P.S. I Still Wait For You

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Do you share in the romance of reading old postcards? Do you remember writing some? Letters? My discernment tells me that one day we’ll return to such arts!

Stamped: Savannah, GA Sept 27th, 1915 – 4 PM

Written To: (Norman Crane – 6 Pickering St. Roxbury, MA)

“Am at last on my way home – much to my regret – and expect to reach Boston Friday. Left Atlanta last night (Sunday) reached Savannah at 7:30 AM and sail at 4:30 this afternoon. This surely is a quaint old town and we have had a great time seeing the sights and shopping all morning. Spect’ I will be sea sick tomorrow.”(Hazel)

Poor Hazel was in such a hurry she put the George Washington 1 Cent on upside down! Presumably, when “Hazel” says she’d gotten from Atlanta to Savannah over a period of 8-10 hours, she was referring to the railroad and was somewhat leery of boarding a boat for home which may have included other ports over several predicted days. She was in luck as in 1915, a more direct railway from Atlanta to Savannah was more or less, operational.

As the Savannah River wasn’t deepened for another 2 years to accommodate larger vessels, Hazel may have left from Thunderbolt Marina just up from Bonaventure or perhaps closer to Cockspur or Tybee Island which may have involved a ride on The Tybrisa Railway which had a stop at Bonaventure Cemetery and is how she came across the postcard sent to Norman. Just guessing but makes for fun guessing! We don’t really know that she even went to the cemetery at all. All the same, as larger sea voyaging passenger ships were unable to come up the river largely until after 1945, Hazel possibly sailed home on a smaller steamer vessel hugging the coastline a little more closely which would’ve taken some days. Hopefully Hazel did more shopping!

Hazel may’ve been “sea sick” on a boat much like this one.

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A lot of men in Roxbury worked at the Fore River Shipyard. Perhaps Norman himself did. Norman Crane died in 1976 and belongs to one of the columbarium shelves in the beautiful stone crematorium building at Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, MA. And lucky him as it is quite small and guessing he purchased his spot early enough in life as cremation was only just gaining traction in America. His “Hazel” is unknown but may have been a sister or a “gal pal.” It doesn’t appear that he married or had children, his birthday is unknown. In truth, this post was just inspired by some bare-bone discovery and I welcome anyone wanting to comment who makes some fun of their own with filling in the blanks. His home on the dead-end street of today (probably changed mid or later 20th century), is a family home with 3 bedrooms and may have been the home he grew up in or came back to and certainly feel there’s a whole back story, many more chapters to that along with “Norman & Hazel’s” connection. I for one, am left wondering – did Norman read the postcard with gladness in the very foyer pictured, or did he lean on the marble fireplace while smoking a pipe as Fall weather surrounded him or just simply sat on the porch putting the postcard to his nose trying to catch Hazel’s perfume and thought how he might like to see this place called Savannah and Bonaventure together one day? Yes, maybe they went back together. Norman took her shopping and they bought more postcards. Ah, the romance of old postcards – Such sweet, vexing intimacy all done with a pen, a postage stamp and true thoughts and feelings!

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Rare Bonaventure Cemetery Stereoview

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Historically speaking, one of the rarest Bonaventure Cemetery stereo-views was created by D.J. Ryan of Broughton St. in Savannah, GA – rare for a couple of significant reasons. Generally, there were 2 classic shots sold to collectors (tourists), featuring either the Bonaventure Plantation live oak drive going straight to the river bluff or, more popularly, the live oak alley leading to the original burial section or the “Colonial Garden,” where one visibly sights the George Jones marker as a finishing focal point. At first glance of this 1870s stereo-view, I perceived it to be just that and nearly passed it over. But, I have a studious eye. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and delightedly so – the ever-mysterious Mongin Tomb! And way, way down at the end! I mean, haystack needle, really.

Mongin Tomb (Photo By Shannon Scott)

Mongin Tomb In Distance

Today such a photo would be impossible to capture as the road was altered by cemetery growth and if one looks hard enough, you’ll see a mound of some kind in the front of the plot where today a fairly massive Magnolia tree has grown, impeding the viewer. Notably, that may be the start of the planting hour for it. Speaking of plants, much like cemetery workers rake and pile leaves today, you can see such piles along the roadway, and then on the far right side you can see a primitive tree ladder which am first to admit is very hard to see! Earlier I used the word “rare,” partly because I peruse Bonaventure stereo-views every week and this is simply one I’ve not come across in many years, so that’s my use of the word, only. But really what makes this a “rarity” is the impeccable condition of the image as more often than not, the object at the end of the tree tunnel is worn away from handling or is so far away from the camera it ends up ultra fuzzy and hard to distinguish. So, to the credit of D.J. Ryan, who may have patiently waited, the sunlight was bouncing off of what then was gleaming white marble (as opposed to now), and he nabbed the shot as perfectly as it could be done. On a final note, the capture is special because The Mongin (& Stoddard) Tomb had just arrived in Bonaventure, recently moved from Daufuskie Island, SC by barge, and D.J. Ryan, perhaps the first to visually document it and may have been his own inspiration in the first place.

One more share for the history and antique photo nerds!

HISTORY EXTRA – D.J. Ryan famously photographed Robert E. Lee and E.J. Johnston to commemorate “Lee’s Farewell Tour of The South,” in 1870