1907-1910 Weiser Wonder - Walter Johnson PC, new to the hobby

[bcbgcbrcb]

Great postcard, Leon!

[Jaybird]

nice postcard, Leon. And great find. I agree with some of the others that it makes sense to promote the town you find the most famous person to come from the town and put him on a postcard. Then you sell that postcard with the Weiser Wonder on it.

I can tell you that there was a high school that was a rival to Grant Hill (of NBA Basketball fame) right near where I grew up. Everyone would talk about the school that Grant Hill was from. But that was after he made good in the NBA, not before.

Same thing with Jim Thorpe, PA being founded after he made it big.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe,_Pennsylvania

Happens a lot in sports when the player makes it big and the home town then claims them.

I'm sure many postcards are written well after the date that they were written but in my (limited) experience, I've seen the majority of postcards written around the date they were issued (within the year?) Very unscientific, I know, but that has been my experience.

[Leon]

There is no doubt this could be a 1910 postcard. It could also be a year or two earlier too. Until now it was thought to most likely be from the teens. Until anymore evidence is found it will be circa 1910, I think that nails it.

I do understand that even though Walter didn't have a great record his very first years in WA he was still a great pitcher at that time. His team, not so great.

[Jaybird]

Originally Posted by Leon

There is no doubt this could be a 1910 postcard. It could also be a year or two earlier too. Until now it was thought to most likely be from the teens. Until anymore evidence is found it will be circa 1910, I think that nails it.

I do understand that even though Walter didn't have a great record his very first years in WA he was still a great pitcher at that time. His team, not so great.

I think that's very sound.

As to the point made by a poster about the white on the front of the postcard dating it to a certain era, that's just not the case. It just has to do with a certain aspect ratio image being used and not cropping it to fit on the postcard. You see it on this postcard as well which I date to around 1913-1914 (no earlier).

That would make sense if it was the town where Johnson was born and raised. Hometown boy makes good, etc. but he was from Olinda/Fullerton Union High School in California.

He only played in Weiser for two seasons. Supposition: it may have been produced to entice Johnson to stay in Weiser, Idaho in 1907.

Great article by Hankphenom on his years in Idaho, did not mean to post that and omit credit for the article, my apologies.

One more thing the PC's writer Walter Watkins mentions a town in Wyoming named Midway. Can't find anything about it outside Midway Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Does anyone have an ideas?

[packs]

After doing some research I could definitely see the card being made in 1907. Johnson was signed to a professional contract and then made his Major League debut less than 2 weeks from the time he left Weiser's team. And he only delayed his debut so that he could finish the season with Weiser. Since Weiser wasn't even considered a professional team, it would have been a huge to-do that one of its players was on his way to the majors.

[paul]

I can't believe no one else has noticed that this postcard was addressed to fellow Washington Senator Frank Howard.

[packs]

Also former Rookie of the Year.

[sb1]

As to his nickname Weiser Wonder. It was used in the Iola Daily Register(Iola, Kansas) right after his first game and domineering victory with Washington in early August 1907. So he certainly had the nickname very early in his career as a carry over from his stint in Idaho.

Also, as late as 1925 he was still referred to by this nickname in newspaper game highlights.

[rjackson44]

very pretty p.c enjoy leon

[Rich Klein]

But I could have sworn I entered this postcard back in the day into the Beckett Data Base

Rich