Beginning in 1907 the U.S Post Office allowed citizens to write on the side of a post card previously reserved for the address only. This began what is referred to as the Golden Age of American postcards. Most of the cards from this collection are postmarked from 1910 through 1930 and show the 1 cent stamp as the cost of mailing a card. Though by 1910 or 1920 almost everyone had a telephone in their home, I imagine sending a postcard for a penny was preferable to the cost of a long distance call. There may not be a lot of family information to be obtained from these old post cards but here and there are some small glimpses into the world of the Robinson family three and four generations ago. I find it interesting to see handwriting samples and signatures of aunts and uncles etc., some we knew and others we never met.

When I was young, the farm in Marlboro, to me, meant that big red barn and the farmhouse on the north side of the road on the way to Dublin where Uncle Edgar and Aunt Greta lived. But seventy years before that, it was Sunnynook Farm, where Anna and George Robinson raised there children - Will, Lilla, Charles, Guy and Edgar (and two others, Freddie and Mabel, who died young).

this appears to be the handwritting of Anna E. (Robinson) Lynch

Here's a postcard from 1912. Just guessing here, but perhaps "Rutie" is Ruth Lawrence Wiswall (future wife of Charles Robinson - they married in 1915). I wonder if "B. B." and "Winnie" were Rutie's rivals for grampa Rob's affections. I'll have to search through the box and see what the picture on the other side of the card is, and is that what is being refered to - "did you ever feel like this?"

This post card is addressed to Mabel Elizabeth Robinson (5 year old daughter of George and Anna Robinson) from her older brother "Charlie" (Charles Harrison Robinson - my Grampa Rob). Note the postmark date is December 24th 1907. Sadly, Mabel died on that day having been accidentially scalded the day before.

Holiday greetings to George A. Robinson and family from "cousin Charles". This Charles is possibly one of the Robinsons of Littleton, Massachusetts.

Seasons Greetngs from Cousin Nellie to Mrs. Anna Robinson (Mrs. George A. Robinson, Sunnynook Farm, Marlborough. It is postmarked 1912 from Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

"New Years Greetings from Cousin Nellie". The signature on this and previous card appear to be the same. This card does not appear to have been sent through the mail. I don't know who this cousin Nellie is. Could be a relative on the Proctor side of the family or on the Robinson.

From Emily to Mrs. George Robinson. 'Am up in Mt. Vernon today.' Mont Vernon, New Hampshire was where George A. Robinson was born in 1859.

A card to 'Ada' from C. H. Robinson (Charles Harrison Robinson, and my Grampa Rob). It would be interesting to know who Ada was and what the application was for.

Greetings from G. A. Proctor. At least I think that is a "G". A relative of Anna Elizabeth (Proctor) Robinson of Sunnynook Farm. An interesting sample of handwriting learned by the generation born sometime around the middle of the 1800s. The letter 'p' goes up, as well as down.

To Grandpa (Mr. George Alfred Robinson) from George. This card is postmarked August 1929 and I believe was written be George Robinson son of Will Robinson. Will's family lived in Virginia but visited New Hampshire often. On this visit they traveled to Lunenburg and Littleton in Massachusetts (Robinson family and Proctor family members lived in these towns), then up to the New Hampshire and Maine seacoasts. From there went to the White Mountains in New Hampshire and then to Vermont and on to Lake George in New York state. George reports "All O.K., so far".

A birthday greeting to Edgar Robinson from "Gramp". Notice there is no post mark so we don't what year this was, but I would guess the year as somewhere around 1910 or before. Edgar was born in October of 1896. Perhaps postage was not required for in town mail. Also, who was "Gramp" in this case? The two people I know were grandfather to Edgar were Jesse Orrin Robinson of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire and Jacob Proctor of Marlboro and both of them died in the year 1887. I am not aware of a step-grandfather. Perhaps - this is a different Edgar altogether - but I doubt that and I'm not aware of another Edgar in the Robinson family. Mystery!

Birthday greetings to Mr. George Robinson from his sister 'H. E. S.', Helen Elizabeth Secomb. Helen was born Helen Elizabeth Robinson in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire. Helen's mother, Helen Elizabeth (Secomb) Robinson died one month after daughter Helen was born. At a young age Helen went to live with her maternal grandparents, Levi Jones and Nancy Secomb, in neighboring Amherst, NH and eventually dropped the Robinson name took the Secomb name as her own.

This card, and the next two as well I believe, are all from George's sister Helen (of Amherst, NH). Sometimes she signs as Helen and other times she signs as Sister or H. E. S.

It looks to me like the post mark shows 1917 on the left edge of the stamp. Note the concern expressed by the words 'anxious to know if he (Will Robinson, enlisted in the U.S. Army) has to go to France'.

This card, and the next, are both signed Ida. I'm not sure who Ida is. She refers to George A. Robinson as brother but the only siblings of George that I have found are his sister Helen Elizabeth (Robinson) Secomb, and his half-brother Willie Lincoln Robinson and half-sister Jennie B. (Robinson) Everett.

"Sunnynook' was the name of the farm in Marlboro, New Hampshire run by George A. Robinson along with his wife Anna E. (Proctor) and where Will, Lilla, Charles, Guy and Edgar were raised.

Jennie B. E. was George A. Robinson's half-sister. George's mother, Helen, died in 1861 and George's father, Jesse Orrin Robinson (of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire), married Laura Frye. Jesse and Laura had 2 children; Willie Lincoln born in 1864 and Jennie B. born in 1865. Jennie married Walter E. Everett of Brookline, New Hampshire in 1913.

