Going to the Fair?

Romance circa 1910 was greatly enhanced by the development of postcards.  They gave the laconic, shy and lovestruck an opportunity to communicate openly. Sometimes dubbed 'courting cards' they could be used in daring approaches and then a 'well it was all I could find' if it was clear it had been a little over the top. 

The rosey "best Wishes" card  (SB Series 2021, "Printed in Germany") was sent ca, 1910 from my grandfather to my grandmother.  She was finalizing a divorce and was staying with her brother when they crossed paths.  Ending a rocky marriage and the loss of the child of that union her normally quiet, shy and retiring ways were no doubt greatly increased. After all, divorce was still seen as very bad in those days regardless of how often a woman was beaten or abused.  So, stayed with her parents and then her brother, helping run his house and provide assistance around his farm as needed.  A man who often worked with her brother farming and harvesting was George Daniel Cochren. Apparently, she caught his eye.

On the reverse of Card #2 (Roses) "I don't know if I have your address correct or not, what days are you going to the fair. Am going the 26th for one and may be the 21st, don't know yet. (it depends on the weather). As ever, your friend, George."  Obviously early in the courtship.

It would be interesting to see what dates the state fair of Kansas fell on in Hutchinson to identify more precisely when these cards were sent.

The card labeled in this collection as card # 1 (I remain affectionately yours) was obviously a little later in the relationship.  To : "Annie B, King, Nickerson, Kansas, Rt. 3, Box 45" Text: " Dear Annie Am going to write to you a line this am, got your card last night. They were fine, so, you are lonesome are you. Wish I had my work all done."   Obviously separated by work (it may have been harvest or planting time requiring long hours of work for farmers) she had sent some card to him (none has been found) expressing the eternal plight of lovers through time.

The card is slighty 'racy' with its depiction of an office romance with the 'typewriter girl' or perhaps a forward lover who has dared to enter the sanctum of business on affairs of the heart.  The lovers of these cards married in July of 1912 in Wichita and remained happily married until 1932 when George died of cancer in Plevna. 

And all this time, I thought the romantic cards shared when my husband and I were courting had been unique!!

Annie B. Brown King Cochren Willard

From a larger photo where she is holding her first daughter, Elva Ethal Cochren, ca. 1915.

Young George with Oak Leaf Pin

Is this a membership pin? A fashion accessary of the period? Anyone know what it is?  George Daniel Cochren ca. 1890.

B.F. Brown Handwritten Obituary 1942

1914 Agreement

Transcription: 

"Nov. 19, 1914 we agree to farm this farm for one year, in a reasonably good manner and deliver as rent for same, 1/3 of all grain, feed hay and straw, grown on the place by us. G.D. Cochren , Frank E. Brown 

I agree to rent this place for one year, to above parties, under these terms. Julia D. Robertson. The year to be from March 1st 1915 to March 1 1915"

G.D. Cochren - George Daniel Cochren, son of Newton Jasper Cochren

Frank E. Brown - Franklin Everett Brown, George's brother-in-law, son of Burgess Franklin Brown

Julia D. Robertson - being researched

The Cochren Home

In the early 1990's Velma Dora Cochren Priest Terry described her home as a child in Plevna, Reno, Kansas ca 1920.  Her parents were George Daniel Cochren and Annie B. Brown Cochren.  Her siblings were Elva  Ethel Cochren Merry and George Valjean Cochren.  It was white with green trim on the windows and door.  There were roses in the yard and around the front door.  Just beyond the back yard the railroad tracks ran past.  In the yard was the grave of one of the children who died at birth or was stillborn.  It was small but "tidy": a small parlor, two bedrooms, and a kitchen/eating area. Laundry was done outside - winter and summer. An outhouse was at the back of the yard. A small back porch also had a trellis with some type of green vine.  A curtain separated the living space from the bedroom and the children would entertain their mother with plays and musicals. The sketch was created based on memories shared of this residence by Marilyn A. Hudson.

Time often softens memories and distorts facts; anyone with knowledge of where this house is located or where it was located if torn down, please leave a comment or email marilynahudson@yahoo.com. Place Plevna in the subject line.

The Cochren Sisters

These daughters of Plevna shared a moment in the 1980's for this photo.  On the left is Velma Dora Cochren Priest Terry and on the right is Elva Ethel Cochren Merry.  The painting was recently completed by Elva.  Elva played piano in her church for years and Velma was a poet.  They were daughters of George Daniel Cochren and wife Annie B. Brown Cochren.

Perry King and Annie Brown King

George Daniel Cochren

Elmer Fenton

Farrand

COCHREN GIRLS

Reno Co., Kansas ca. 1890.

MEMORIES

Memories of her Grandparents by Velma Dora Cochren Terry.

Ruhama Isadora Fenton Brown

My grandmother, on Mother’s side. A very tiny little lady, the first real Christian I came in contact with. She belonged to the Church of Christ, was a firm believer in God and left her Christian testimony whatever she went.  First church, I ever attended was with her.  We stayed with her every summer for a week.  She made the best tomato soup I ever tasted. I never saw her mad; the most patient of people. She died when I was 14.

