of 1 cent per card as compared to the 2 cents per envelope for a letter. In 1902 the Rural Free Delivery initiative brought mail to outlying areas, which fueled the popularity of the postcard industry, and by 1907 postcards were divided on the back with a section for the address and a section for corre- spondence. This left the front of the postcard free for an image. This all coincided with advancement in print- ing technology, and an explosion in postcard production. Most of Lillian Bell’s postcard images are dated 1908-1910. The timing of the railroad construction, with the com- pletion of that portion of the Camas Prairie Railroad line in Grangeville in 1909, and the postcard frenzy that was taking place simultaneously, helped secure Lillian Bell’s work as a photographer and artist in perpetu- ity. Lillian and Robert moved to Maupin, Oregon in 1910 and there is nothing noted of her photography or her life after that. Her images of the Camas Prairie Railroad are unique and im- pressive. She was a trailblazer in the world of landscape photography in her short but highly accoladed time in north central Idaho.
Bygone Era cottonwood sentinel: the stock creek school by KEN LEVY, editor
young men away during the school’s life- time and the youngsters needed at home for the chores. The school finally shut its doors in 1949, giving way to bigger schools built in near- by communities. Now awash in canola, Stock Creek School is gradually giving way to the elements, and soon may be just a memory kept only in imagery.
In the echoes of the past, you can almost hear the joyful screams and laughter of children who once were students at the old Stock Creek School, which first opened for classes in 1904 near Cottonwood. Of course, the kids had their quiet mo- ments, too, studying hard in this lonely Camas Prairie structure. Only a few gener- ations of pupils called this place their home away from home. Times were tough back then, with two world wars drawing many
Lillian Bell Postcards from the collection of Carrie Coen
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