A silverplate tray out of Gradyville
by Tim Campbell · first published 11 May 2019 · his original post
This old silverplate tray was dug up with a metal detector about 40 years ago in Gradyville aka Old Town about a mile south of present day Blooming Grove, Texas. I believe the monogram on the front is an M. On the back it is marked THE JEFFERSON, RICHMOND, VA. which refers to the Jefferson Hotel in that city.
Also it is marked Meriden Nickel Silver Soldered, Meriden being the manufacturer of the tray. It is a bit of a mystery why a tray made for The Jefferson Hotel would be monogramed with an M. Perhaps its owner "acquired" it from the hotel on a trip to Richmond, brought it home, and then had it monogramed. Or perhaps the hotel sold the trays as souvenirs and monogramed them for the customers.
At first I thought that this tray was older and perhaps out of one of the old Gradyville business establishments, but research tells us that the Jefferson Hotel was not built until 1895. Therefore someone lost it long after Blooming Grove had moved north to the railroad in the late 1880s. Even so, the tray is probably 100 to 120 years old. The Jefferson Hotel is still going strong in Richmond and is a beautiful landmark to this day.
This piece was published without a title. The one above was written here; the words below are his.