Main Street, Roswell, New Mexico, 1928

This is another postcard that serves as a brief letter between friends or business acquaintances. It's interesting how often postcards were used like this in this period—a way to write a brief letter at a cheaper price.

AJ from Roswell, NM wrote to D. L. Truett in Lamkin, TX in late October 1928: "May send you in a bunch of (?) in a few days. It looks out here as if Hoover or Smith one will be the next Pres. Hope your fits are getting better."

A key word here is unreadable. At first I thought it said "furs" but now I think not. It looks like fist? frist? If you have thoughts, let me know in the comments.

David Truett was 44 years old when he received this postcard in 1928, and he was single. He was living with his sister and brother-in-law, managing a department store. By the 1940 census, he had married and was living in his own home with his new wife and a stepson (who was 17 years old) and owned a general mercantile in the small town of Lamkin. He was 56 in 1940 and his wife Dessie was 43. David filled in a draft card for WWI where it says that in 1917 he was slender, of medium height, with light brown hair and blue eyes. He had to fill in a draft card for WWII, also, when he was 58 years old. Can you imagine what that was like? To live through both of these wars?

The tiny, unincorporated town of Lamkin is twelve miles from Hico, itself just a small town. In 1929, the population of Lamkin was 300. There had been a fire in 1922 that had destroyed most of the businesses. Earlier in 1914, there had been 3 general stores, a drugstore, a blacksmith shop, and a cotton gin but the fire took most of the buildings and few rebuilt—David Truett did, owning his mercantile store into the late 1950s. He died in 1965.

As to the presidential election of November 1928 that AJ mentions: the Republican candidate Herbert Hoover ran against the Democratic candidate Al Smith. The election was held on November 6, 1928, and Hoover won with 444 electoral votes to Smith's 87. This was the first time a Republican presidential candidate had won a majority of the Southern states. The election was also notable because it was the first time that a Catholic had been nominated for the presidency, with Al Smith being a Catholic. Despite his charismatic personality, Smith faced intense opposition from some segments of society due to his Catholic faith and his views on prohibition. Hoover, on the other hand, was seen as a safe and experienced choice, having served as the Secretary of Commerce under President Calvin Coolidge. I don't understand AJ's comment because these were the two men running and the election was only two weeks away. Of course it would be one of these two men who became president. Is there a private joke I'm missing here?

While I can't track AJ down without more information, I can tell you more about Roswell and New Mexico in 1928. New Mexico was a relatively sparsely populated state, with a population of around 423,000 people. The state had been admitted to the Union just 16 years earlier, in 1912, and was still grappling with issues related to statehood and economic development.

The economy of New Mexico in 1928 was largely agricultural, with ranching and farming playing a major role. The state was known for its production of wool, cattle, and sheep, and there were also significant mining operations for copper, lead, zinc, and other minerals.

The cultural landscape of New Mexico in 1928 was marked by a blend of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo traditions. The state had a rich history of indigenous cultures, including the Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo peoples, and had also been settled by Spanish explorers and missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Politically, New Mexico was a relatively conservative state in 1928, with a strong Republican Party presence. The state had a relatively small number of electoral votes in national elections but was still considered an important swing state.

Overall, New Mexico in 1928 was a state in transition, with a diverse population and economy that was still finding its footing in the aftermath of statehood.

And a note of transparency—I actually knew who D.L. Truett was because the stepson living in his home in 1940 was my husband's grandfather. His family tells stories about how Truett married Dessie after her husband died and how kind he was to his stepson, treating him like his own child. I've seen what remains of his mercantile in Lamkin—it's just a brick shell of the former building. The postcard was in my husband's grandmother's collection of letters and ephemera.