In case any of you woke up thinking "Gee, I wonder what happened in American history 235 years ago today?" well, now you know! This scene on a vintage postcard I found on eBay is "a reproduction of one of the famous murals in the State House at Boston. It depicts the historic occasion of the Boston Tea Party when a group of citizens, garbed as Indians, showed their rightful indignation at the exorbitant taxes that King George of England had levied by throwing a whole cargo of tea into the Boston Harbor December 16, 1773."
Of course I got this 1943 postcard purely for the image, but I also am intrigued by what's on the back. The card is addressed to Mrs. John D. (or P.?) Huizenga, Route 3, Holland, Michigan (double click to see more detail). It reads, "Dear Annette, Its 5 min. to 7 now. I've made my bed and am going to the Drill hall for a free show or lecture I've been over to Hdqtrs. this afternoon. Love John."The card was sent by John Huizenga of Batt. 70, Co. A-6, N.C.T.C., Camp Endicott, Davisville, Rhode Island. Wikipedia says Davisville, Rhode Island was the former home of the U.S. Navy Seabees (CBs, Construction Battalions). "It was located at Quonset Point on Narragansett Bay, an area now included in the town of North Kingstown. The Navy acquired the property in 1939 and built Naval Air Station Quonset Point. In 1942, adjoining properties were developed for training Seabees, including the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) at Davisville." Perhaps the postcard should have read N.C.B.C. instead of N.C.T.C.? Interesting to ponder, and all because of a little old eBay postcard!
Neat. You find the best "stuff!"
ReplyDeleteOh, that is so cool! I'm a big fan of old correspondence. I tore some letters up in a haste one time, and wish so that I had kept them. That is just really cool!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice find! Interesting the choice of the card. . .Boston Tea Party in Rhode Island? Going to Michigan? Also interesting (to me, at least) is that he spelled out "Michigan" and Abbreviated "Rhode Island." I wonder, just when DID those sorts of abbreviations actually start? With the Navy, I guess you really never hardly know where those guys and gals REALLY were when they wrote!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I was pretty excited about the tea connection to Boston. I figured that somewhere in town there would be a cool historical tea shop. But I haven't found anything yet! There is a Boston Tea Party museum and gift shop, but it caught on fire a few years ago and they are still trying to raise money to re-open it.
ReplyDeleteI have come across an original seabees post card from 1942;
ReplyDeleteFrom:
Felaws S2C
Bat 65 6B Plat 2 NCJC
Camp Peary Williamburg VA
Postmarked --Dec 22 6 PM 1942
To:
Mrs Eula B Williamson
C/O Accounting Dept
Alabama D Dock and S Bldg
Mobile AL
We build and fight with all our might: top of the front side.
In the middle here is the picture of the bee with a gun looking thing of some sort, it is a circle (the bee is inside and the inside is blue with a pinkish colored "seabees" and outlined.)
at the bottom of the cartoon bee it says :
United States Naval Construction Battalions