Photo Mystery

Photo Mystery
By John R. Greenwood

Solved Unsolved Mystery

Being born in Saratoga Springs and growing up a few miles north in Greenfield Center has given me the privilege of having a lifetime worth of history sprinkled throughout them both. In my recent, "Search For A Sign From Clem," I have discovered family scrapbooks at the public library. I have reunited with high school friends, and made some new friends on the other side of the country. That was my hope when I began searching for signs. I never once believed it would be so intriguing. 

Here is another wonderful example. 

I had posted a link to a slideshow of family photos on a site called Greenfield Remembered. A comment appeared shortly after. A woman said one of the photos caught her attention. She was certain the women on the left was her mother Emily. Her mother Emily's family lived a short distance from my grandparents. She knew her mother was a friend of my aunt Millie. I knew the women on the right was my aunt but I never did know who the other woman was. Most of the photos my mother passed down had no names on the backs. I  loved this photo because of the sheer joy it exuded. There was such happiness in their faces. They were young and probably celebrating a special occasion. 

I needed to confirm the identity so I dug back through the family collection to see if I could find the photograph. I found the photo and turned it over. There as clear as a bell was confirmation that it was indeed her mother Emily and her friend Millie, my aunt. 

I began searching again-as I am prone to do. I figured if they were friends and neighbors, I might just uncover another photo of the two of them. As I carefully sorted through to the bottom of the pile, I recognized a couple of now recognizable faces. 


The photograph had lead me from Greenfield Center all the way back to Congress Park in Saratoga, and it all started with a little search for a sign from Clem...