This photo postcard was another mystery to research. The birth announcement was mailed in 1905 to Katherine Cordes in Seymour, Indiana. It says "Fairland, Dec. 11, 1905, Lelia." Boy is crossed out, and Girl is written in pencil; though that has faded with time. The photo says The American Photography Company, Chicago, 1905. With just a few clues, could we discover who this was? We discovered that Miriam Mayes was born on that date in Fairland to Robert Oscar and Lelia Vest Mayes. But, Robert and Lelia had lived in Seymour, what brought them to Fairland? We tried to research Robert's occupation (he is listed as Robert, Oscar, and R. O.) and learned that in 1905 he worked for the Shelby Coffee Company. But, that was not the reason for their move to Fairland. Lelia's father was Reverend E. R. Vest, and in Sep. 1904, they all moved from Indianapolis to Fairland when he was appointed to the M. E. Church in Fairland. But, that was not the whole story. Rev. Vest requested Fa...
The Fairland Historical Society was established in 2024 to share the history of Fairland, Indiana, including Moral & Brandywine Townships in Shelby County. The Fairland Historical Society is a non-profit, public charity, 501(c)(3), 509(a)(2).