Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Amelia Earhart - how were her apples?

My grandmother once told me she lived next door to Amelia Earhart. She explained that Amelia was not very lady like AND that neighborhood kids used to eat apples from her apple tree.

I decided to put these pieces of a story together with what I am learning, and see if they add up.

In Fifty Years of Rye: 1904-1954, the author, Maria Dalphin, talks about a Harrsion town celebration for Mrs. George P. Putnam - known to most as Amelia Earhart.

I did a wikipedia search on George Putnam and got his birth dates and name of his first wife; I found him in the 1920 Census, on Purchase Street, in Rye, New York. I also know from this article that he divorced his first wife in 1929 and had married Amelia by 1931. So, she is not listed on the 1930 census with him.

My grandmother lived on North Street in 1920 and 1930. I was curious how far they were - I used Google Maps to see. The answer is not far indeed. Certainly close enough if the apples were good -- which Nan said they were.


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