Little Eloise Crittenden (Random Ypsilantians Series)

Eloise Crittenden was the daughter of New York-born Newton Crittenden and English-born Emily Elizabeth Tripp. Born in 1862, Eloise was the oldest child in her family, with younger sisters Amy (1873) and Mary Alice, or Allie (1874). There is an 11-year gap between the birthdays of Eloise and the middle child Amy. Emily had had 4 children, but had lost one: Mabel, born in 1868, who only survived for 10 months. Mabel died of dysentery.

In 1888, Eloise married Charles Lowe, who died in 1895. IN 1900, the widowed Eloise was living in Jackson. In 1910, Eloise's 72-year-old mother Emily was also widowed (Newton died in 1904) and living with her married daughter Amy. In 1916, Emily died. In 1920, 57-year-old Eloise was still living in Jackson, with her 45-year-old sister Mary Alice. Eloise worked as a stenographer and Mary Alice as a bookkeeper. Eloise died in Jackson in January of 1924 and is buried in Highland.

The Year of Peaches

Photo inscription: "Taken in the first big year of peaches. The horse: Old Kit. Dog: Old Tom. Mort, Maud, Margaret, Duane Crittenden, Ellis Rd., 1912."

Ellis Rd. is the old name of Washtenaw when it approached Ypsilanti. In this picture, if it were taken in 1912, Mortimer is 42, his wife Maud is 39, daughter Margaret is 11 and son Duane is 9. Maud had had 2 children and both had survived. Their farm was on the west side of Ypsilanti somewhere outside the city limits.

No info on the man in the background, likely a farmhand. Based offhand from the market reports I've read in papers from around this time I'd guess these peaches might fetch around 45 cents a bushel more or less. This crop apparently warranted an expensive photo...why? Had Mortimer taken a big risk in buying this farm and was triumphant that his orchards were producing? He wanted someone to remember, and we do, his first big year of peaches.