Coast Guard Horse Patrol – Sepia Saturday

This weeks theme for Sepia Saturday was perfect, just what I needed!

I have mentioned how some of my items are going to a relative who came upon my blog, these photos came from an auction, a box of photos. I had scanned all my faves awhile ago to use for blogs because there were so many pictures in this group, and then there were a few I wanted to use the most, they were just some fun shots, This week is a leggy woman on a wood horse with a ball and mallet. Well Ive got a man in uniform, with a gun and pack on his back on a rolling makeshift horse of sorts too!

Hazing ritual? Or just a bunch of guys clowning around? Now I dont know if these guys were part of the actual US Coast Guard Horse Patrol. But as I read through the story of the Horse Patrol on the webite I have quoted from below, I went through the box of photos again, and to my surprise continued to find photos lining up with what was written about the US Coast Guard Horse Patrol. Which I found quite exciting! I have placed the photos along the way through the text to show you how they seem to fit perfectly! Please read the website in full as there is so much more history there to read about the Horse Patrol, I just quoted some tidbits.

World War II Coast Guard Horse Patrol by Dan Hoff

“Most of the men were a little startled by the prospect of roaming along the beaches on horses, but it turned out to be a good idea. Each man assigned to the actual patrolling had his own horse and gear he was responsible for. The stations near the ranches now used the facilities at hand with the cooperation and help of the ranchers. A “genuine” cavalry officer from the First World War was assigned to the unit as the official Coast Guard Veterinarian. …

I was so happy to go through the box and find pictures of horses, I was wondering if they were just regular old family photos, but then if you see the last photo it is of a stable, and it says “US COAST GUARD” over the doors. So Bingo!

“Now the men patrolled the beaches on horseback and could cover more area than before….In the areas that weren’t accessible by horses the patrols on foot continued. Often the men used dogs. These were regular attack dogs that could only be handled by one man and were not to be fooled with by anyone else. The majority of these were German Shepherds.”

Another Match! Also found our guy with a Collie also in another shot.

“With the horses and dogs came the establishment of a landline communications system. Phone lines, strung on poles or occasionally underground, ran from just north of Trinidad to the Mattole River. Every few miles or so along the patrol route were small shacks where the men could stop for a rest and a cup of coffee, and to check in with headquarters. This phone system was set up just for the use of the beach patrol and was dismantled when the program was terminated.
In its nearly two years of full operation from September of 1942 to the summer of 1944 the program had served its purpose well under the initial hardships of a lack of equipment and time to prepare the program. The men in the initial unit of 80 sailors from the Midwest did their work well and were appreciated by the local community for guarding the beaches that were potentially open to the enemy for sabotage or any other panic causing disruptions that could have occurred. Many members of this unit continue as friends to this day. After all, you couldn’t help but get to know your partner while you were trudging through sand all night in those early days of the patrol.”

I did a previous blog on the Coast Guard and General Cable Co, for those who remember all the men on the telephone pole? These also seem to line up and match with what is written, to see the phone line photos go to this entry..

Coast Guard and General Cable – Sepia Saturday

“Yes, there really were mounted Coast Guardsmen, galloping up and down the Humboldt beaches on horseback over 40 years ago during World War II. Perhaps they were an odd sight then, and still would be today if they were needed for such action along our damp and often storm plagued beaches of Humboldt County”

From
http://www.jacksjoint.com/horsepatrol.htm

Since I have been researching and working on these photos quite a bit, I feel Ive come to know this family, Ernie and his sister Rita, his parents, the Greek relatives, his Coast Guard years, and so much more. I can’t wait to hear what his relatives have to say and what gaps they can fill in or what history they will uncover.

I will miss you Ernie! Fitting way to see him off before his photos go back to family.

Pete David Ernie Kolleas Born July 30, 1925, Died Feb. 16, 2010.

Reverend Zelah and Celia Farmer – Illinois

SEPIA SAT Post
( I didnt have time this week to work on the theme, but as usual I have more found photos to share with everyone!)

