Mattie Ralstin and Zora Plummer


​Recently, a  real photo postcard  surfaced from Otway, Ohio, dated exactly October 4, 1909. On the front, two teenage girls sit in a wooded glen. On the back, an inscription reads: “Comp of Matti Ralston. Otway O. Oct 4 1909.” It was addressed to her friend, Zora Plummer.

​By decoding the handwriting and looking into the local archives, we can finally piece together the lives of the two women. 

In October 1909, Otway was a bustling, rural community in the hills of Brush Creek Township in Scioto County, Ohio.

​In the photo, the girls have found a secluded spot among the rocks and trees.

  • ​On the Left (Mattie): About 18 years old at the time, Mattie Ralstin sits looking down, holding a small book in her lap.
  • ​On the Right (Zora): Her close friend, 17-year-old Zora Plummer, strikes a pose with her hand on her hip.
Born around 1891, Mattie belonged to the well established Ralstin family, a family rooted in the agricultural life of Brush Creek Township. Only a few years after this photograph was taken, Mattie’s life began a new chapter. She married a local young man, Charles Hockaden.

​The couple chose to stay close to home, raising their family in the very same town where Mattie grew up. On June 18, 1915, they welcomed their daughter, Wilma Ruth Hockaden. Mattie lived a long, full life in Scioto County, witnessing the world change entirely before passing away on November 24, 1970.

​Sitting to Mattie's right was Zora Plummer, born around 1892 to John M. and Mary E. Plummer. Like Mattie, Zora grew up on a family farm surrounded by a large, bustling household. The Plummers were active participants in the civic and social life of Otway.

​Around 1914, Zora married Arthur E. Salyers. While the early 20th century saw a massive migration of young people leaving rural towns for larger cities, Zora and Arthur chose to remain in Scioto County, dedicating their lives to their family and the land they grew up on.

What makes this postcard so special isn't just its clarity or the beautiful Edwardian fashion it's the enduring testament to a friendship. When Mattie handed this photo to Zora on that October day in 1909, she couldn't have imagined that their faces, names, and a casual afternoon in the woods would be preserved and celebrated in the 21st century.

​Through preservation, these two young women from Otway are no longer anonymous faces from the past. They are Mattie and Zora, forever captured in the quiet beauty of an Ohio autumn.




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