Featured Tin business card

Anyone have a clue of approximate age of this thing. No phone number which makes me think it pre-dates phones being common. Keyser was incorporated in 1874. The clothing in the art work on the back makes me think maybe 1890's.

All thoughts are appreciated.

 

Harry P Adams born about 1875 was managing the restaurant from sometime between 1900 and 1910 until after 1930. (in 1910 his occupation in the census was listed as carpenter.) I would expect that card to be in that first decade.

 

The look of the woman's hair and hat, and the "puffer pigeon" look of the blouse, are more reminiscent of 1900-1910, I think.

Did a little searching and haven't found anything about that restaurant. Maybe trying to research the owner in the U.S. Census would bring some clarity?

[Whoops, as I was typing @Bakersgma posted!]

 

Sounds like a place for unmarried men or men working away from home. The 'risqué' cartoon on the back would have encouraged them to save the card. Is Keyser in coal mining country? The B&O Railroad went right across W. Va.:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3701p.rr003400/?r=0.361,0.085,0.555,0.278,0

Edit: See card says it was opposite B&O depot.

 

Unrelated to the piece, but related to Harry P's dad:

 

Keyser is/was a railroad town.

WOW, thanks to all on the great information. My guess on age doesn't appear to be very far off.

 

Many a coal train went thru Keyser but most of that was coal mined in the more western, central part of WV. At one time Keyser had a large yard and mechanics shop with round table, ect. Now the trains just pass thru though coal is still hauled on the same tracks and there is still a switching yard there.

My wife grew up in Keyser as did her parents, her grandfather moved to Keyser with the railroad around 1905 to 1910.

The restaurant was long gone before my wife was born and sadly her mother has Alzheimer's and questions about things like just confuse her even more.

 

Sorting newspaper clippings, there were a number of "B&O" restaurants in W VA and 95% of references are "help wanted" ads. The restaurant in Clarksburg was also open "day and night," but everything I found suggested it was "just a restaurant."

 

I was wondering whether they were like the Howard Johnson's restaurants at rest stops on the interstates. Must have been the only place around open day & night.

 

Wonder if it was owned by the railroad. Sort of like a company store type thing, about the only place around to eat at odd hours so the company ended up getting part of the paycheck back from the employee.

 

I also have significant ancestry in WVA, but not directly in the railroads or mining. Most of my great aunts and uncles left either around the Civil War or by 1900. However, because I have built a substantial family tree to find all these people and their descendants, I done a heck of a lot of research into those who stuck around.

 

I came across this guy's site. He is from Keyser and is a B&O railroad enthusiast. Perhaps he might know something if you contact him.

http://fluteman70.tripod.com/fredrileysrailroadpage/index.html

 

No it was not, or at least not the employer's name Harry P listed on this WWI draft registration form. May have been a subsidiary just for the restaurants.

 

I do, too... but I think you and I have already done the "hey are we related, no I don't think so" dance.

 

Yup. tee hee.

The handwriting on Harry's draft card is not spectacular, best I can make out is Buylin (or Buglin) Landstreet Co. of Kempton, WVA. Interesting point is that he was listed as "working on own account" as a restaurant manager in 1910. Maybe the restaurant changed hands between then and 1917?

 

Wow lots of good info. Can't get to the fluteman site, it gets flagged as a virus for some reason on our company filters.

Would be interesting to see what kind of value it has. Not that we would ever sell due to my wife's father and grandfather both being lifelong railroaders and being from Keyser.

 

He says his name is Fred Riley and that Keyser is his hometown if that helps. Maybe this link will work as it doesn't have the pop-up sign in.

http://fluteman70.tripod.com/fredrileysrailroadpage/id1.html

 

The main line of the B&O was one of the boundaries of the family farm where I was raised. Unrelated but in the 40s and 50s I remember hauling over to the tracks to watch the trains, wave at the conductors and watch them go by the limemarle pit.

The Union had to control this line to get supplies to troops on the western front. I can remember my Grandfather cussing when a canon ball took the edge off his plow!

Just down the road maybe 20 miles was a rail yard with turn table, an engine repair shop and several little restaurants probably just like this one.
Patd