My uncle Ernest Julius Alfred Erickson was the proprietor of the Wilton Pool Hall in Wilton, North Dakota. Here is a photo he took standing atop the Pool Hall building on Market Day in September of 1914.

You will find his mother, my great grandmother Christine Brita (Olson) Erickson enjoying the day. She is dressed in an all white dress and wearing a white hat with a large white feather sticking out in the back. Her son, Alphons "Al" Erickson stands in front of her wearing a cap. The two are standing up front of the left striped tent with the three little dogs at attention, maybe preparing to perform. Christine appears mesmerized by the little pooches. What exactly is going on I wish I knew.

Ernest Julius writes:
My first Deer hunt out west - September 18, 1917 - Thursday

Frank and I started out from Baker, Oregon at 8:35 in the morning and arrived at Sumpter Or. at 10:30. Got a car from a farmer we met at a local diner and headed to Granite. We paid $2.00, a price arrived at given the place we are. 12:30am we had dinner and then started out for the mountains, Mt. Baldy which is our destination."


Thanks to my cousin Mark Henninger in Bismarck, North Dakota for the transcription of Ernest Julius's diary