Mary E May Potter


Sometimes, the most compelling history is found not in books, but in the forgotten corners of an antique shop or an online auction.

​A early 20th century portrait recently caught my eye. The photograph, produced by Slater’s Interurban Post Card Studio at 430 Superior Street in Toledo, Ohio, shows a woman with a warm smile, her hair styled in a classic Edwardian updo.

​Turning the postcard over revealed a clue that turned this anonymous face into a living history: a simple, handwritten pencil note reading "1:00 pm / Mrs. Mary Potter, Bellevue, O."

​The note wasn’t a mailing address—the card never saw a postage stamp. Instead, that specific time stamp, "1:00 pm," was likely a studio pickup reminder or an appointment slip.

​To get this portrait taken, Mary traveled from her home in Bellevue to downtown Toledo. In the 1900s and 1910s, this was made effortless by the Electric Interurban railway lines,the very transit system referenced in the photo studio's name. For a resident of a busy railway hub like Bellevue, catching an interurban car into the city for a day of shopping and a professional portrait session was a common occurrence.

Who was the woman behind that lovely smile? A look at the U.S. Federal Census records and Ohio marriage logs brings her life into sharp focus.

  • ​Her Roots: Born Mary E. May in September 1873, she was the daughter of John May, an English blacksmith who immigrated to Ohio, and his wife, Clarissa. Mary grew up in Lyme Township, right on the outskirts of Bellevue.
  • ​Marriage and Family: On September 25, 1894, Mary married Albert Potter, a skilled machinist. By 1910, the couple was settled into a home at 116 High Street in Bellevue Ward 2, where Albert worked in the local railroad roundhouse.
  • ​Motherhood: Mary and Albert raised two sons in their High Street home: Raymond (born c. 1899), who grew up to work as a local clerk, and Harold (born c. 1904), who later followed industrial and mechanical trades in northern Ohio

​When this portrait was captured in the heart of the Edwardian era, Mary was a woman in her 30s, deeply rooted in her community, managing a household, and raising her young boys.

​Looking at her expression today, it is incredible how a simple scrap of cardboard and a scribbled pencil note can bridge a century-long gap. Mary Potter is no longer just a face from a bygone era, she is a daughter, a mother, a wife, and a little piece of Ohio history.



Popular posts from this blog

The Plummer Children

Image
For a long time, the identities of the four children in this portrait were a mystery. With a little patience, the faint cursive on the back finally revealed a list of names: Grace, Winifred, Earle, and Irene Plummer . ​These four siblings grew up at the turn of the 20th century in Marion County, IN. Born to John Thomas Plummer and Mary Elizabeth Barker, they had this studio portrait taken around 1900 or 1901 when the youngest, Irene, was just a toddler. ​Here is the story of the children and the lives they went on to lead. ​Grace M. Plummer (Top Left) ​Sitting in the wicker chair on the left is the eldest sibling, Grace, who was born in February 1888. In the early 1910s, Grace married an Indianapolis attorney named Clarence W. DeHass. Together, they raised two children, John and Mary, in the heart of Indianapolis. Grace lived a long life, passing away in October 1968.  ​Earle S. Plummer (Center) ​Standing in the center in his suit and bowtie is Earle, the only boy...
Read more

Florence Henlen

Image
Born: 1884 in Dickenson County, KS Died: 1975 I recently acquired a beautiful late 1880s photograph that I just had to research immediately. The photo shows a toddler bundled up against the cold. She is wearing a dark winter coat trimmed with white fur or wool, matching cuffs, and a ruffled bonnet. She stands in a Victorian studio's version of the outdoors leaning against a prop tree stump. ​At the bottom, the photographer’s mark reads "Weaver" of Herrington, Kansas (a historic spelling of Herington). ​Turning the card over reveals a faint pencil inscription: (Florence C. Henlen) ​A look into historical records from Dickinson County, Kansas, brings Florence’s world into view. ​Born in 1884, Florence Campbell Henlen was roughly three to five years old when she stood for this photo.  Her family was prominent in the early days of Herington. Her father, Dr. Benjamin Augustus Henlen, was a pioneering doctor who ran the town’s leading drug store, served as a dire...
Read more

The Bailey Brothers

Image
Recently, I found an early 20th century cabinet card featuring two young children. A note on the back of the photo changed everything.  The photo shows two children dressed in dark Edwardian garments, polished lace-up boots, and perfectly styled white hair bows. Looking at the image, one might naturally assume they are looking at two young girls. ​Flip the card over, however, and a note  sets the record straight: ​ "Kenneth & Faber Bailey. There mother always dressed them like girls." ​While it was a common late Victorian and Edwardian custom to keep young boys in gowns or tunics, their mother, Sophia Bailey, clearly possessed a flair for fashion. She let her sons' hair grow out into long, ringlets and adorned them with oversized hair bows that rivaled any young girls. ​Armed with a location (Ohio) and these two distinct names, a look through the US Federal Census records brought the story of these two boys to light. ​Kenneth (born circa 1904) and Fa...
Read more