Find Their Story #8
Here is a beautiful family portrait, perhaps showing a married couple with two of their grandchildren.
The text on the back reads, in two separate notes: “Merry Christmas to Mrs. Sprague from Mrs. Johnson” and “Mr. and Mrs. H(?) Johnson of Clarksville, California and Theo (?) and Beth Milligan”.
The photo appears to be a Christmas gift from Mrs. Johnson (likely pictured here) to Mrs. Sprague.
The ages of the children lead me to believe that these are grandchildren of the older couple. It looks like “Theo” and Beth Milligan, but those are clearly two girls so I don’t think “Theo” is correct? What else could it be?
This mystery is difficult, but I think solvable with some hard work. Clarksville, California was a small town established during the gold rush. Located in El Dorado County, it maxed out at a little over one thousand residents. It was virtually an uninhabited ghost town by 1931.
It is possible that the Johnsons, Spragues, and Milligans all lived there, but it is hard to know for sure. This is the kind of mystery I could spend a long time on trying to solve.
But, what can YOU find?
I encourage you to share what you discover! Feel free to comment below or reach out via email.
Check out the other Find Their Story posts
Find Their Story #9 - What a sweet image of Mary Taft and Grace Jefferson enjoying a sunny day on a porch under the shade of a parasol.