, with its picturesque “Swiss Cottage,” reflects the popular tourist destinations and scenic spots that people enjoyed and commemorated on postcards during the early 20th century. This card helps to establish Pearle’s personal network and the popular culture of the time, showing her receiving mail from friends even before her path truly intertwined with Harvey’s.

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Golden Age (1900–1915), 1900s, Birthday, Family Correspondence, Friendship, Sent From: Illinois, Sent From: Iowa

Postcard #0033: Burlington’s Potter Memorial Arch and Pearl’s December Birthday

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Vintage hand-tinted postcard illustrating the grand stone Potter Memorial Arch, the entrance to Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington, Iowa, under a bright sky with lush green trees.
Front — A hand-tinted postcard showing the Potter Memorial Arch at Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington, Iowa.

Postcard Metadata

  • Postmarked: Biggsville, IL — December 31, 1908
  • Sent From: Biggsville, Illinois
  • Sent To: Miss Pearl Byers, Carthage, Ill.
  • Distance Traveled: Approximately 32 miles
  • Postage: U.S. Postage One Cent, Franklin (green stamp)
  • Card Details: Divided back (Printed in Germany, Made expressly for S. H. Knox & Co.)

The reverse side of the postcard features a handwritten message in cursive, addressed to Miss Pearl Byers in Carthage, Illinois, with a circular postmark from Biggsville, Illinois, dated December 31, 1908, and a green one-cent Franklin stamp.
Back — Correspondence from Mayme to Miss Pearl Byers

Transcription

Hello Pearl. How are you? Dim Mr Biggs-ville at present and having a fine time. Your Dec Birthday time do you get a letter? Mayme

Historical & Family Notes

This postcard offers a charming glimpse into Pearl Byers’ life before her marriage to Harvey Sights. Sent by a friend named Mayme, the message playfully references Pearl’s “Dec Birthday time,” confirming that her special day fell in December, aligning with family records that place it on December 4th. The casual tone and inquiry “do you get a letter?” suggest an ongoing correspondence between Pearl and her social circle.

The sender, Mayme, appears to be writing from “Biggs-ville,” which is likely Biggsville, Illinois, a small town not far from Carthage. This connection between nearby towns highlights the tight-knit social fabric of rural Illinois at the turn of the century, where friends and family might live just a short distance apart. The front image of Burlington, Iowa’s Potter Memorial Arch, a common subject for early postcards, suggests Mayme might have been visiting or simply chose an interesting card for her friend.

The postcard serves as a small but significant artifact, documenting Pearl’s connections and confirming details of her early life, an important foundation for understanding her personal story before she and Harvey Sights embarked on their shared journey, eventually welcoming their daughter Marnelle.

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Golden Age (1900–1915), 1900s, Friendship, General Correspondence, Sent From: Iowa, Subject: People & Portraits

Postcard #0019: A Burlington Group Portrait for Pearle

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A vintage, sepia-toned photograph showing a large gathering of approximately 25-30 young adult men and women, likely a social group, arranged for a formal portrait. Some individuals are seated in the foreground, while others stand behind them, all dressed in early 20th-century attire, with an ornate patterned wallpaper visible in the background.
Front — A sepia-toned group photograph of many young men and women posed formally indoors.

Postcard Metadata

  • Postmarked: Burlington, Iowa — February 4, 1908
  • Sent From: Burlington, Iowa
  • Sent To: Miss Pearle Byers, Carthage Ill.
  • Distance Traveled: Approximately 38 miles
  • Postage: One Cent U.S. (Benjamin Franklin, green)
  • Card Details: Divided Back Postcard (1907-present)

The back of a divided postcard featuring a Burlington, Iowa postmark dated February 4, 1908, a one-cent green Benjamin Franklin stamp, and a handwritten message in cursive reading
Back — Correspondence from Edd to Miss Pearle Byers

Transcription

How many do you know Edd.

Historical & Family Notes

This early postcard, addressed to Pearle Byers in Carthage, Illinois, offers a fascinating glimpse into her social life before her marriage to Harvey Sights. The sender, identified only as “Edd,” challenges Pearle to identify individuals within the large group portrait, suggesting a shared network of acquaintances or perhaps introducing her to a new circle. This informal query highlights the casual nature of correspondence between friends and potential admirers during the early 20th century.

The card’s origin in Burlington, Iowa, a relatively short distance from Carthage, suggests Pearle may have had connections or visited the area, expanding her social sphere beyond her hometown. While Edd’s relationship to Pearle remains a mystery, this card serves as a tangible record of her broader connections and interactions in the years preceding her significant life events.

As an archival piece, this postcard helps to build a more complete picture of Pearle’s youth and the social landscape she navigated. It underscores the importance of visual communication and personal connection in an era when photographs, even mass-produced ones, were cherished objects for sharing experiences and maintaining ties.

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Golden Age (1900–1915), 1900s, Family Correspondence, General Correspondence, Sent From: Iowa

Postcard #002: Lonesome Greetings from Burlington, Iowa

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Vintage postcard featuring an upside-down view of St. John's Church, a tall brick building with spires, next to a matching brick school building under a light blue sky with white clouds. Text at the bottom reads
Front — An upside-down view of St. John’s Church and School in Burlington, Iowa, under a cloudy sky.

Postcard Metadata

  • Postmarked: Iowa — Indecipherable City and Date (circa early 1900s)
  • Sent From: Burlington, Iowa
  • Sent To: Miss Pearle Byers, Carthage, Ill.
  • Distance Traveled: Approximately 45 miles
  • Postage: One-cent Benjamin Franklin stamp (green)
  • Card Details: Divided Back postcard, “PUBLISHED EXCLUSIVELY FOR J.R. KEITH & CO.”, “MADE IN U. S. A.”, Publisher’s number “12155”

Handwritten postcard message from
Back — Correspondence from Emma to Miss Pearle Byers

Transcription

Hello Sis: How are you? I am fine and dandy. Vergie, Albert, Mayme, Jim, Ray and I were down to Porters last night had a fine time. Everyone is well and happy but me. ha, ha. I am lonesome. I want to send Hiram a card to day. I suppose you know he and John are in Monmouth. Why don’t you write I haven’t heard from you for ages. Write me soon, your Sis Emma.

Historical & Family Notes

This postcard, sent by Pearl’s sister Emma, provides a charming glimpse into the everyday life and familial connections within the Byers family. Emma, writing from what is inferred to be Burlington, Iowa (based on the front image and “IOWA” postmark), expresses a common sentiment of the era: loneliness and the desire for more frequent communication. Her message highlights the vital role postcards played in maintaining relationships across distances, especially when visits were less frequent.

Emma shares news of a “fine time” at “Porters” with a group of friends or family, listing names like Vergie, Albert, Mayme, Jim, and Ray, illustrating Pearl’s broader social network. The mention of Hiram and John in Monmouth further expands the geographic and relational web, demonstrating how these small missives served as updates on various acquaintances and family members. This card underscores the casual, yet deeply personal, nature of postcard correspondence as sisters shared their daily happenings and emotional states.

The heartfelt plea, “Why don’t you write I haven’t heard from you for ages. Write me soon,” beautifully encapsulates the longing for connection. This exchange between sisters is a testament to the enduring bond between Pearl and her family, setting a personal context for her future relationship with Harvey Sights, who would also become a prolific postcard writer to her.

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