Saturday, February 27, 2010

Nicollett Avenue at Night, Minneapolis, Minnesota


Sofia (Lerfald) Line, unknown location (possibly Minneapolis, Minnesota) to
Rena Lerfald, postcard, unknown date. Digitized and privately held by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington. Original collection privately held by Troy W. Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Vancouver, Washington.



(reverse)
Click on either image to be brought to a larger, zoomable view.

The above postcard was sent to my husband's great-grandmother, Rena LERFALD, by her older sister, Sofia LERFALD (a.k.a. Mrs. Alpha A. LINE). It appears that it was not mailed, but instead sent by hand or perhaps was mailed inside an envelope, since there is no stamp or postmark. Sofia may have been living in or near Minneapolis, as the obverse is a photograph of Nicollett Avenue at night, in that city.  The note reads:

Hello sis how are you? Rec'd your letter today. Alph went out to work this morning so I have spent the day at Anna's place [their sister] Say sis you better come out here this spring  You wont have to work you just play lady. You can afford to lay off  You stay with us till we go home  Alph can get a pass for you, or you can stay longer and get some work  Well you better come out here when John [their brother] comes. Love to all

Rena had been working as a maid in various places in the midwest (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota) from about 1909 to 1912. She often received postcards from her sisters and her brother John. The postcards from her sisters often encouraged her to visit them and to find work near them. She eventually moved to Montana, as did they, and met and married my husband's great-grandfather, George Rice WESTABY, III.

This postcard comes from the combined collection of postcards that Rena received, along with those her husband George would find and send to family members while he was working on the Northern Pacific Railroad.

This post has been written for the 7th Edition of the Festival of Postcards, whose topic is Light. I really enjoy this colorized photo of the streetlights of Minneapolis. I'm sure this view of the big city was enticing to young people of the surrounding rural areas.

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