Once again, a number of family history photos have found their way to my desk. This one doesn’t really give me anything to place it in context of anything else. What is written on the back is interesting to me.
“Dora”
“Dear baby all is Well with you Dear Dady and I am going to send you something nice soon now”
“your dear Dady”
I will post the back of the card so you can see the handwriting. This card/photo was in a stack of old photos that include teenager photos of my Great Grandfather, David Delos Donaldson, that I will share another time.
David Delos Donaldson (1894-1953) has a few undocumented parts in his life. In 1910 he was 16 and living in Ogden Utah. I have written more extensively regarding his life. He served in World War I, then married in 1919 with twins arriving 28 May 1920. One of those twins was Dora Donaldson. So at least those portions match with Delos and his daughter Dora.
I assume this must have been one of two cards that were sent home since Dena and Dora were twins. It seems strange to write a note to only one of them. I am unclear who wrote it as it states “you Dear Dady and I,” which would make it seem to be written by Dena and that she was present with him. One also gets the impression that this was written to a child, not anyone older. So I am guessing this is between 1924 and 1928.
We obviously do not know if Dena and Delos stayed in the Tent City Auto Camp. I assume they stayed there or at least visited someone there. What were they doing in Phoenix, Arizona? That is a long drive especially in those days. The card is not mailed, so it must have been sent as part of a package or other letter.
Why are the people standing around? Trying to look closely at the vehicles in the picture, they do appear to be early 1920s vehicles. This photo appears to have been a regular postcard that was available, not a photo taken by Delos or Dena. This website states the Tent City was located at 1850 East Van Buren Street in Phoenix. This website further talks about the auto camps and later motels that were common on Van Buren.
As mentioned in the last of the two websites linked on this auto camp, these auto camps became the forerunner of the classic American motel. Interesting to see Delos and Dena take advantage of what is so commonplace in our day yet so fundamentally different in its rudimentary state. What things do we do now that will be odd or so long ago in only a generation or two down the road?
Sagacity 