Another blogger recently offered an opportunity to post a picture of interesting headgear. I think I missed an excellent opportunity to write about the picture here, so I decided that a post today might make up for it. I also am looking for more information about these men and their families.
I included this picture in a previous post and asked readers to let me know if they might be related to any of the individuals pictured. What you see here is a picture of five men as they appear on a "picture postcard" that was never "mailed." The names of the men shown are identified by handwritten names on the back. Two of the names are are David Porter and "Paytor" Porter (almost illegible, so the spelling here is in question.) The other three men pictured are David Blair, Hall Hart, and John Shearfield. A handwritten phrase, “From Ellie to Vertie, Helena, Ark” appears in the address portion of the card. Vertie Porter, my paternal grandmother's sister, my greataunt, was the recipient of the picture.
I do know that a Porter Street has existed in Helena, Arkansas for the better part of the last century. It is another name for US Hwy 49 that runs into the downtown area. It also is the address for a number of older homes, probably built during the early 1900's. Since most of the Porter men were farmers in Attala County during portions of the 19th and 20th century, I believe these two Porter men may have been relatives of the Mississippi Porter family and may have gone to Phillips County, Arkansas, around the turn of the century to farm there. The suits and "derby" type hats worn are indicative of the clothing styles for men during the 1920's or 30's.
But who was "Ellie?" How did she know Vertie Porter? Were they related? Why did Ellie send or give Vertie this picture postcard?
If you have any information to help me link these Porter men to my Porter family in Attala County, Mississippi, please let me know.
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