I seek to digitally preserve historical photos for others that might be looking for them. When possible I reunite the original copies with descendants, free of charge. Here are more photos in my ever growing collection. 

If any of these are your ancestors please contact me. 

A few weeks ago I scored big at a local antique store. I spotted a large family photo album and peeked inside, expecting to be disappointed. Most of the time albums have been emptied of photos. But not only were there photos on every page, nearly all of them were identified. I couldn't wait to get home and make all the connections. This is the second of several posts listing each photo in this precious family album. See the first post HERE and the second post HERE.

Sarah McDONALD, daughter of Alex and Mary Wulfjen McDONALD

Sarah McDONALD

Smith Milton JOHNSON

SMITH'S PHOTO

The photos of Smith M. Johnson and Sarah McDonald are placed adjacent to one another in a family album. On the front of Smith's photo are two messages. At the top, written in the hand of Sarah McDonald is: "You are the boy after my own heart." At the bottom in a different hand is written: "Sallie I am married was married in KY but don't tell." Based on information written on both of these photos and the fact that Smith never married, the second message about marriage does not seem to have been written by Smith but by a friend or close relative of Sarah. The back of Smith's photo is covered in writing from four or five different hands. 1. The main message reads "This ugly mug of a fellow is the Hon. S.M. Johnson, Round Rock, Texas. Jany. 27th, 1889". The use of the phrase "ugly mug" seems to be humorous self-deprecation, indicating that Smith may have written it himself. 2. There is a sentence in the hand of Sarah McDonald which reads: "Smith I love you and am awful sorry." This may have been written by Sarah after his death, which occurred just six days prior to their wedding according to a message written on Sarah's photo which states she was to be Mrs. Sep. 12 3. Another hand wrote: "loved Sarah McDonald." 4. The fourth hand is very faint and difficult to make out. It mentions something about "Leah Snyder (a cousin of Sarah's) if she is not already spoken for, Georgetown Texas" 5. There is another sentence that is too faint to read and one that may be the writing of the first author. Something about "I may ---- you myself." SALLIE'S PHOTO

On the front of Sarah's photo is written: "Miss Sallie McDonald, soon to be Mrs. - will be Sept. 12" This is written in Sarah's own hand. On the back of Sarah's photo are at least two different writers (possibly more) and several broken sentences. 1. "I am to be married Sep. 1 to Smith." [whether the 2 is faded or the date of the 12 on the front was inaccurate is unknown.] 2. "Do you love him." 3. Grieve I do he will be back someday." 4. "Ain't she a beauty Yea (illegible)" 5. "Do you think" 5. "if it was the other one" 6. "Bennie" (this may refer to Ben Thorp who later became Sarah's brother in law. Perhaps some of this note writing was sister to sister.) What seems to be clear is that Smith Milton Johnson and Sarah McDonald were in love and his untimely death on September 6th, 1891 ended their plans for marital happiness. Was Sallie so much in love that she could never promise herself to another? That may well have been the case since she never married. She died at the age of 52 and is buried by her mother in Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas Texas.

See the original unrestored photos below