BeeLines - April 4, 2018
By Marybelle Beigh, Westfield Town & Village Historian
Something Different! A “History-Mystery” Card? Table with Autographs!
A few months ago, a long-time friend & historian client, Bonnie (Macer) Lancaster, mentioned she had a hand-made-by-relative card table with names of local people autographed on the bottom. She asked if perhaps your Westfield Historian might be able to help identify these people, and possibly determine why they signed, and sometimes dated, this special table.
More recently, the Bonnie provided a historic booklet (a later BeeLines story) for photocopying and reminded yours truly about the table mystery. So as soon as the booklet was copied into both the Patterson Library and Westfield Historian archives, it was returned and the table displayed and the autographs examined, studied, “mapped” and documented for further research. The more names we (Bonnie, her husband, Dick Lancaster, and historian, Marybelle Beigh) were able to discern, determine spellings, dates, and other words, the more excited we all became.
First question was, “Who built the table?” Bonnie’s guess was that it was built by her Great Uncle, Edward “Ed” G. Finlay. This is quite likely, as he did sign the table, near the lower right-hand corner of one side, but without a date next to his name. As seen in the photo of the upended, opened table published with this Beelines, the table top is a series of wooden strips of varying type and color, about one-half inch thick, glued together along their sides (about one-inch wide), and a little less than two and a half feet long; (the overall table top is 29” X 28”).
Regarding dates, the earliest date found on the table was 1939, next to the signature of H. E. Wratten (another relative of Bonnie’s), which is located near where the table folds in half, about 5 or so strips down. Signatures are only found on the lighter-colored strips, and only on the bottom of the table. There seem to be only a few specific dates, ranging from 1939 to 1975, with several names at those dates. Many names have no dates, and some dates and names are difficult to clearly identify. Bonnie has made an alphabetical list of the names found on the bottom of the table, and she and Dick each “mapped” out one side of the bottom showing locations, names, dates, and other words.
As Bonnie, Dick, and I examined the table last week, we discussed what we remembered or thought we knew about many of the names, and we also wondered if ANY of those who signed are still alive. Later that day, the Patterson Library obit files gathered from Westfield Republican newspapers archived and/or on microfilm there, were searched for as many names as could be located. Married couples were located, name spellings were corrected (hopefully), and then shared with Bonnie.
Wonder of wonders! At least Bonnie located and contacted one known still-living person – Rose LaPorte. Although Rose did not remember the table or signing it, she was able to identify several others by the date her name and those others appeared on the table – that is, 12-12-75, which is the latest date on the table. It turns out that Rose LaPorte was Dr. Storms’ nurse. Rose explained that Win Seeley, whose signature was next to hers, was Dr. Storms’ secretary, and that the late (d. 1983) Dr. Robert E Storms’ wife was Betty Storms, whose name had not been correctly discerned, but was located on the table with the same date. Perhaps this was a special Christmas party at which the mysterious card? table had been used, and apparently for the last time before being stored away until its discovery by Bonnie Macer Lancaster.
The reason for the question mark after the word “card” in reference to the table is that Rose LaPorte was very emphatic that she was not a card player, had never played cards her entire life, and that the others named on the same date also were not known to participate in the various card-playing groups around Westfield.
Since Bonnie and Dick Lancaster, as well as your Westfield Historian, would like to learn more about the provenance and “activities” of the History-Mystery Card? Table shown, the following are the names found on the bottom of the table, grouped by dates signed, and no-date names.
The first group of names are those who are known to be related to Bonnie:
1939: H E Wratten
No Dates: Phyllis Macer, Arthur Macer, Jr., Edward G. Finlay, Mary Finlay
Others Dated:
1944: F H Jones; although no date given, Margaret B Jones, Fred Jones’ wife is added
(Note: this pattern will continue with known spouses)
1945: Elsie McCutcheon (Jan ’45), George McCutcheon, Elsie’s husband (no date); Mel Bemis, Marie Bemis (husband & wife) (Jan 10, 1945); Chas H Rexford (1945), & wife Myrtle Rexford (1-1-45); Marion Rownd (45), Tom Rownd (1945), Mary Dinsbier (45), Paul Dinsbier (no date), Mary M Biekert (’45), Geo Christian Biekert (no date), Happy New Year, Dorothy M Holbrook (45), Ethelyn O Walker & unreadable name (1-1-45)
1946: Verna D Johnson (12-6-46), Betty Carr (11-8-46), Pal Carr (11-8-46), Betty Northrup (Dec 6, 1946)
1950: Wm R Benson (2-14-50), Roy Benson (1950, 14 Feb)
1958: Marion Webster (5-22-58), Mary Dinsbier (1958)
1964: William Ross (5-22-64), Phil Wicklund (12-6-64), Sylvia Wicklund (12/6/64)
1971: Marion Baldwin (1971), Jenie Beldon (1971), Mabel, Michael D Bowen (71)
1974: Mary McBride (Jul’74), Robert McBride (Jul ’74), Leon LeBarron (1974), Micky Graziano (1974)
1975: Rose LaPorte (1975), Win Seeley (12-12-1975), Betty Storms (12-12-75)
No Dates: C W McLean, Happy Days, Lots of Fun, Helen B McLean, Leslie Johnson, Robert Northrup, G W, Mead (1965?), Margarit Breads, Raymond Fenton