Submitted by the Raymond Museum
We know this is the old Shaw Brothers store, located across from the Raymond General Store, that at one time housed the Raymond Post Office. Can anyone identify this lovely woman on the porch and give us the years of the vehicles in the photo, especially the mail truck? And can someone tell us what the pole next to the telephone pole would have been used for? We would love to try to date this photo. The phone company building is to the left of the store, and we believe that is why there are so many phone lines on the center pole, over 30 plus party lines. Any other information on this photo would be greatly appreciated.
Follow-up to History Mystery #102
We thank everyone who responded to this History Mystery. We received 3 emails with details about experiences of local residents and several comments from the SNO Facebook page. These can be read at SierraNewsOnline.com. Search for History Mystery, scroll down to History Mystery #102, click to open. Scroll down to comments at the bottom of the page. These comments will be kept indefinitely there and stored in the North Fork History Group archives for future reference. Don Grove, North Fork History Group.
The pole next to the building may have been a lightning rod that was popular in those days. At first I thought it could be an early version of a low band antenna for a radio base station used to communicate with company vehicles. However, I am not sure when this photo was taken, nor when low band business radio was first available. My guess on the low band radio is after WWII.
The following comments are from SNO’s Facebook page:
Genell Cornett
Crystal Niell Jamie Barnes-Wright ask Noni who this lady is, please. Is it her grandmother?
Leonard A Brown
I’m going to guess that truck is a 38ish REO Speedwagon. Doesn’t look like a Ford, Chevy or Dodge to me and the spare tire location is right-
Sparkie Philp
I stocked shelves in that store 1959 and1960 the owners then were Lou and Madeline
Patti Kascht
Sparkie Philp they owned the general store, I didn’t know they had the Shaw store/frontier inn too.
Sparkie Philp
They were there first, then we moved it across the road to the old Luke’s store
Richard Gomes
The car is about 1929. The truck in middle same. The truck in front 1938.
Michael McClaran
Kelly Philp McClaran Al Philp