To Uncle Edgar and Aunt Greta from Lawney. 'Lawney' was Lawrence Alfred Robinson, oldest child of Charles and Ruth Robinson. Born 1916, died 1942.

This, and the next post card, are greetings from Robinson cousins of Littleton, Massachusetts.

Christmas greetings to Mrs. George A. Robinson from Ruth R. in Littleton, Massachusetts. Have not found who Ruth R. is but I am guessing the 'R.' is Robinson. Edwin is a Robinson family name in the Littleton area. George A. Robinson of Marlboro had an uncle Edwin Wallace Robinson who married Caroline Nye of Littleton. They lived in Littleton and Edwin died there in 1892.

I believe this Lizzie Proctor is Lizzie Kimball Proctor wife of Ernest Keyes Proctor. Ernest was Anna Elizabeth Proctor's cousin and lived in Lunenburg and Littleton, Massachusetts. Lizzie and Ernest were about 15 or 20 years younger than George and Anna Robinson but the 2 families seem to have kept in touch and occassionally paid vists to one another.

Lizzie and Ernest Proctor had two daughters, Edith born n 1900 and Margaret born in 1907.

"$15 and a fountain pen".
This post card is from Lilla Maria Robinson (who, in 1907, was a student at New Hampshire College in Durham) to her mother Anna (Mrs. G. A.Robinson).

This card (as well as the next two) appear to be from Mary L. Bowers, who was probably a cousin to Anna Elizabeth (Proctor) Robinson. Anna's mother, born Nancy Symonds Bowers in 1816 had 9 brothers and sisters.

Mary's handwriting is a little difficult to read but she did seem to pack more information onto a post card than most other people did.
...recieved letter and intended to write...she is well except for {something}...she has been a shut in since {something} came...{someone's} mother died 3 weeks ago...{something something} funeral...I did not {something} her...Bert came...I had a pleasent call from him...
Perhaps others can make out the words better than I was able to.

This card (from 'M. L. B' - presumably Mary L. Bowers) is post marked 1910 Bellows Falls. The writer mentions Lilla Robinson having resigned from her position as teacher in the Marlboro school. This may be the only reference we have of Lilla Robinson teaching in Marlboro.

I can remember my mother, Anna (Robinson) Lynch speaking of a 'Polly' about her own age, the two of them doing things together as teenagers. I thought maybe she was a cousin but now I can't figure out who this Polly actually was. Notice the card is addressed to Mrs. G. A. Robinson and opens with 'Dear Grandma'.

Olive Hall of Marlboro, New Hampshire married Guy Robinson in 1913. They divorced in 1920. I find it interesting that she addressed her mother-in-law, Anna Elizabeth (Proctor) Robinson as "Mammie".

Post card sent from Dover, New Hampshire in 1909 from 'Polly' to Lilla Robinson. It could be that Polly was a friend from N.H. College where Lilla was attending school at that time.

Card addressed to Mrs. G.A.Robinson - this would be Anna Elizabeth (Proctor) Robinson, from a Proctor cousin in Littleton, Massachusetts.

Postmarked East Swanzey 1912. I believe that 'R.L.W.' is Ruth Lawrence Wiswall, sending a note to her future husband Charles Robinson. Ruth and Charles were married in 1915. Ruth attended Keene Normal School and became a teacher.

I wonder who this Emily is.
And I'm puzzled about who the 'Miss Ruth Robinson' is (unless the author meant to write Mrs. Ruth Robinson, which would be Ruth Lawrence (Wiswall) Robinson).

I'm guessing the 'Ruth W' is Ruth Lawrence Wiswall (the future Mrs. Charles H. Robinson)

A postcard (from May of 1915 I believe) addressed to Edgar Bertram Robinson (perhaps from a High School chum who's gone off to college). In 1915 Edgar would have been 18 years old.

I am only guessing hear but perhaps Will and Emily are members of George's uncle Edwin Robinson,s family of Littleton, Massachusetts. There are indications (postcards, wedding invitations, xmas greetings, etc.) that these 2 branches of the Robinson family stayed in touch with and visited one another into the 1920s and 30s. Edwin Wallace Robinson (son of Jesse and Asenath Robinson) was born in Mont Vernon, NH in 1832. He married Caroline E. Nye of Littleton. Edwin died in 1892.

Postcard addressed to Mrs. G. A. Robinson (Anna E. Proctor) from her son Will in 1912. The 'Uncle William' referred to is probably William Lincoln Robinson of Mont Vernon, NH (George Alfred Robinson's half brother).

With the same "Dear Mother" opening and the same (at least to my eye) handwriting as the previous postcard, this card appears to be from Will (William Orrin Robinson) working for the Bureau of Soils in Washington, D.C. in 1911 to his mother (Anna) at the Farm in Marlboro.

Another card that I think is from Will. This one dated 1929 (aparently on a visit back to New Hampshire).

This card (and the next) are Christmas greetings to the Robinson family from the Holcombes of Brookline, New Hampshire (on the Massachusetts border just south of Milford). I believe this Holcombe family is that of George A. Robinson's Aunt (Sarah Jane (Robinson) and her husband Frank Holcombe). Sarah was born in 1839.

So that's a sample from the box full of Robinson family post cards from Sunnynook Farm 100 years ago. Anna Lynch had these in her attic for probably 40 years and now I've had them since Mom died in 2003. The container I keep the whole collection of post cards in is about the size of a show box, to give you an idea of how many cards there are in all. If anyone in the family would like to look through the whole box, I would gladly loan the collection. I haven't looked through the box myself since I first went through them and scanned these 40 or 50, ten years ago.