I recently turned up some interesting information. Last weekend in my meanderings I bought two different postal view cards of main street ... Kewanna, Indiana, circa 1908. The present day population is 600 souls. It’s located in north central Indiana about 60 miles north of Logansport.

The first view card shows a busy main street in mid-summer. Horses, wagons and baggy pants kids are lounging about in front of the grocery store (that's 2 doors down from the post office. For those of you who aren't real familiar with downtown Kewanna!) In the doorway under the eave of a store front, next to the grocery that's 2 doors from the post office is a nice 18 x 18 flange LLD Bell Sign. Pretty heavy duty info, right!?! The card is postmarked January 30, 1908.

Back in those days, itinerant photographers traveled about the country taking pictures. They, in turn, sold the views to local jewelers, grocers and dime store owners to be retailed at 1 cent each. (Hence, the term "penny postcard" This particular card was "published by Frank E. Dumas, Jeweler, Kewanna, Ind." 

The second view shows the complete destruction that a mid-winter ice and sleet storm did to Kewanna's main street. Poles and wires are strewn about. There are a "goodly" number of sidewalk engineers surveying the affected area. This card is postmarked March 13, 1909. In addition to the photo the reverse of the card gives a hand written account of the storm... that was sent to Mrs. Ella Dunham... now, if you'll look real close in plain view in the doorway under the eave of a store front, next to the grocery store that's 2 doors down from the post office is a nice 18 x 18 flange LLD Independent Shield sign!!! What??? Really!!?? How can that be?? They changed signs???

I found with some telephonic investigation that Frank Dumas is no longer the jeweler ... as a matter of fact there are no present day Dumas residents listed in the telephone directory. United Telephone Co. provides the connections now.

I did, however, learn that a present day ROBERT ALEXANDER III resides there. That may explain how 3 generations earlier a Bell sign disappeared in the dark of winter. I'm presently trying to locate a 1910 postal view to prove my theory correct. I truly suspect that great-grandpa Alexander also removed the Independent sign the following winter.

I'll continue to keep you abreast on the continuing saga. Until then, say Amen, brothers and sisters...Amen.

NOTE: Unfortunately the postcards would not reproduce well enough to show the disappearing sign. Also, any similarity of names present day (Bob Alexander -- noted telephone sign author and collector) and those named in the above account are purely coincidental!