Summer 1987 Visit to the Farm

Sometime during the summer of 1987, our family took Elsie on a day trip to the farm.  What a wonderful day we had!  Our older children, Matt, Tina & Tesa, brought their butterfly nets that day and enjoyed catching insects and butterflies.  I haven't yet found the photos we took at Orvel and Edna's house, but will post them when I do!

Here, Alma, Elsie and Darwin rest on the back porch of Alma & Darwin's home.  Alma is holding our son David Roberts Hinkley, who must be somewhere between 6 and 9 months old.

Alma Martha Bralley Hill, b. 9 Jun 1909, is 78 years old.

Elsie Lou Hill Smith, b. 11 Apr 1911 is 76 years old.

Andrew Darwin Hill, b. 6 Jan 1902, is 85 years old.

This is a poignant photo for me; this is Elsie's last trip to the farm to visit her loved ones there.  Alma marveled to us how Darwin really perked up while we were there.  He told stories all afternoon and showed us the photo catalogs of his amazing collection of arrowheads that he donated to one of the library collections at the University of Texas in Austin.

My father says that Darwin collected all kinds of fascinating things and kept these items in a barn or out-building.

Can someone please tell me--because I've forgotten--which U.T. entity houses Darwin's Native American artifacts?  I haven't had luck with online searching...

W. C. Hill Family Portrait, ca. 1912

This is not an original photo, but is a photo copy.  Elsie looks to be about 18 months old and A. J. about 4 years old, so I'm estimating the date to be from late 1912.  From left:  

Orvel Francis Hill, b. 10 Aug 1905, is around 7 years old.

"Papa Hill" (William Claborn "W. C." Hill) b. 28 Feb 1874, is around 38 years old.

Alton Jackson "A. J." Hill, b. 17 Sep 1908, is around 4 years old.

Elsie Lou Hill, b. 11 Apr 1911, is around 18 months old.

"Mama Hill" (Frances Myrtle "Frankie" Coggin Hill), b. 26 Mar 1880, is around 32 years old.

William Wallace "Red" Hill, b. 12 Sep 1903, is around 9 years old. 

Andrew Darwin Hill, b. 6 Jan 1902, is around 10 years old--almost 11. 

Sisters, 1941

 

By 1941, Elsie (age 30) is married to Lee Matt Smith and has two children, Sylvia (age 8) and Lee Matt Jr. "Bud" (age 5).  Jewell (age 26) is married to Doris "Joe" Mitchell Winter and also has two children, Willie Joe "W. J." (age 6) and Sheila (age 5).  

They didn't weigh much!

Elsie's Sunday School Class, July 12, 1921

(Click on photo to enlarge.)  I wish I could tell which girl is my grandmother in this photo of her July 12, 1921 Sunday School Class.  Elsie was 10 years old in 1921.  I'd say that this young lady could be Elsie:

Patsy's comment on this post is below (click "comments").  She suggests this might be A. J. and Elsie, and it sure does look like A. J.:

Does anyone know where the family went to church in 1921?  [Again, please see Patsy's comment about this post.]  Here's a photo by Barclay Gibson of a closed church in Sylvester, but I can't find out anything else about it:

(Click on the following link to see more Barclay Gibson photos of Sylvester.)
Sylvester, Texas (today)

"Real Photo Postcard" of A. J. & Elsie

On the left is Alton Jackson (A. J.) Hill Sr. (b. 17 Sep 1908); Elsie Lou Hill (b. 11 Apr 1911) is on the right.  Elsie looks to be about a year old, so I'd say this was taken in 1912.  A. J. turns 4 in 1912.  

Here's the reverse side of the RPPC (real photo postcard):

Playle's Online Auction site has a great identification key for old photo postcards (see previous post for the link).  Their guide identifies AZO of the manufacturer of the photographic paper, which was manufactured between 1910 and 1930.

"Real Photo Postcard" of Jewell Faye & Elsie

I love this "real photo postcard" image of sisters.  On the left is Jewell Faye Hill (b. 25 Oct 1913); Elsie Lou Hill (b. 11 Apr 1911) is on the right.  I'd estimate Jewell Faye to be about 3 years old and Elsie around 6, so I'd date this photo to 1917, give or take a year.  

(You may click on the image to enlarge it.)  They both have flowers pinned to their dresses.  What was the occasion, I wonder?  I see a house in the background between the girls and what looks like plowed dirt in the distance.  There are a lot of poles on the horizon--did they hold up lines for electricity or telephones... or both?  Behind the closest tree, a dirt road or driveway seems to curve to the right.

I adjusted the color on the photo side of the card quite a bit; you can see on the card's reverse how yellowed it has become:  

Playle's Online Auction site has a great identification key for old photo postcards:  

(You may click on this link to go to their web page.)

Playles: Real Photo Postcards- How to Identify and Date Real Photo Vintage Postcards

Most Real Photo Postcards, abbreviated RPPC, have information on their backs to help in identifying the manufacturer of the photographic paper that was used by the postcard publisher. If you can identify the paper manufacturer, you can approximate the age of the old postcard. If the postcard has a stamp box, click on one of stamp box links below...

CYKO was the photographic paper used to print this photograph on, as shown by the stamp box.  This particular stamp box was used on their cards manufactured from 1904-1920s, which isn't a big help for dating this photograph.  

Audra, Opal, Elsie, Mama Hill, Sylvia in 1946

Sylvia's age (13) dates this photo to 1946.

From the left:

Red's wife, Audra Allen Jenkins Hill (b. 31 Jan 1912) is 34 years old

A.J.'s wife, Verta Opal Quinn Hill (b. 24 Jun 1913) is around 33 years old.

Elsie Lou Hill Smith (b. 11 Apr 1911) is 35 years old.

Frances Myrtle "Frankie" Coggin Hill (b. 26 Mar 1880) is around 66 years old.

Sylvia Smith is age 13, as noted on the reverse of the photo.

A. J., Red, Elsie Lou, Mama Hill & Papa Hill in 1946

Mother's caption on the reverse reads, "A. J. Hill, Red Hill, Elsie Hill Smith, Mama Hill, Papa Hill."  Was this photo taken at the farm?  What structure is that to the left?   Red and Papa Hill are enjoying their cigars.  A. J. and Papa Hill seem to be dressed for working.  Are Red and Elsie dressed for traveling?  What about the car?

Has anyone noticed the little girl (or boy...) under the trunk lid?