Throughout her letters, my grandma talks about catching the “line” or the streetcar. She takes it to work, to go dancing, to go shopping, and so many places. The Twin Cities streetcars and trolleys aren’t around anymore, a fact which is pretty heartbreaking to any fan of public transit. As a Minneapolis resident, I can attest to the fact that our current public transit infrastructure leaves much to be desired.

Recently my husband checked out a book from the library called Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul by John W. Diers and Aaron Isaacs. He got it for his own interest in public transit, but then when I typed up a recent letter and my grandma mentioned taking the “line”, we realized we could see if it was in this book!

We know from the address on my grandparents’ letters that she lives at 661 N. Lexington in St. Paul. She goes to the factory to work. She goes downtown Minneapolis to dance and shop. So I took a look to see if I could find out which line she might be taking.

And, this book did not disappoint! She very likely rode the Hamline line, which runs just north of University Ave on Thomas from Prior, past Lexington where she likely got off (walking two blocks north on Lexington to her house), all the way to downtown St. Paul.

The book explains that in 1906, this route was set up to “serve residential neighborhoods along Thomas and Minnehaha Avenues as well as the Northern Pacific Hospital and the manufacturing and industrial plants served by the Minnesota Transfer Railway near Prior and University Avenues.

They book details how “most of its traffic was eastbound, directed toward downtown St. Paul. However, its connection with the St. Paul-Minneapolis line at University and Prior Avenues attracted westbound riders headed for destinations along University Avenue, the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota, or downtown Minneapolis.

Even more exciting, the book specifically calls out that “during World War II, the Sperry plant at Prior and Minnehaha Avenues manufactured the Norden bombsight, employing hundreds of workers, many of whom used the Hamline-Cherokee line to reach the plant.”

To My Joe,

Darling, I’m at work and feel like hell. Alice won’t talk to me so you see I’m getting plenty of hell already. I don’t know what to expect from you. I can’t be much worse than what I’m expecting. Please darling I love you, do believe me. I went with an honest heart but people just won’t let a bride have a good time. I can’t just stay here and get mad. Plan on finding me a room about the 25th of next month cause I’m coming. I hope you still want me to come. Do you? You aren’t angry at me? I know you can divorce me if you choose and I can’t do a thing about it. But in my defense, what could I have done without someone to dance with? Just sat and been a wall flower? That’s now fun.

I can’t say I even enjoyed myself as is. Hi and Alice sat so they could stare at me all the time. And if they do write you the only thing they can say is that I was with Pat. He didn’t hold my hand or smile at me. I told you we were strangers and I say it again. All we did was dance. He even soled or performed for Hi and Alice on purpose. They made me mad. If you will understand why do I have to explain to anyone else. I’m relieved it’s just about over so I’ll close right now.

I’ll write more when I get home and in close, I love you. Believe me and I want to be with you. God bless you always. Please let me come out to be with you. I’m so unhappy here alone. I’m not doing so good at managing anything alone. Oh, darling. I feel awful. I must close, so bye for a few hours.

Your loving wife,

DeLores

To My Darling Husband,

How is my darling tonight? I hope he isn’t angry at me or not too disappointed in me. I promised myself that I wouldn’t say anything about my dumb act of Saturday, but Mom just called me on my actions. She doesn’t approve of what I did but she says she couldn’t say so because things have been going so badly. Every time she says anything she gets in trouble.

Darling, I have a problem. Should I go to Ed and Helen’s and try to make them act like grown ups? They haven’t even called Mom since the day of our wedding. Even Darlene is acting like a fool. She hasn’t time to talk when mom calls and never returns a call. Should I go to the kids and ask them to stop hurting Mother? She isn’t hurting me but it does hurt Mother. She just feels as though they don’t ned her anymore. Her job is done as far as the kids are concerned. Just what can I do? She cries all the time because of their acts. You just must advise me somehow.

So much for that. I got up this morning at about 9:45 and helped mom with the porch curtains. Then I got dressed and went over to Lucille’s house. We had dinner and then George Damstiad came over from the Fort. After he left we took a couple of pictures and then we went down to a show. We saw the Keeper of the Flame. It’s pretty good. It was about 7:30 and I went out to Lehner’s but they weren’t home. I let myself in and left a note for them. The baby is in the hospital. He has been awfully sick with a cold and I guess near pneumonia. You better not say anything to Dorothy as I haven’t talked to her since she saw him today. I only hope he comes out of this in a hurry.

Darling, I’m listening to Mrs. Anthony and I just can’t get my mind on this. Please however darling, try to tell me what you think now about your awful wife. I know now she isn’t as much as she thought she was. Oh hell. I hate myself. Darling, I’ve got to come out and be with you. I’m going crazy without you. I received your money order and it sure looks good. I mean that it will help me to get to see you sooner. I’m coming if you stay there, if you still want me or not. I love you. Maybe in a dopey way, but I’ve got to be with my. husband. I just can’t stand this much longer. I can’t explain how I felt tonight, but I could jump out of my skin.

Darling, please don’t worry about me. I’ll be ok in the morning I’m sure. God bless you and keep you, Sweetheart.

Your loving wife,

DeLores

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. For you always as you are always in my heart.

* read the other letter first this is No. 2.

