Built in 1918, the Simpson Building was Ardmore’s first attempt at building a skyscraper office building. B.A. Simpson, P.C. Dings, and Roy M. Johnson, all of Ardmore, financed the building’s construction.
The building’s first floor façade was lined with white tiling, with the remainder of the building constructed with red bricks. The floors were finished in Ohio flint tiling, with wainscoting of Carthage grey marble. Wood finish on the first floor was of mahogany, with finishes on upper floors of light oak. Base molding throughout the building was made from Vermont black marble.
Each floor was divided into 22 offices. Tenants of these offices were furnished ice water from the basement where ice was made by special machinery. A vacuum machine, also in the basement, was connected by a system of pipes to every room in the building to remove dust and litter. The building originally generated its own electricity and had a coal-fired boiler, which heated the entire building.
Original occupants of the first floor were the Guaranty Bank on the corner and the Myers and Boyd Drug Store on the east side. Since 1918, four other banks have occupied the Guaranty space, and three drugstores the Myers and Boyd space.
The first tenant’s office was selected from the blue prints. This was the firm of Dolman and Dyer, Attorneys at Law, whose descendants still practice law from offices located in this building.
In the late 1920’s the International Independent Oil Producers was organized in this building.
The building was purchased by Quintin Little and Carrie Lou Little in 1949, who renamed it the Little Building. The Little family did extensive interior remodeling and utility upgrade in 1968 – 1969. Subsequently, in 1975, the building was acquired by The Colston Corporation, with stockholders being Bob Colston and Thomas C. Jobe. The building was later renamed the Colston Building.
Hi Mibs! / I wish you could be here in Pittsburgh with me. This morning the temperature was 2 below and was it cold! The hills out here aren't hills but mountains! Notice the small hills on the front of the card? some are like this ∩ only real high! Be seeing you soon. / Love, "Margie" V.About Jones and Laughlin Steel (from the University of Pittsburgh Library):
The Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation was one of the largest iron and steel manufacturers in the United States during the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. Jones and Laughlin grew out of the American Iron Works, founded by John and Bernard Lauth in September 1853. Benjamin F. Jones later bought one-quarter controlling interest in the firm. In 1861, the Lauths sold off their shares to Jones. James Laughlin, who owned a rolling mill across the river in Hazelwood, bought into the company, and it was renamed Jones & Laughlin Steel Company. The company expanded its production capacity in 1909 with a new plant in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, twenty-six miles down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh. The company remained independent until 1974 it merged with Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). All production facilities were closed by 1989.
Dear Father and Brother / I suppose you are having a good time. Mother and I missed you. So did don. kissess [sic] from Little Dorrit J.F. (?)This postcard is interesting to me because it is altered - Little Dorrit, presumably, cut out a photograph of herself and pasted it to the front of the card. I wonder where Father and Brother were, separated from their family. A vacation? A work trip? The author seems a little peeved to be left out.
Dear Lizzie, / May you live to have many more Birthdays and may each one be more happier than the last / Ever yours / Emma J.W.
Here comes Teddy with a load of Christmas --- be a happy one for you.
My mother got me one of the items on my Christmas list: a book featuring animals on real photo postcards, Beauty and the Beast: Human-Animal Relations as Revealed in Real Photo Postcards, 1905-1935
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My Dear friend / Just a card at this Holiday season to let you know I think of you very often trust you are well and happy / Lovingly / Mrs. S--felt / Albany, NY
JACKSON SQUARE, originally known as the Place D'Armes, is a monument to Don Andres Almonester y Roxas, whose funds built the St. Louis Cathedral in 1794, and Pontalba Apartments, flanking the square. The building to the left of the religious edifice is the Cabildo, best known monument to the age of Spanish domination, and storehouse of historic treasures. The building on the right of the church is the Presytere, housing the Natural Science Division of the Louisiana State Museum. In the center of the square is the Jackson Monument unveiled in 1856. Jackson Square has been well preserved and is under excellent care.On this date in 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed, and the ownership of the territory transfered to the United States from France.