Burgess Franklin Brown

My grandfather was born in Tennessee, was part Cherokee Indian. When he came to Kansas, he came in a covered wagon, Indians were living all through the prairie states, buffalo roamed everywhere at this time.  He settled in Sylvia, Ks and lived in or around there until he died.  He was crippled since he was in his late teens, kicked by a horse, walked with a cane for years.   He could drink coffee as hot as anyone could make it.  He was an impatient and gruff person, all us grandchildren were a little around of him.

George Daniel Cochren

My father moved to Plevna with his family around 1919.  First worked in harvest fields, then was a track walker for Santa Fe Railroad for a short period, and then became janitor for Plevna Public School, and remained so until his death.  When  I attended school, daddy was always janitor, when weather was bad, he would fix our lunch in the cooking room in school (hot dogs with sandwich spread and drinks). Boy! We liked that. We always watched for him to ring the school bell.  He walked home with us for lunch every day  the weather was good. Daddy never owned a car, but he made us a comfortable and happy home.

He played violin and piano.  He bought us a player piano when I was in my early teens.  He would play and we would all sing.

He told us of when he first came to Plevna as a boy, there were buffalo roaming all over the plain.  The first thing I can remember was going swimming, with me on his back. I was about 2 ½ years old, my mother said, but I can remember it clearly.

When pay day came, once a month, Daddy always bought a cigar and a big sack of candy.  When we would smell the cigar smoke, we knew it was candy time.  Daddy was a good moral man.  He lived like a gentleman and set a good example for us.  He was a positive man about manners.  Was not a Christian until on his death bed 2 days before his death, he himself told me he had made his peace with God.

Valjean, my brother, was born after we moved to Plevna. 

He (father) lived to only to see one grandchild, when Melvin Daniel Priest was one month old,  he died. He and mother were very happy together.  We were really poor, but didn’t know it, because we were happy, and never went hungry or ragged.

Plevna School, ca 1920'a

Some of the children are Cochrens : Velma, Elva, and George Valjean.

Kansas Marriage Certificate

COCHREN VETERAN

Newton Jaser Cochren and wife Lucinda Drake Cochren

Brown Family

Ruhamia Issadora Fenton Brown, grandson Chet Brown, and husband Burgess Franklin Brown

Fenton Sisters, Reno Co., Kansas

First Wife of John Brown

Tracy

The Fenton Children and Wives, Reno Co., Kansas

John Brown, Reno Co., Kansas

Childhood Fun in Reno Co., Kansas

A descendant of Burgess Franklin Brown  of Reno Co., Kansas.

Early Kansas Reader

Although I cannot verify this particular reader was used in Plevna or even Reno Co., Kansas, it is representative of the type of resources used and the content and values of the 1917-1920 time frame.   On the front book fly is written pencil:  Hariette 78, Viola 83, Harold 70, Ollie 94, Ronald 94.

The book was first copyrighted in 1917 by the University Publishing Company, The State of Kansas. The copy shown was published by 1920.  The editors for the work were J.W. Searson, (Kansas State Agricultural College, Manhattan), George E. Martin (Supt. of the Training School and Dean of the Nebraska State Normal School, Kearney, NE) and Achsah May Harris (Kansas State Normal School, Emporia).   It was illustrated by Ruth Mary Hallock.

MEMORIES. V. Terry

Burgess Franklin Brown

My grandfather was born in Tennessee, was part Cherokee Indian. When he came to Kansas, he came in a covered wagon, Indians were living all through the prairie states, buffalo roamed everywhere at this time.

He settled in Sylvia, Ks and lived in or around there until he died. He was crippled since he was in his late teens, kicked by a horse, walked with a cane for years. He could drink coffee as hot as anyone could make it. He was an impatient and gruff person, all us grandchildren were a little afraid around of him.

(Shown left to right: Ruhama Fenton Brown, Chet Brown, and Burgess Franklin Brown).

MEMORIES, PART 3. VELMA TERRY

George Daniel Cochren
My father moved to Plevna with his family around 1919. First worked in harvest fields, then was a track walker for Santa Fe Railroad for a short period, and then became janitor for Plevna Public School, and remained so until his death. When I attended school, daddy was always janitor, when weather was bad, he would fix our lunch in the cooking room in school (hot dogs with sandwich spread and drinks). Boy! We liked that. We always watched for him to ring the school bell. He walked home with us for lunch every day the weather was good. Daddy never owned a car, but he made us a comfortable and happy home.

He played violin and piano. He bought us a player piano when I was in my early teens. He would play and we would all sing.

He told us of when he first came to Plevna as a boy, there were buffalo roaming all over the plain. The first thing I can remember was going swimming, with me on his back. I was about 2 ½ years old, my mother said, but I can remember it clearly.
When pay day came, once a month, Daddy always bought a cigar and a big sack of candy. When we would smell the cigar smoke, we knew it was candy time. Daddy was a good moral man. He lived like a gentleman and set a good example for us. He was a positive man about manners. Was not a Christian until on his death bed 2 days before his death, he himself told me he had made his peace with God.

