Greetings from Tiptonville

There are two reasons that Tennessee (Mom’s family) is represented more prominently on StevensFamilyTree.com than Dad’s Ohio side, and I wanted to take a moment to address this imbalance.
Reason One: Mom’s family is fairly large, whereas Dad’s has all but vanished. As a result, I have many sources of information about the Caldwells, Hopsons and Tiptons of Tennessee, so it’s only natural that I share, and build on, the data I have access to. Dad’s family is a real mystery, with almost nothing known beyond my paternal Grandfather, and precious little about him. The majority of my efforts go towards the Stevens’ side, but the bulk of what I have to share pertains to the Tennessee folks.
Reason Two: Tiptonville, Tennessee has a long history as a tourist attraction, and as such there’s all sorts of items promoting that aspect of the small community.
And it’s on that note that I’ll introduce this nifty item, a vintage Tiptonville postcard. Does this have anything specifically to do with my family? No, not a thing. It’s simply a neat example of vintage ephemera pertaining to Tiptonville, and if the train jumps the tracks a bit, well, that’s OK with me. Above and beyond the genealogy and history, this site is heavy on memories, so I’ll be indulging in a little nostalgia for the places that figured in my family’s past.
While it’s not postmarked or dated in any way, I suspect the postcard dates from the 1940’s or 50’s. The basic design is a classic, a format used for every state in the union. These cards were sold all over Tennessee, with the appropriate town imprinted on the front. (I’ve also seen this card with no town/city added) The back of the card doesn’t include a description of the subject, a common feature on cards of the era, only the name of the postcard company and printer:

Thompson’s Community Service, 1220 Chickasaw, Paris, Tenn.
Genuine Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art-Colortone” Post Card (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.)

Curt Otto Teich was born in Germany in 1877 and immigrated to America at the age of 19. Two years later he founded the Curt Teich Company in Chicago, and began printing various of commercial jobs. In 1910 the company purchased its first offset press, and nearly all subsequent work was done in offset. Teich was a pioneer in this regard as most printers were using letterpress well into the 20th century. The company lasted until 1978, when they finally closed their doors.
Curt Teich introduced what was known as the “linen” card in the late 1920’s. The linen postcards had a high rag content, giving them a unique, fabric-like texture. Our Tiptonville card has such a texture, clearly seen if you left-click to see the larger image. Unfortunately, the linen cards are prone to yellowing, and this one has acquired a yellow/brown tinge. (the discoloration is more severe than the digital images would indicate, as I’ve corrected them slightly with Photoshop) An image of the back of the card can be seen here. Postcards are an interesting glimpse into the past, and there are more to come!