Goodbye, Olivia (Texas)

Schooner : The Aurora. Olivia, Texas, circa 1900

In this very odd picture, we see the schooner, The Aurora, leaving port at Olivia Texas, circa 1900. To me this appears to be taken through a window with the reflection of the photographer caught on the glass.

It was a hard times in the Swedish colony at Olivia Texas for our photographer family, the Paulsons. When they returned to Davenport Iowa in mid-1895, they left behind little Lillie dead from diphtheria. They left behind their investment in land - lost in the foreclosure of late 1894. They left Anders and Bengta Swenson, Elina's parents, who elected to stay on the land the Paulsons had lost and begin to pay for it once again. They left behind Elina's brothers, the young John Robert and Charlie.

But they took a few things back with them to Davenport, too. They brought home the new baby, Esther Maria Theresia Paulson - born in January of 1894, just a short month after the death of Lillie. They brought home strong ties to Texas - which would draw members of the family (along with their cameras) back to the Olivia several times in the next decade. They brought friendships which would last their entire lives and would draw some of the Olivia folks into the pictures in Davenport in later years.

Two years ago, several of my cousins and I spent a week in the Olivia area searching for answers to photo and family mysteries.  We went hoping to find just a few answers. Instead we found a treasure trove. Over the last year, I found myself swept away in the flood of information, following small trails to more truth. It seemed that there was no way to publish any blog entry without MORE work. I've finally come to the realization that that pathway is for the "Book" - not the "Blog." I still intend to revisit some of those Olivia pictures now and then - add a little information. But, like my family 120 years ago, it's time for me to say "goodbye" and move on to Davenport, Iowa.

As I say goodbye to Olivia, Calhoun County and Texas - I want to send a belated "thank you" to all the families that helped us out with information - confirming our assumptions or pointing out where I had gone wrong; looked at our pictures and shared their own. I want to thank Debbie Scoville at the library for arranging and publicizing the evening talk and for gathering up information for us; George Ann Cormier at the museum who unearthed, not only books and information, but also the portraits of CJ and Hulda Damstrom and CJ Damstrom's cane; the folks at the Courthouse who were patient as we pulled out all the giant deed books and helped searched for ancient court records and Mr. J. Thoreson of the Olivia Cemetery Association who helped us locate our Lillie's grave.

Related Posts
For more information on Lille and the Paulson's  -- you might want to start
at The Beginning