Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: 1860s

John B. Gough (1817-1886) was a "United States temperance orator," meaning that he lectured about the evils of alcohol. For a brief discussion of his career, see John B. Gough (1817-1886): The Temperance Orator as Revivalist . I haven't been able to determine the location of the Seamen's Friend Society where Gough delivered this lecture. The group may have been the Boston Seaman's Friend Society , the American Seaman's Friend Society in New York, the Woman's Seamen's Friend Society of Connecticut, or another organization with a similar name. For another nineteenth-century ticket, see Grand Temperance Lecture Ticket . Gough's Lecture. Seamen's Friend Society. May 4, 1865. Parquette. Seat H No. 18 Thursday, May 4. Retain this portion of the ticket, as it secures your seat.

John Matthes (1834-1894) was the proprietor of American House, a hotel in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. It's likely that this business card dates to around 1864, when Matthes ran a newspaper ad for American House. A later advertisement indicates that he was operating a wine and liquor store by 1873 (see below for the ads). American House Lebanon, Pa. Market Street, half-square south of Market House and one and a half squares from Court House. John Matthes, prop'r. The table is supplied with the best of edibles. The bar with the choicest of liquors. Extensive new stabling attached to the house. Handwritten name and year on the other side of the card : "Allen Longenecker, 1864." -------- Advertisement printed in the Lebanon Advertiser (Lebanon, Pa.), July 20, 1864, p. 4 : AMERICAN HOUSE, Market Street, Lebanon, JOHN MATTHES, Proprietor. The proprietor of this old established and popular HOTEL would respectfully inform the public that it will be conducted at all times to the comfort and convenience of its guests. It has been thoroughly refitted and renovated, and no pains will be spared to make the Table and the Bar, at all times, equal to any in the county. The STABLING and Yard are superior too, and more extensive, than any other in Lebanon. A new SHED is also in the course of erection, which will be completed in a short time. The patronage of the Farmers and the Traveling public generally is respectfully solicited. PLACE--West side of Market street, and half a square south from the Market House. JOHN MATTHES. Lebanon, April 6, 1864. -------- Advertisement in the Lebanon Daily News (Lebanon, Pa.), Jan. 9, 1873, p. 4: "John Matthes' Wholesale and Retail Wine & Liquor Store, No. 33 North 8th Street, Lebanon, Pa."

A business card for William B. Probasco and James P. Lott, who were the proprietors of the Burch House hotel in Bloomington, Illinois, for a number of years in the 1860s. According to various sources (see below), Probasco purchased the hotel in 1866, but Lott left Bloomington and moved to Chicago in 1870, so their partnership in running the hotel lasted less than five years. -- Burch House newspaper ad, 1869 . An advertisment that ran in the Bloomington Weekly Leader , April 15, 1869, p. 7, provided the same information that's printed on the card. -- James P. Lott moved to Chicago in 1870 . An entry about "James P. Lott" in the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois (1905), vol. 2, Cook County edition, p. 939, states, "In January 1861, he came with his father to Bloomington, Ill., where he at first engaged in the grocery business, and afterward conducted a hotel. Coming to Chicago in 1870, he worked for his father's firm." -- William B. Probasco bought the Burch House in 1866 and ran the hotel until 1871 . Rochelle Gridley wrote about " The Probasco Family " on her 100 Years Ago in the Pantagraph blog, July 14, 2017, observing that William B. Probasco bought "the Burch Hotel in 1866 and ran that business until 1871, when he went into the grain business." -- William B. Probasco was in the business until 1871 . A profile of "W. B. Probasco" in The History of McLean County, Illinois (1879), p. 811, confirms that "he was engaged in the hotel business in Bloomington until 1871." Burch House, Cor. Front and Madison Sts., Bloomington, Illinois. Probasco & Lott, proprietors. Transient board, $2.00 per day. General stage office. Omnibus leaves the house. Connecting with all trains. W. B. Probasco. Jas. P. Lott.

"Summit County Bank. Cuyahoga Falls, O. 1862. No. ______. 50. Pay the bearer fifty cents when like orders are presented in amounts of one or more dollars. W. A. Stanford. Lith. by A. S. Sanford, Cleveland, O." Unissued U.S. Civil War-era fifty-cent bank note.

"Merchants Hotel, corner of Smithfield and Third Sts., Pittsburgh. S. H. Rial, proprietor." S. H. Rial used this tiny business card to promote the hotel he managed, and he also placed the following advertisement in the Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pa.), July 6, 1866, p. 2. MERCHANTS' HOTEL. Corner Smithfield and Third Streets, Pittsburgh. This old favorite hotel, having been thoroughly renovated, repaired, and refurnished, is now open for the reception of guests. The proprietor (formerly of St. Charles) expects from its central location, his experience, determination to please, and by moderate charges, to deserve and receive a liberal patronage. S. H. Rial, proprietor.

A ticket or invitation for an "Old Folk's Ball" held in Litchfield, New Hampshire, in 1869. "Old Folk's Ball at Town Hall, Litchfield, on Wednesday evening, March 3d, 1869. Your company, with ladies, is respectfully solicited. Floor managers: S. Kennard, S. Chase, I. N. Center, R. Frye, Isaac McQuesten, John White. Good music will be in attendance. Dancing to commence at 8 o'clock."