These were part of an album but were stripped out and sold separately, I could not afford to buy the actual photo album but jotted down notes inside of it to put with the photos that were sold individually and the first page was included with all the photos from the album (yes this makes me sad when sellers break things apart like this and sell them one by one, it makes my heart sink)

The photo album front page says “Presented to Rev. Z.J.W. and Mrs. Farmer by Friends, Pocahontas, Ill. Christmas 1892”

The first two photos were unmarked but look to me to be a young Zelah and Celia, if you compare with the later photos of them. They are enclosed in cardboard sleeves and are CDV size it appears.

From Find a Grave and Census records Ive combined the following info…
Father – Zelah J. Wesley Farmer – Born July 1860, Died 1936 in California
Mother – Celia Laura (Vaughn maiden name) Born March 11, 1858, Died may 18, 1927 Upland, Ca

Married April 13, 1882 in Belleville, St. Clair Co., Illinois.

I can find Celia as the daughter of William Vaughn who was a Fisherman in Illinois and there is a CDV photo labeled “WM Vaughn” in this batch. She also had a bother named Dave William Vaughn so this could be him also.

Found this mention of the Rev here

“In 1900, many families moved from Kentucky to New Baden and organized the first Protestant church in town. Services were held in the old school house known as Port Arthur, which at that time was located next to the cemetery on East Hanover Street. Rev. Zelah FARMER was the Pastor”
http://clintonilgenweb.net/churches/nbumc/history.php

These photos are labeled as such on the back
Photographer “C.H. Shields, Greenville, Ill” “Rev. Zelah Wesley Farmer, Celia, Children L-R Albin, Loy and Roy” the info about the family was jotted in the album but I copied this info and attached it with a post it to the back. I know some of the spellings may be a little off but I wrote them down as they were put in the album.

Second Photo, the faded one is labeled

Photographer – “De Moulin Ground Floor Studios, Greenville, Ill and Highland, Ill”

Info from notes on photos, various sites and census records, mainly the 1900 census in Illinois

Daughter – Celia Laura “Albin” – Born March 10, 1883 Illinois, Died Dec. 20, 1922, Upland, Ca
Sons Twins – Alonzo Loy Farmer Born Jan 29, 1885 Died June 28, 1899
and William Marshall Roy Farmer, Born Jan 29, 1885
Daughter – Lela Mabel Born Oct. 1891 Died Dec 6. 1930, Upland, Ca
Daughter – Aleda Maud Born January 1894, Died April 1987
Son – Paul Lowell Born Nov. 1898

In this photo below we have Albin, Lela and Aleda Farmer taken by “W.G. Neely, Mulberry Grove, Ill”

I have more photos in this batch, many of the children, and perhaps some other relatives.

Wish I could find more info on the Reverend, not too much out there on google that I can find, and I wonder if he had a church when he came to California, the city that it shows them in around their death is where my big sister lives and a really nice place. Their gravestones are there so perhaps I can make a trip and go visit their graves, its about an hour and a half from me.

Hope some relatives comes along at some point to help add some more commentary.

Hope you have enjoyed!

Nemecek Family Group Portrait – Chicago, Illinois

Photo found at Pasadena Swap Meet 2011.

No info or names on this unknown group of people. Interesting there are 2 men, one is the husband and perhaps a brother to the woman? Would a husband sit or stand? But his arm moves towards the back of the man’s  chair.  3 Children.

Photographer is Nemecek, 1439 W. 18th Street, Chicago, Illinois.

From net research the photographer’s name may be Francis D. Nemecek. There is a photo posted on the net of the actual building where the studio once was, please check it out! What a gorgeous studio to work in, says his spot was the skylit studio in the photo.

Moshier Manning Family Group Photo

Found this photo in 2011 in Pasadena at a Swap Meet. I come across photos like this often, they are fading away and sometimes those ones speak to me the most to save and bring home, for fear the photo will one day fade into all white and there is nothing left to view.

It is faded but still has some life to it.

If this is a family shot it could contain around 4 generations alone!

There is writing on the back and appears the names are placed around the persons position on the front. Also it appears the back of this photo was up against another photo and some of the image show faintly of a woman and child.

