The Deal Family
By cross referencing these names with the local history of northeast Missouri, a timeline unfolds, tracing a young family from a small Missouri railroad town at the turn of the century to the booming industrial town of Detroit.
The portrait captures a classic, proud family right around 1897. Based on the fashion of the era, the family spared no detail for their photo session:
- William "Bill" H. Deal sits on the left, sporting a perfectly groomed Victorian handlebar mustache, a dark three-piece suit, and a pocket watch chain pinned neatly to his vest.
- Mary Elizabeth (Bushnell) Deal sits to the right, wearing a heavy, dark silk dress featuring the high-puff "leg-of-mutton" sleeves that defined mid-to-late 1890s fashion.
- Theodore "Ted" Bushnell Deal, their only child, stands on a small platform between them. Born in January 1893, he is about four years old here, sporting a bright white ruffled blouse and a massive, boldly patterned plaid bow.
That cursive inscription on the back—Bushnells—was the golden key to their identity. It was Mary’s maiden name. She and Bill had married in Monroe County on March 26, 1891, and this photo catches them on the cusp of a brand-new century.
At the time of this photo, Bill Deal made his living as a retail merchant and commercial traveling salesman. The turn of the century brought changes for the family, and shortly after 1900, they packed up and relocated just across the Mississippi River to Quincy, Adams County, Illinois.
Bill found a long-term career there as a traveling representative for a prominent local stove manufacturing company. He and Mary built a stable, decades long life together in Quincy. Bill lived to the ripe old age of 81. Mary lived to be 83. Today, they rest side-by-side in Quincy’s historic Woodland Cemetery.
But what became of little Ted, the boy with the oversized plaid bow?
Growing up in Quincy, Ted proved to be exceptionally bright. He eventually attended the University of Illinois graduating with a degree in engineering. When the United States entered World War I, Ted served his country as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
After the war, the 1920s automotive boom was shaping American history, and Ted wanted to be a part of it. He moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he established a highly successful career as a mechanical engineer and district sales manager for an industrial equipment firm. He married a woman named Zella, raised a family in the Detroit suburbs, and lived a long, prosperous life. He passed away in Michigan in 1979.
When this photograph was taken in a small Missouri studio in 1897, Bill, Mary, and Ted had no idea what the 20th century had in store for them. They couldn't predict the cross country moves, a world war, or a career in the heart of the American automotive industry.
Today, their portrait sits safely on a shelf, fully documented and preserved. They are no longer just anonymous, stern faces looking out from a faded piece of card stock. They are the Deal family.