He (father) lived to only to see one grandchild, when Melvin Daniel Priest was one month old, he died. He and mother were very happy together. We were really poor, but didn’t know it, because we were happy, and never went hungry or ragged

MEMORIES, PART 2. VELMA TERRY

GEORGE VALJEAN COCHREN
Valjean, my brother, was born after we moved to Plevna. He was named George Valjean but we all called him Val. He attended the Plevna school.

MEMORIES BY VELMA DORA COCHREN TERRY

Memories of her Grandparents by Velma Dora Cochren Terry.

Ruhama Isadora Fenton Brown
My grandmother, on Mother’s side. A very tiny little lady, the first real Christian I came in contact with. She belonged to the Church of Christ, was a firm believer in God and left her Christian testimony whatever she went. First church I ever attended was with her. We stayed with her every summer for a week. She made the best tomato soup I ever tasted. I never saw her mad; the most patient of people. She died when I was 14.

Brown Grave, Sylvia Cemetery

Shown in the center is the large stone for the Burgess Franklin Brown family and in the foreground, the stones for the Fentons. To the left of the Brown stone are Roy D. Terry resting on the grass with two grandchildren, Dede and Tami.

Sylvia Cemetery

Velma Cochren Terry beside the stones of her great-grandmother and grandfather Fenton, parents of her her grandmother, Ruhamah Isadora Fenton Brown. Aug, 22, 1977.

Civil War Veteran of Reno Co., Ks.

Here Velma Cochren Priest is shown between the grave stones of her grandfather Newton Jasper Cochren. He was wounded in the Civil War at the Battle of Chickamauga. His wife was Lucinda Drake Cochren. Photo taken August 22, 1977.

Plevna School Revisited

The school where George D. Cochren was the janitor and where Velma, Elva and Valjean Cochren attended school.

Plevna Bank

Photo taken August 23, 1977. Velma Cochren Terry said it 'looked just the same'.

Grocery Store

Plevna, Ks 1977. Woman is Velma Dora Cochren Terry.

Pleasant View Cemetery, Huntsville, Reno, Ks.

Shown are (left to right): Dennis Terry, Tami Terry, and Velma Cochren Terry at the grave of George D. Cochren, Velma's father. Taken August 23, 1977.

RETURN VISIT HOME

In 1977 Velma Dora Cochren Terry, along with son Dennis and his family, traveled back to Plevna so Velma could show off her hometown. Here is a shot from the west side showing the store where as a girl Velma was sent on errands. This was the view she saw everytime she walked to get groceries for her mother.

SYLVIA, KANSAS

Mary Ferrand Cochren, wife of Charles Edward Cochren, shown in front of a temporary home the family had in Sylvia, Kansas in Nov. of 1912. The similarity to the drawing of the home in Plevna by Velma Dora Cochren shows the widespread use of these small homes. Velma described her house as being only three rooms and it may be supposed this was of a similar plan.

The style is very similar to the 18th century style known as "Hall and Parlor." It was easy to construct and was favored as starter homes and as vacation or hunting cabins. as the family grew additions, porches, and enhancements would have been made.

The house in the distance is of the classic one-story pyramidal design with partial front porch.

Cochren House, Plevna, 1916-1935

As remembered by Velma Dora Cochren, daughter of George Daniel Cochren and Annie Brown Cochren. She noted there was a well outside the back, roses, and the trim was painted a dark green on the screens and doors. The railroad track was nearby as well, and this is not clearly shown in this image.

Reno Co,Kansas Harvest

The man on the wagon at the far right is George Daniel Cochren.

George and Annie Cochren with daughter Elva

In 1918 or 1919 the family moved to Plevna.

Lydia Cochren Demuth

Hutchinson

Frank E. Brown

George Valjean Cochren

Plevna, Ks - Train as seen from the Cochren Yard

From the yard of George and Annie Cochren the train passes by on its way someplace else. Velma Cochren Terry remembered how the engine would give four long hoots of the horn as it prepared to cross the road and she as a little girl always thought the engineer was saying hello.

Plevna, Kansas Another View

Plevna, Kansas - Church

Public School, Plevna, Kansas

Santa Fe Train Depot, Plevna, Ks

Plevna History

A couple of miles north of the North Fork of the Ninnescah River sits Plevna in Reno County. Highway US 50 runs on the North edge of Plevna; an older road from Abbyville to Sylvia also runs through Plevna.

As you come into Plevna from the east, the highway has to bend around the old brick auditorium that now houses the city offices. There is playground equipment on the east side of this building.

The Santa Fe railroad still serves Plevna, and the State Bank of Plevna is still in business. For many years the Plevna General Store was a well-known gathering place and local landmark; sadly, it burned January 3, 1997.

Brown Children