Right side says from top to bottom Mae, Eva, Irene.  Left side says  Cousin, Ida, Manning

Center says Moshir, Moshier or Mosher, Manning, Francis, Jasper

US Coast Guard Photos – Sepia Saturday

Since trains have been a common theme lately on many Sepia Saturday Posts Ive had to dig around a little as I went all out on my first one throwing various train photos together.
Since the photo prompt at http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/ has the front of a Railway Co. that says “Carriers of Goods and Livestock” I thought hmmm, here we have what looks like a SP (Southern Pacific?) train car, and Im not sure if its transporting Mail? Or you could say “Transporting Mail and Men in Sailor Hats”

This came from my Ernie Kolleas Collection, that will soon be leaving me. As a result of this blog it will be reuniting with family that went through google and happened upon my blog. 🙂 That is always the neatest messages to hear, someone who is a relative or someone who knows someone in the photos you rescued.
Now my guess is this is a train car carrying mail? Yeah you never knew a bunch of Coast Guard gentlemen were standing all over your letters now did you? Or is it trash? Im looking at all the boxes laying down around it? So Im really not sure what to make of this but maybe someone else will know. Maybe they were “going green” and recycling? 🙂

On the back of this photo which is part of a photo album it says ” For Donald C. Haas with thanks Isabelle (or Isabella) Crowell or Cowell.

You can always click the images for more of a closeup

Some other goodies from this same album, these first two were the ending to the album and 5 x 7 shots.

I really love these casual ones, its seems this albums features probably fellow coast guard mates and their wives, as its various shots like these with couples, some in front of travel type trailers or just camped out like the ones below.

This one I just love, it says on the back “Smith River Picnic Oct. 1943 Glozas and Rudy”

This last photo I just had to post, because of the photo and what it says on the back. I love photos of houses. I love historical homes and homes people have restored and saved. I always wonder when I find old photos of houses if these places are still standing.

Right now Im trying to help a friend get her home registered as a historical landmark, but we are running into a lack of information on her home, which is old for our area, but it seems with all of the old history photos of our town, theres not one shot of her place, and we only have one main starting point in this town but all cut off near her place, we are looking for 1902. But the earliest photos we have are from the 1960s-70s. So I know how precious an older photo is! And sometimes just seeing a home that once exsisted that may have been torn down forever lost, but not always if photos live on.
So here is one of those snapshots I love.

Says on the back “Our house at 830 South 20th – Arlington. Louise standing on the porch at 7 1/2 months pregnant” Below this photo in the album it says “Tony and Louise Gloza” so perhaps this is the Gloza home.

I took a break at this point for several hours while writing this and then went on the hunt to see if I could find where this house was exactly, typed in the address first, found this street in Indiana, but no luck. Tried again, then added Arlington, and bingo, its in VA. By using Google Maps I have found this house is still there! It was built in 1938, I wonder if the Glozas were the first to live here. You can see the house today below!

 

Iii

There are so many more photos, names and people in this particular album so Im not sure who is the main person of this album, maybe the relative will be able to narrow it down.

I hope you have enjoyed these photos as much as I have!

Breezy Point and Horseheads, NY with Annie House Photos

This weeks theme at SEPIA SATURDAY is posted here  http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/ . When I saw it, the first picture to pop into my head I already posted not long ago for another photo prompt. Its the showcasing of the back of a train car that caught my eye.

To read more of that post go to

Trains, Depots and Railroad Worker Photos – Sepia Saturday

This post below is not on theme but one Ive been working on this past week, then my internet went down literally in the midst of composing this entry and I had to wait another week to go and finish it! When you are in the middle of writing and researching and your abruptly stopped, its frustrating and hard to get your focus back, I have to be in a mood to do the writing and have a block of time to work on it without the business of parenting, work and life buzzing all around you.

Found these photos in a fantastic booth in Phoenix, Az. This booth had a large stack of large vintage photos, 5X7, 8 x 10 and up!
As usual I scan the backs for any info I can work with and found these 2. Quite a bit was jotted down on the back which makes the pictures take on much more meaning. These two photo’s I could tell went together by the writing on the back, both are 5 x 7 in size. I don’t know about the rest of my fellow Old Photo and Postcard bloggers, but my heart sinks with the amounts of family history unmarked and lost floating around. Im more hopeful when they have some notes jotted down that perhaps one day they will go back into their family history or used for other documentation down the road. I think we are all detectives in our way.

