Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday photo featuring the handsome
Taft Bridge in Washington D. C. brings to mind this photo of my grandaunt Catherine
Walsh Barany, my paternal grandmother’s younger sister.
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| Kat Barany 1936 |
It’s not the Taft, but it is SOME bridge in the
Washington D. C. vicinity oops Niagara Falls.
[EDITED: Thanks to Mike Brubaker, I now know these photos were not from the trip to D. C. but from a trip to Niagara Falls. No wonder I could not find the name of the bridge! Unfortunately, if Mary Theresa wrote home about seeing the Falls, the letter did not survive.]
My great-grandmother Mary Theresa Sheehan Killeen Walsh
rode the bus to northern Virginia to visit her two youngest daughters, Kat and
Tate and their husbands. The sisters lived not terribly far apart, and they
liked getting together to show their mother the sights. On this particular
trip, Mary Theresa divided her time staying roughly a week with one before
moving on to stay with the other.
In a letter dated March 10, 1936, Mary Theresa wrote all
about her visit with Kat and Tate, but not once did she mention a walk across a
bridge, going to a park that had a view of a bridge, or even seeing a river.
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| Mary Theresa and Kat in Niagara Falls 1936 [ edited ] |
However, Mary Theresa did report on all the things she
did. She was especially impressed that they could go to so many different movie
theaters and catch a different picture every night. One in particular was “The
Prisoner of Shark Island.”
Other highlights included visiting the Rosemunds (who?), Willie
Edwards (who?), and George and Mandy (who?). She had lunch out, visited a
Catholic church and a 5 & 10 cent store. What a juxtaposition!
The Rosemunds showed Mary Theresa a fine time. Here is
what she said about their driving tour:
“Old man Fleming” was my great-grandfather, John Fleming
Walsh who had died in 1918. I wonder what she meant by calling him that.
Since she saw the national cemetery, surely she also saw
the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
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| Arlington Memorial Bridge from Wikimedia Commons |
Please cross the bridge to Sepia Saturday.
Wendy
© 2017, Wendy Mathias.
All rights reserved.
I can't tell who called him Old man Flemming, but I hope they meant it in a good way.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Mary Theresa said it or if she was quote Mr. Rosemund, but it surely sounds rude. I hope maybe it was a fond way she referred to her husband but who knows.
DeleteFunny that Mary didn't mention the bridge but maybe you could identify it by looking at old photographs of bridges in Washington DC. The railings have no doubt changed since 1936 to a safer design. Sadly these days high fences and barbed wire are often installed to deter jumpers.
ReplyDeleteI tried looking but was unsuccessful in finding a match. But it looks like Mr. Mike figured it out.
DeleteI can't resist taking photographs from bridges whenever I walk over them. I wish my photo-taking ancestors had taken more photos like your two examples. I am tempted to wonder whether you would land on Shark Island if you jumped off the bridge!
ReplyDeleteYikes - let's hope not!
DeleteI enjoyed this post immensely, and can just imagine the interest of taking photos of the people standing in front of something beautiful, or a tourist attraction. The water is probably the Potomac...but I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteThat was what I thought too until I read Mr. Mike's comment.
DeleteThe ultimate complement to the bridge,i.e.the bringing together of two people. The photograph illustrates a bridge's purpose perfectly!
ReplyDeleteSuch a romantic are you!
DeleteI'm sorry to say your great grandmother was a little confused where she was. My maternal grandparents lived outside Washington DC and I've been over most of the Potomac River bridges many times. There are none that show water on two dramatically different levels. much less with a waterfall. Your Aunt Kat is standing on the overlook to the great American Falls of the Niagara River. Two summers ago I stood in much the same place.
ReplyDeleteSee: < https://www.flickr.com/photos/leonandloisphotos/2644640915 > and < http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?id=96487&b=1 >
And I answered your question on the neckties. :-)
Since Mary Theresa didn't mention any bridge in her letter, I will have to accept the blame for the confusion. No wonder I could not find any bridge to match the one in the photo. Thanks for showing off that eagle eye of yours.
DeleteMy grandmother use to take the bus to visit a couple of her daughters who did not live in the same state and oh the adventures she would have along the way. No one takes the bus much today and although I too would prefer to fly vs the bus, I do think we miss out seeing all the many sites along the way as we hop from one destination to the next, bypassing everything in between. Your family was so good to take photos and write to each other. You do a beautiful job of taking it all and putting it together in a way that is enjoyable to read, whether we are related or not.
ReplyDeleteEven road trips today are often by interstate that bypass quaint towns and quirky sights.
DeleteI do so love those interesting gloves she's wearing in that first shot. Never seen gloves like that other than leather ones for cowboys.
ReplyDeleteI love those gloves too. Sheer. Makes me wonder what the point was of wearing sheer gloves. Just stylish and elegant, I guess.
DeleteI do like it when another Sepian chips in and helps out identifying some place or time. I have to say, now that the gloves have been pointed out I am in awe of them!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how attention and memory work. You would probably remember that bridge but perhaps it didn't catch Mary Theresa's attention or capture her interest. On the other hand, maybe she didn't even notice it. I can't tell how often my husband and will discuss some activity, event, or travel in which he'll remember one thing that I didn't notice, and I'll remember something else that passed by him. Great photos you have in this post, Wendy.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's 2x great grandfather was known as "Old Man Byrd" when he died at the age of 61. Sigh.
ReplyDelete