The University of Chicago is located on the south side, 7 miles from the business center, facing the Midway Plaisance, the campus now covering an area of 95 acres. William Rainey Harper Memorial Library stands at the south end of the grounds.About this time of year when I was in college, I spent a lot of time either at the Harper Memorial Library or at the Reg, depending on current trends, preparing for finals. Because I was a Humanities major, I was busy reading and writing papers; I had very few exams. When I did have finals, I never did a very good job studying. I was one of those much-reviled students who did well without studying (except in French), so I never learned how. It's one of the reasons I hate advising my current students on study methods. Usually, I send them to the teaching assistant or to the academic help center on campus. But I digress... because UC was a fairly demanding institution, my friends and I usually spent Sundays in the library together. Even though I didn't actually study, I did spend hours and hours reading for my classes. My friends and I would work on our individual projects, sometimes nap, and then we'd go to the cafe for a study break. You never knew who you'd see at the library: I often harbored hopes of running into my crush du jour. I have such fond memories of those afternoons.
12/14/10 / Dear Sister Vera / Your card received yesterday. Very glad indeed to hear from you. Received a letter from home. All were usually well excepting colds. Don't know when our people will be up. I am going down town this afternoon. Lionel Meserole's Father is dead. Ethel S. (Dora S. E-sister) has a little son. Mr. Newcombes are moving. They had a sale yesterday. Come over Friday or Saturday eve. Lovingly, D--- / Would like to see your proofs.
Hello Turners: / We are spending a month at Cayuga Lake and are just making a side trip to the falls. They are just beautiful. / How are you all? / Love from us all, / Emy
11-29-44 / Dear Mary:-- / Thanks a lot for the nice view of the Citadel. / Here's a view of our largest industry where most of the film of the movie industry is manufactured./ Write again soon./ Earl F. NichtThe Internet makes facilitating postcard exchanges so much easier. Even so, many collectors managed to join postcard clubs and rings to get cards from across the country.
Dear folks: Just a card I've been intending to ask you for weeks to order another jar of that cleaning cream like you gave me before. It is the best for my skin yet and I'm all out. I'll get it while I'm home. Beautiful weather, am dead tired tonight (4:30 p.m.) Mary and I are here along working on L---. Going to finish my shopping tomorrow PM. Have been out every nite -- this week. Sure am going to sleep up Sun PM next week. / Write soon / Love, Lillian
Your letter arrived Monday. You are about one week behind in news. Raincoat arrived 2 weeks ago and been in use. Give me Flatts address. Portland's population is about 330,000. Temperature 65 degrees. / George
The Seattle totem pole was made by Alaska Indians under the auspices of the Federal Government. Permission to get the pole for Seattle was secured by an act of Congress and signed by the President of the United States. The pole stands in Pioneer Square and is 50 feet high.According to HistoryLink, however, the totem pole was actually stolen from an Alaskan Indian village, and a grand jury in Alaska indicted eight prominent Seattle citizens for the theft, but papers were never served, and a Federal judge later dismissed the suit. In the late 1930s, the original totem pole was damaged by arson and a replica (carved by descendants of the tribe who created the original totem) was erected in its place.
Main Hall/ R-M.W.C. / Hello, Alma Dell, / How's Limestone? Greetings from Virginia. I'm so sorry that you didn't get the scholarship. We had quite a "mix-up" didn't we? We are having lots of fun here --- studies which are quite hard. I am continuing Latin under Dr. Lipscomb. He is marvelous. You should here him speak Latin!! Love, Martha & ---In 2007, Randolph Macon Women's College became Randolph Macon College and began admitting men into its program.
2/10 / arrived yesterday after a very nice trip. Nicely located at Hotel Mulkey. Plan to be here about ten days or so. Enjoyed all of Tenn. Ark. and Dallas very much. I think we will like Ardmore too. Business seems to be much better everywhere we went - of course, Gov. spending $$$$ for the South. We are losing out in VT. Walter and I start our labors in the A.M. Love, HarryOf course I love this postcard because it's a vintage view of my hometown, but I am fascinated by the message and its allusions to the Great Depression and the government's response. I wonder what Harry and Walter were doing in the South!
Havre, France / 12/6/19 / Much power to you. / Townie / To London next week
