Alto Post Office ca 1910
Lincoln County New Mexico

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Submitted by Maureen Pierce

Attached is a postcard picture of the Alto post office. My great-great-great grandfather was Williston Hollis LANE. I can send you a scan of just the original, it's the larger one. I have the "legend" written several times on different slips of paper - a frustrating but common practice in this family.

On the back of the postcard it says "Burlie this is Alto. I will send it to you. You can pick Pa and Ma & I guess Ma is in the door and you can see Pa plain from your sis." It was not mailed. Not sure who Burlie is unless it's Bertie but then I'm not sure how it got into my branch.

The legend I copied is on the back of the cropped scanned copy. Another legend gives more information

Jenny and Delphinia COX
Faye SLACK
Ina SLACK
Mona LANE [Sallie Mona LANE JOHNSON WARFIELD, granddaughter of Williston]
Grandmother LANE (CRAIN)[Sarah Ann CRAIN LANE, wife of Williston]
Billy HIGHTOWER Martha HIGHTOWER
Winston [sic] Hollis (Bud) LANE
Peddler who owned the buggy with blankets.
Two little ones in front of adults were HIGHTOWER children.

This doesn't have the story about Billy HIGHTOWER killing someone. 

Since it says "Grandmother LANE" that might mean it was Mona LANE who wrote this although she was born in 1900 so she would have been 10 in this picture. But it doesn't look like her writing. It could be her mother Lurline (Nene) and she was writing it for her daughter. They shared family history information and saved every scrap of paper. I'm trying to go thru it and share where appropriate so their memories don't get get lost.

I have another piece of paper that says:
From left
--- COX (Dude)
Faye and Ina SLACK
Mona LANE
Sarah Ann CRANE LANE
Grandpa (Hollis) LANE
Nora HIGHTOWER m. Ernest T. BLOOD [she did marry an Ernest Blood, I think this is just a comment]
Lula HIGHTOWER
Behind Lula Billy HIGHTOWER (father of Nora & Lula) was sentenced to 10 yrs for murder over a mining claim. He hid out until his time was up and was pardoned. Then married and had a family 3 girls then a boy (or two?)

Off to the top right, written on a slant and possibly in different handwriting picture of Alto P.O. 1910 or 12?

I also have an undated list of students and teachers at Alto Public School. Some of the names above are on that list, the SLACKs and HIGHTOWERs. Mona LANE (b. 1900) isn't but her cousin Clarence HOLLEM (b. 1907) is there.

Maureen Pierce