Person Record
Images
Metadata
Name |
Olds, Saloma |
Born |
02/12/1899 |
Deceased |
12/15/1995 |
Notes |
In 2011, Martha Olds Adams and Willard Smith donated Saloma Olds' rare collection of letters, photographs, and journals to the Marco Island Historical Society. These materials offer rare insight into early pioneer life on Marco Island. Between 1902 and 1922, Orida, Saloma, and Rosalie Olds grew up together in Marco's tropical island wilderness. In many respects, they were just normal girls. They helped their parents around the house and regularly attended Sunday school. As they grew older, they enjoyed playing music, making photographs, reading books, writing letters, keeping animals, socializing, finding adventure, teasing one another, and gossiping about boys. Yet Marco's harsh environment also demanded that they fish, hunt, boat, and grow crops - things most women didn't do at the time. Even at age 14, Saloma had an appreciation for their unique upbringing, writing in her diary: "we are awfully different from the people around here." After their father left in 1916, the Olds girls took over the family fruit business. When their mother died in 1919, they stayed at Marco alone, continuing to grow, pack, and sell fruit. They kept in touch with their father, who remarried in 1920 and moved with his new wife back to Pennsylvania. A major hurricane in September 1920 damaged many of the fruit trees at Marco, making life more difficult for the three young women. They stayed until sometime between 1922 and 1924, when they drove to Pennsylvania together and reunited with their father. Their independence, determination, and zest for life, hard-earned at Marco, stayed with them throughout their lives. |
Related Records
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Card, Advertising - 2020-11-001D
White cardstock informational card for priority service contact information regarding inquiries into Mackle Brothers developments. Part of mail package to Saloma Olds. Green text on card reads: "For PRIORITY SERVICE call Mr. Raymond Samuels, Director, FLORIDA"S MACKLE BROS., INC., 7704 Madison Street, River Forest, Illinois." His telephone number and area code are listed in the bottom right corner.
Record Type: Object
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Card, Business - 2020-11-001C
Business card for Mackle Bros. Inc. Sales Representative, Goldie D. Cherner, from the regional office in River Forest, Illinois. Stapled to the business card is business reply mail printed on yellow cardstock for the recipient to make an appointment to learn more about the Marco Island development. Goldie D. Cherner's signature is in pink on the postage side in the bottom left.
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Correspondence - 2020-11-005D
Deltona Corporation Marco Island business reply mail insert to be filled out if interested in Marco Island. Single color illustration of Polynesian structure with sun, palm trees, two boats on the water and a seagull in flight in the upper right corner. Below is an address label with "Saloma Olds, 1107 Shermer Rd, Glenview, IL 60025" printed on it. On the left side are options to be filled out by the sender.
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Diary - 2011-04-001
Red leather-like binding. Front cover reads "Record" in gold. Inscription on the first page reads "Saloma Olds from Orida Olds, 14th birthday, Vol. I." 180 pages of handwritten text. Original photographic prints also throughout the diary. Captions included around each photograph. Personal accounts of living on Marco Island written by Saloma Olds from February 1913 to January 1914.
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Diary - 2011-04-002
Red leather-like binding. Front cover reads "Record" in gold. Inscription on the first page reads "Saloma Olds, Marco, Florida, Vol. II." Pages 1-38 and 80-158 include handwritten text. Pages in between and after those with text are blank. Original photographic prints also throughout the diary. Captions included around each photograph. Personal accounts of living on Marco Island written by Saloma Olds from January 1914 to February 1915.
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Envelope - 2020-11-001A
Large color envelope. One side features an aerial image of undeveloped Marco Island. Scroll and six small images of explorers and Native peoples around the scroll. Text in the scroll reads ""Seek ye no more to find your treasure Island...your place in the sun...your refuge from cares and woes."" Text in the proper right top corner reads "Florida's Mackle Bros., Inc., 7704 W. Madison St., River Forest, Illinois 60305." "G.D. Cherner" is handwritt...
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Envelope - 2020-11-004
Envelope with blue and red alternating striped border. Blue printed text in the center reads "Business Reply Mail, First Class Permit No. 4339, Miami, Florida. The Mackle Bros., P.O. Box 280, Miami, Florida 33135. The postage box in the upper right corner reads "No Postage Stamp Necessary If Mailed In The United States." Lines and printed text for a return address in the left top corner.