To my husband,

I just got home from the Co. party and it is 2:00 bells. I have an apology first of all. Then an explanation and stuff. I didn’t write in advance that I thought very seriously about going to the party. All my friends were calling the fork or boss and asking service members. I asked mom about that and said definitely no. If any asks someone we know. I asked Pat which happens because he called when it was first on my mind. I hadn’t thought about it at all and I was looking for a dance partner for the night. As it happened he accepted but definitely and quick.

My sorrows mean nothing I know. This is no reason I just should have stayed home. The kid however didn’t want that. I let someone else )not Pat) make up my mind for me. Anyway, I didn’t tell Hi & Alice I was going with anyone and when they saw me I got a bit outspoken which only ruined any possibility of having any fun. He glared at me as though I wasn’t a lady and made me feel like a heel. Darling I know I can count on you trusting me. It isn’t a bit different perhaps my dancing with him as you know he has a girl. My going with Pat but what could I have done with a bunch of drunks if I couldn’t dance.

I never mistrust you when you’re alone at the U.S.O. I’m just saying what I did and ask that you trust me. We went together and dance together. There was food but we didn’t eat. We left the party at 1:45 and got the 2:00 line up from Minneapolis. It was shortly to 50 when he was out on his way home. He came in just long enough to give me my things I had given him to take care of since I didn’t have a bag. I feel right now like the lowest thing on the earth, but in my heart I know I didn’t do any more than if you were dancing with any strange girl. Somehow Pat is a stranger. I felt very uncomfortable with him at all. It wasn’t right, but nevertheless he doesn’t have to start telling me what to do. That I intend to keep for my husband.

This is the one big blow out the company will perhaps ever give and the kids wanted me there. So that’s how unhappy my evening turned out. I swear by God who protected us that I didn’t do anything out of the way. We didn’t even have a glass of beer and there was more if you wanted it. I’m sure you understand you silly and foolish wife. That is just another reason for me to be with you so I can learn fast to be more like you. See sweets, I know I have to make many changes in my make up. So I place that is in my husband’s hands. I remain

Your loving wife,

DeLores

P.S. XXXXXXXXXX Those are but definitely all yours. Always until you refuse them.

Hello My Darling,

I received your very bad news tonight. It is all of 10:00 o’clock as I have been downtown Mpls shopping for a wedding dress. As luck would have it I didn’t find anything.

Darling, I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish this letter as I’m all choked up inside. I’ve been planning too much. It never does any good. I know how hard it must have been for you to take. Keep the old chin up sweetheart. If they won’t let you come home I’ll come to you. That can’t spoil our plans to be man and wife. All I can say is do your very best. If they need hospital help it may be your chance to get some easy stripes.  I’ll keep my chin up, you too. I hadn’t been planning to send you a Valentine’s present but I will send it now. It will be late so don’t expect it to get there. You know what it will be.

Darling it looks as though bad news travels in bunches. Mother is very ill this evening. She is running a fever and has a very bad cold. I may take off work to stay with her. I will write more on the way to work. God Bless for life.

Love,
DeLores

One of our family’s favorite Grandma recipes is her chicken and rice. My dad ate it as a kid growing up. He and my mom made it for us growing up. And tonight my “picky about everything” 3 year old gobbled it up and loved it. Clearly this recipe needs to enter our rotation. My dad pointed out that the best chickens to use for this recipe are old laying hens……. he said they have the most flavor……  not sure that’s ever going to happen.

Here we go — the recipe.

Purchase a nice big chicken. Pull off the fat before boiling or roasting the chicken. Grandma always boiled the chicken and used the chicken stock later. Yesterday, my parents actually roasted the chicken for the first time, kept the drippings, and added the nice rich drippings to water today to make a stock. After your chicken is fully cooked (boiled or roasted) let it cool enough to handle and pull apart the chicken in nice bite sized chunks.

Next, melt the fat in a big heavy pot on the stovetop.When you render chicken fat you end up with these little brown things called cracklings. They are great with a little salt. You remove the cracklings and just leave the oil.

Rinse 2 cups of rice. Dry the rice on a towel before adding to the oil.

Dice an onion add it to the rice as it’s browning, but toward the very end, otherwise you could burn the onion.

While the rice is cooking, heat up your chicken stock. For 2 cups of rice use 4+ cups of chicken stock. Once the rice and onions are browned, add the chicken and make sure to get everything hot.

Add all of the stock at once.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir once as it gets close to the end of the 20 minutes.

Serve with classic peas and canned cranberry sauce. Clearly.

In the last letter I posted from my grandpa on January 24, 1943, he wrote something that I was sure I’d mistyped.

He said, “I bought the official song of our station for you. I hope you’ll like it. Try not to lose it as it would be nice to save for a souvenir. I don’t know exactly when I’ll get it mailed, but I’ll try and get it off real soon.”

Tonight, as I was sorting the next month of letters, I found one that felt different than the rest. I opened it and found this!

I looked a little closer and found one more.

I’m sure these must be what my grandpa had referenced. Although “song” is not at all what I would call these. What word, that could be mistaken for “song” could also be used to describe the patch above?

A quick Google search of “Navy patches WWII” brought me to this. So I’m thinking Chief Petty Officer First Class. The square knot on the one Grandpa sent isn’t shown below. But Google makes me think square and figure eight knots mean apprentice. Let’s be honest, I’m not even going to pretend I know what I’m talking about.

I’m grateful for the history lesson I’m gaining from these letters and the curiosity it’s sparking in me to find out more. And with that… more to come.