"S. F. Brooks' Patent Combined Ottoman Cradle, Patent Toilet Mirror, and Game Box. No. 110 Milk Street, Boston." A newspaper (see below) described Sylvanus F. Brooks (1832-1884) as "an eccentric and wealthy real estate owner" at the time of his death. His business card (above) suggests, however, that he was also an inventor who held a number of patents. According to the book published for The Ninth Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association at Faneuil and Quincy Halls in the City of Boston, September 1860 (Boston: Geo. C. Rand and Avery, 1860), p. 81, Brooks displayed some of his work in the Cabinet Furniture and Upholstery section at the exhibition. The entry in the book simply indicates, "S. F. Brooks, Boston. Ottoman Cradle, Game Box and Mirror. A very neat and tasty contrivance." This confusing comment about a single "contrivance" seems to suggest that Brooks displayed only one item at the exhibition. But what exactly is a "Ottoman Cradle, Game Box and Mirror" and how does that relate to what's listed on his business card? After sorting through the information from the business card, the brief entry in the exhibition book, and some documents describing his patents (see links below), I was finally able to determine that Brooks actually listed three inventions on his card, entered all three in the exhibition, and received patents for each of them. To make sense of it all, I've collated the info below. Before Sylvanus F. Brooks died in 1884 due to a sudden "paralytic shock of the heart," as the newspaper luridly reported it, he came up with one final combo-invention. In 1876 he patented a "Combined Sled and Truck" (see link below) that had both runners for children's use as a sled in the snow and wheels for adult use as a horse-drawn truck for hauling heavy loads. Combined Cushion Settee and Cradle . U.S. Patent no. 27,964, dated April 24, 1860. . Listed as a "Patent Combined Ottoman [and] Cradle" on the business card and "Ottoman [and] Cradle" in the exhibition book. "The object of this invention is to combine a settee or cushioned stool and child's cradle in one and the same article of furniture in such a manner that the cradle may be transformed to an ornamental settee or vice versa, as may be desired without any additional attachment, or troublesome manipulations." Combined Looking-Glass and Drawer . U.S. Patent no. 27,965, dated April 24, 1860. Listed as "Patent Toilet [and] Mirror" on the card and "Mirror" in the book. "The object of this invention is to combine in a suitable manner with a hanging mirror, or looking glass, a draw[er] for holding toilet articles, such as pomades, perfumery, combs, brushes and such like articles that are generally used in conjunction with a mirror." Game-Box . U.S. Patent no. 28,733, dated June 19, 1860. Listed as "Game Box" on the card and in the book. "This invention is a novel constructed box for the purpose of holding game boards of a variety of descriptions, and protecting their faces [i.e., the surfaces of the boards] from injury in playing at the games, by a glass plate placed in the frame of the box." Combined Sled and Truck . U.S. Patent no. 185,014, dated December 5, 1876. "The object of my invention is to provide an improved combination sled and truck of simple construction, that may be readily used for either purpose, being adapted with equal facility for carrying large loads by horse-power, and in smaller scale for the use of children." ________ "Death of Sylvanus F. Brooks, " Cambridge Chronicle (Cambridge, Mass.), Saturday, October 18, 1884, p. 2: "Mr. Sylvanus F. Brooks, an eccentric and wealthy real estate owner in the lower Port, died suddenly of heart disease, on Monday last [October 13], at about 10.30 o'clock. He was seated in front of the bakeshop of Mr. J. C. Ludemann, when first taken ill, and fainted from the effects of a paralytic shock of the heart....Deceased was born in Boston in 1832, and came to live in Cambridge when but a child. He owned considerable property, and for some years past had been in the real estate business. He never married, and for the past few years lived at 359 Main street, where he had a furnished room. His brother, Mr. E. D. Brooks, [whose residence is No. 21 Lee street] is his only surviving relative."

"Thanksgiving Ball! At Town Hall, Lisbon, N.H., Thursday eve., Nov. 18, 1869. Your company is solicited. Floor managers, J. K. Atwood, J. W. Coburn. Music furnished by the orchestra of the Lisbon Cornet Band. Ticket for dancing, $1.00."

"Grand Social Banquet at the Central House, City of Nashua, N.H., on Thursday, March 15, 1860. Cards of admission, two dollars. Tickets, $2.00. 18155."

Lewis S. Harman, Lancaster City. For Prothonotary, 1890 He entered the army as a private soldier, carried a musket for three years in the 1st Reg't, Penn'a Reservers, and was severely wounded, May 30, 1864, at the battle of Bethesda Church, in front of Richmond, on the day his three years' term of service expired. Your assistance respectfully solicited. Subject to Republican rules. Election, May 3, 1890. Blanket roll and knapsack: "U.S. Co. B, 1st Reg;'t. P.R.V."

"Harry Jennings, 32 Portland Street, Boston, sole proprietor and patentee of the improved, infallible Magic Soap, for the destruction of all parasitic vermin. Patented July 12th, 1864. Trade mark--Waterford Jack."

"Annual Invitation Ball of the Cummings Literary Union, at Ebbitt Hall, 33d Street, near Broadway, on Tuesday ev'g, Jan. 22, 1867. Admit gentleman and ladies."

"Reward of merit presented to a good scholar from your teacher, S. Ayres. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1867 by L. Prang & Co. in the Clerk's office of Mass."

"Rehn & Sons' new & commodious ground floor galleries, 510 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Portraits, card, ivorytypes, ambrotypes, photographs, in crayon, pastel, water, and oil." The U.S. Internal Revenue stamp on this CDV backmark dates it to between August 1, 1864, and August 1, 1866. Another Rehn and Sons backmark , which is part of Richard D. Sheaff's amazing collection , has an added border and a handwritten date of March 1866.