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Envelope - 2020-11-005A
Green envelope for Mackle Bros. Division, Marco Island Development, The Deltona Corporation mail with illustration of Polynesian structure, palm trees, a sun, two boats on water, and a sea gull on the left side of the envelope's front. Recipient address opening with clear plastic film to the right of the illustration. Postmarked Miami, Fla. The postage box in the upper right corner reads "No Postage Stamp Necessary If Mailed In The United St...
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Envelope - 2020-11-005E
Deltona Corporation Marco Island business reply mail envelope. Envelope is cream with dark green print. Single color illustration of Polynesian structure with sun, palm trees, two boats on the water and a seagull in flight in the lower left corner. Center of the envelope reads: "Postage will be paid by Mackle Bros. Division, Marco Island Development Corp., P.O. Box 280, Miami, FLA. 33135. Envelope for 2020-11-005D.
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Letter - 2020-11-001B
One page typed letter on Florida's Mackle Bros. Inc., Chicago Regional Office letterhad from Goldie D. Cherner. Stapled to the letter is a single-sheet double-sided business post reply titled "Come Fly With Us." The mail-in reply reads: "Yes, I'm interested in making the two-day inspection tour of Marco Island, Florida on ______ . Please see that I receive complete details without obligation." Below the text are spaces for the sender's name, ...
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Letter - 2020-11-002
One page typed letter on Mackle Dros. Division, Marco Island Development, The Deltona Corporation letterhead from C.E. Penrod, Director of Information and Service. Mailed to Saloma Olds in response to her request for information about Marco Island, notifying her that she will be contacted by phone by an authorized representative.
Record Type: Object
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Letter - 2020-11-005B
Bifold mass-produced letter printed on green paper from Neil E. Bahr, Vice President of the Deltona Corporation. The front reads "Announcement..." with an illustration of a seagull above the word. The letter inside alerts the recipient that homesite prices are going up by ten percent on January 1, 1968 and encorages the recipient to look through the progress report (2020-11-005C) and return the Information Request Card (2020-11-005D) today.
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Map - 2020-11-006
Folded souvenir map of Fort Lauderdale, Florida compliments of Plantation First National Bank. Printed in blue on cream paper.
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Negative - 2011-04-014
Black and white negative of Saloma Olds standing and holding a dead bobcat by its back legs. Trees and a building in the background.
Record Type: Photo
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Negative - 2011-04-026
Black and white negative of Saloma and Mary Olds looking and conversing over a telegram at the Smith College 1884 class reunion. Women are standing on a cobblestone walkway. A Model-T and a man in a hat in the background.
Record Type: Photo
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Pamphlet - 2020-11-003
Bi-fold pamphlet promoting 15 Deltona model homes. Black and white text on the front reads "Villas Price List, Effective January 15, 1967, Mackle-Built Marco Island". Inside and back includes black and white renderings and descriptions for the Sportsman, Seaview, Newport, Neptune, Chesapeake, Bristol, Riviera, Hatteras, Commodore, Regatta, Enterprise, Columbia, Annapolis, Vanguard, and the Pacemaker model homes.
Record Type: Object
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Postcard - 2011-04-065
Black and white image of Saloma Olds standing in front of palmetto leaves, holding sea grape leaves. Handwritten caption on the back reads "Saloma". Printed text on the back reads "Post Card" and "Place Postage Stamp Here".
Record Type: Photo
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Postcard - 2011-04-145
Color painted-like image of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Cathedral of Pisa. Caption on the back reads "Pisa, Torre Pendente e Abside del Duomo, Leaning tower and apse of the Cathedral, Tour penchee et abside du Dome, Der schiefe Turm und die Hinterseite des Doms, Torre pendiente y abside de la Catedral." Handwritten message on the back reads "Aug. 30, Dear Carol: Here we are in Pisa & we saw the Leaning Tour [sic] this morning. It really ...
Record Type: Object
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Postcard - 2011-04-161
Black and white image of Rosalie (center), Saloma (left) and Orida Olds in a boat. All women are wearing coats and hats. Water and trees in the background. Handwritten caption on the back reads "Sal, Rosalie, Orida." Printed text on the back reads "Post Card" and "Place Postage Stamp Here".
Record Type: Photo
