In 1896 this photograph appeared in Illustrated Bloomington. The home was on 207 Seminary Street and was home to the Howard Hayes family. Howard was bookkeeper and general manager of the Bloomington Stove Works. But Howard had bigger dreams -- he wanted to hunt for gold in the Klondike! In 1897 he left for Alaska and was expected to be absent for at least three years. Apparently Mrs. Hayes grew tired of waiting, because the family left Bloomington and moved to San Francisco, where the ships for Alaska originated.
The home is such a charming one, with two petite porches, large awnings and a brick sidewalk. The block construction is enhanced by the use of different colored blocks on the corners. Note the ornamental work on the bay window. The house no longer exists on Seminary Street, but we can imagine the little girl sipping lemonade on the porch while she pets her dog and looks out over the green grass of the lawn.