The Enigma of Miss Laura Hanson’s Wintery 1909 Postcard

Miss Laura Hanson, 1909

Hello kid,

How do you like this wintery weather, I don’t like it one bit. I am in Atwater now just reddy to go home.

As ever —

By November of 1909, William Howard Taft was President, the NAACP had been founded, and the United States chose Pearl Harbor as a military site. The Progressive Era was in full swing with politics aimed at making life a little easier…for some.

Despite long remembered political events, everyday life continued to plod forward for the citizens of the country. Such is the case for Miss Laura Hanson and the mysterious sender of her postcard. The card indicates wintery weather — which I interpret to be early(ish) cold, ice, and snowfall.

Atwater is a small town in the middle south of Minnesota settled by Scandinavian and German emigrants. In 1909, it was a bustling railroad town, though it’s commerce also relied heavily on farming. By November, it would have been time to hunker down, warm up, and get through the cold. This attitude feels apparent in the card. On the weather, our sender indicates “I don’t like it one bit.” Perhaps that’s why they chose the colorful farming scene — to remind them of warmer times.

Since the sender didn’t sign a name, it’s impossible to know who they were or what their relation to Laura might have been. I did find a Laura Hanson born in a different city in Minnesota in 1896. It’s feasible that her family moved to Atwater after her birth. The timeline also fits, as this Laura would have been thirteen in 1909. The “Hello Kid” moniker feels appropriate for a younger family member. Perhaps the sender was an older cousin or family friend?

Though, I find it interesting that the card was *sent*, especially since the sender is in Atwater. The entire tone of the card is conversational and familiar, but there’s seemingly no meet-up planned. Was the sender a railroad worker only in for a night or two before leaving? Surely if the post could get to Laura, the sender could have gotten to Laura, unless of course they were working and had no time. It’s a bit of a mystery to me, because the sender is well known enough to leave off their name, but also is sending a card in lieu of a visit. Maybe it’s her father?

Is the Laura I found our Laura? Was she friends with the sender or family? I suppose we will never know. But, I can imagine her reading the postcard in the cold blue light of winter and wishing for spring to come again.

Front of Postcard