Here is a photo of proud grandparents Nathan and Mary McClain with their bevy of grandchildren, apparently taken on the porch of their home in North Albany in 1914. The quality of this photo is not the best. It gives some evidence of being a photo of a photo (though perhaps professionally made). That fact, though, may have saved this copy from the severe fading that likely befell the original. The faces that are blurred appear to be the result of children not remaining still while the photo was taken (not due to any problem with developing or printing).
These are the identifications from Mom/Florence. (I will give temporary “X” identifiers to the ones she could not identify.) Each row is from the left. Back row: Grandpa Nathan McClain holding infants X1 and X2, Cheslah Lake, Grandma Mary McClain holding baby X3, X4, Florence McClain. Middle row: X5, X6, Bernard McClain. Front row: X7, Ray and Roy Warren, Elmer Lake, X8, Kenneth Lake
This makes a total of fifteen grandchildren in the photo.
I’m going to guess that the girl left of Florence (X4) is Mary McClain and the girl in front of Cheslah (X5) is Myrtle McClain. That means the girl in front of Grandma Mary (X6) is Dorothy Lake. By elimination, the boy to the right of Elmer Lake (X8) would be Elmer McClain and the boy on the left end of the row (X7) would be Howard McClain. The two in Grandpa Nathan’s lap (X1 and X2) must be Earl McClain and Don Lake, both born in 1913. That leaves the baby Mary is holding (X3), which must be Eldon McClain, born in 1914 (which confirms the year for the photo).
The only surviving grandchild not present that was born by 1914 is Charlie’s daughter Marie. They still lived in Nebraska at this time. She would have been 13 when this photo was taken.
Concerning the parents of the grandchildren in the above photo:
While Jim and Susan McClain lived most of their lives near Paxton, Nebraska, they lived in the Albany area for a period between 1912 and 1916 (roughly). I don’t know why. Their son Earl was born during this period. A few photos of their children in the archives date from this period, including the above photo and the one included in this earlier post (of Mary and Florence having a tea party).
Joseph and Nellie Warren had been living in northern California for a period starting about 1910. Perhaps this photo indicates that they had returned to Oregon by 1914, or maybe they were just visiting.
Harvey and Mary (Mae) Lake were living in Albany at this time, as were Arthur and Addie McClain.
Finally, Arthur and Addie McClain, and Ellery and Leota McClain lived in Tallman in 1914.
Here is a list of all the surviving grandchildren born by 1914. The name in the “McClain Parent” column links to a post about that that parent.
| Grandchild | McClain Parent | Birth Date |
|---|---|---|
| Marie McClain | Charlie | 3 Nov 1901 |
| Elmer Lake | Mae | 8 Mar 1905 |
| Elmer McClain | Jim | 1 Jan 1907 |
| Cheslah Lake | Mae | 2 May 1907 |
| Ray Warren | Nellie | 13 Jul 1908 |
| Roy Warren | Nellie | 13 Jul 1908 |
| Howard McClain | Jim | 17 May 1909 |
| Kenneth Lake | Mae | 20 Feb 1910 |
| Florence McClain | Arthur | 6 Jun 1910 |
| Mary McClain | Jim | 7 Oct 1910 |
| Myrtle McClain | Jim | 1 Jan 1912 |
| Bernard McClain | Arthur | 17 Jul 1912 |
| Dorothy Lake | Mae | 21 Sep 1912 |
| Earl McClain | Jim | 23 Mar 1913 |
| Don Lake | Mae | 12 Dec 1913 |
| Eldon McClain | Ellery | 12 Apr 1914 |
Nathan and Mary were just getting started on grandchildren when this photo was taken. They went on to have a total of 34 grandchildren (if I counted correctly), the last few of which were born after both of them passed away.