No last name for this family, all we have is “Annie and her Parents” in the photos along with their homes. There are some last names listed as guests so maybe at some point that will help solve the mystery. Looks like a great Vacation/Retirement Home as stated. Was it at Horseheads or Breezy Point? My guess is perhaps Horseheads since there is sprawling land around, but one never knows, Breezy is by the coast.

This Photo  says “Breezy Point Horseheads, N.Y.  Before 1919. Annie at side with bicycle” . There were duplicates of this photo when I found it, this was the best copy I could find, but there was a very faded one that one had a bunch of info written on the back, I pleaded a bit with the storeowner if I could copy the info off the back of one, Id hand write it and buy the better copy, she acted reluctant to let me do that at first? I said “Ill jot it down myself, Im not asking you to copy it for me” but she ended up copying it after all for me. Remember to click on the photos to get a closer view.

It reads “My Grandfather had a photographer come out from the village to take pictures. Very poor picture, but has survived – shows house. Notice spacing of people- again Annie a little distance off. By 1919 Annie wanted to go back to New York – Grandma needed care – my mother thought it her responsibility to go up and take care of her. She moved us all up- everything in 1914(hard to be sure if the last number is a 4 as its blurred, so date may be a little off)I was in 5th grade. Lived there thru elem, high school and college.Graduated in 1929.”

Second photo reads “My grandfathers place at “Breezy Point” at Horseheads, N.Y. about 1915 when they moved up there as a retirement home. Big house built by one of my grandfather’s brothers. 7 acres room for a large garden and hay crop for horse.

This is in the early stages, lawn not finished, later it was smooth a few flowering shrubs, a great place for croquet, which went on nearly all the time! Everyone “Motored” up in a few years – at one time there were 17 people there for two weeks – including Miller’s (5), Sanfords (4) and us. Including 10 children – Alice S. came up to recuperate from pneumonia (1929)

Note figures in black. Owner and wife – but a little distance away – “Annie” the “girl” is posed with her bicycle.”

So Im not sure which it is, since the photos say “Horseheads, NY” and “Breezy Point” where they are taken. lm just going off the notes I do have.

Googling Horseheads I found this…

“THE HISTORY OF HORSEHEADS, NY

It was the first of September 1779.  Under orders the forces of General Sullivan, burdened down with heavy military equipment,  marched north in their 450-mile journey through a wooden wilderness from Easton, PA over to Wyoming, and on up the Susquehanna River Trail to Newtown (Elmira).  They returned about three weeks later, having accomplished fully and completely the purpose for which they had set out. The larger portion of the army under the immediate command of General Sullivan returned by the way it went.The journey had been particularly severe and wearing upon the animals and their food supply  found insufficient.  Arriving about six miles north of Fort Reid on September 24, 1779 they were obliged to dispose of a large number of sick and disabled horses. The number of horses was so great that they were quite noticeable, and the native Iroquois collected the skulls and arranged them in a line along the trail. That spot, from that time forward was referred to as the “valley of the horse’s heads” and is still known by the name given to it by the Iroquois. “Fromhttp://www.horseheadshistorical.com/#

There is not a lot on the internet about Breezy Point when I google it but I found a few things…

Wikipedia – Breezy Point is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens, located on the western end of the Rockaway peninsula,  The community is run by the Breezy Point Cooperative, in which all residents pay the maintenance, security, and community-oriented costs involved with keeping the community private.

Breezy Point and the Rockaway Peninsula in general are unlike the rest of the city of New York, with the latter being very urbanized, developed and noisy, with Breezy Point being a quiet beach community, having more in common with nearby Long Island and even the Hamptons.

This site has some old photos and postcards labeled “Breezy Point, NY”

http://www.farrockaway.com/carol/morpRockawayPoint_BreezyPoint_RiisPark.html

and this one

http://kennedysbreezypoint.com/aboutus.html

 

If you can help or provide more clues to these photos feel free to comment or contact me, I love hearing stories or other facts surrounding the photos on my blogs.