Album 4, Part 1 (pages 1-5)

These are very old photos centering around the Elizabeth and Edward Slack family, and mostly Dot's teen life around Chicago from 1912 to 1915. Actually, the Nicholsons, Elizabeth's family, is center stage because  Edward Slack never told his wife and children much about his family. This was probably not because of family secrets but because they were scattered all over the world and there was little correspondence. Edward was brought to the United States by his parents from England as a ten-year-old child. Edward described the trip on the sailing ship Liverpool in his own words. Dot never mentioned whether or not he had brothers and sisters. She did know some of his family emigrated to South Africa, and Larue found a letter among old Slack family correspondence written at the time of President McKinley's assassination. 

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Gathering of family friends.
Centered in the back row are Dot's closest friend Edna Cullison and Dot's brother Ernest.
Dot's sister Ann is at left in front row.

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Same occasion, Ernest now at far right and Ann 4th from left of top row.

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Costume party of Crawford Congregational Church friends.
Top row left: woman who eventually ran the church social life and Sunday School,
including the years the Lindberg children were growing up (Mrs. Bowdan at that time).
Next two at top are Dot's brother Bert and girlfriend Agnes Porter.
Dot's brother Ernest is third from right in top row, with toothy grin and silly hat.
Dot's sister Ann and best friend Edna Cullison are 1st and 3rd in front row.

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1913, On the excursion boat President Roosevelt. Group excursions in the summertime were often the outing of choice. Passengers boarded the boat as it was anchored in the Chicago River and on it traveled across the lower tip of Lake Michigan to Michigan City, Michigan. There they had beaches, boating and other entertainments. By the time  Dot's children were old enough to enjoy these outings they had ceased.

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Unknown friends of Dot.

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A workplace friend of Dot.

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1913, Camping activity of U. of Illinois students: Dot's brother Bert's friends.

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Bert (left front) and Illinois friends drink, play instruments, and party.

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Christmas at Dot's oldest brother Walter's home, Ada left Marion right.

Walter married Edna Randeau. Daughter Ada, on left, became a nurse and entered Army Nurse Corps during World War II. She never married and retired from the Army in the 60's. Marion, on right, became an accomplished pianist. Her career was as a court reporter. She moved to California and settled in Sacramento after WWII. She made a very good living and in her mid forties married a fairly wealthy man. They had no children.

The things in this photo are very interesting, starting with the real candles on the tree. Look closely at all the exquisite, hand-made toys. If preserved they would be worth a fortune today. Some of the tree decorations are also unique, and many are the same as in use today, in particular the hollow, painted glass balls.

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A collector's photo of a trophy-winning 1908 Curtis biplane flight.

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The barn at the Nicholson farm in Amboy, Illinois. Dog Scott in foreground.

Amboy, the town, was once a very beautiful place. It was one of the many towns that followed the railroads, with shady streets and lovely white clapboard homes with big front porches and gardens. It had a bustling downtown. Dot and Ed took the Lindberg children there to visit one of Dot's relatives on a trip to the farm. Larue loved it and wished with all her heart she could live there. Chicago and the 3149 So. Karlov homestead had deteriorated with the Great Depression of 1929 to the beginning of WWII.

Sadly, Larue was watching a TV documentary in 1995 about the railroad towns and how they were all dying or dead as a result of the decline of railroads. They just happened to choose Amboy as an example. It showed the downtown as almost entirely deserted, buildings decaying, and tumble weeds blowing down the street. A heartbreak. But, in Dot's youth, it was a heavenly place to go for a summer vacation.

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Dot and friends (Edna C. on left) at a Chicago (Douglas?) park.

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Dot (about 11 years old) and sister Ann (12 years) in side yard of 3149 So. Karlov.
Circa 1906

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Back to tennis at a Chicago park.

Continue to Album 4  Part 2     |     Master Table