Need help returning a 100+ year old baggage tag to family.

[Keppy]

nobody committs suicide by cutting their own throat. Cutting ones throat was a figure of speech meaning, not a good idea, or very bad move which will result in dire consequences.

Yes he would die that would be the consequences..... And that is what he wanted ..... No matter how one does ones self in the consequence is dire that is death.....

 

[bfloyd4445]

Yes he would die that would be the consequences..... And that is what he wanted ..... No matter how one does ones self in the consequence is dire that is death.....

Not if the words were used as a conjunction or as slang, or figuratively speaking. Example, boy it was a crazy day today. Crazy is used figuratively in place of a long explanation describing a very busy day with lots of things happening. See if you can find one documented case of a person committing suicide by cutting their own throat, I couldn't find any

 

[Helix]

Not if the words were used as a conjunction or as slang, or figuratively speaking. Example, boy it was a crazy day today. Crazy is used figuratively in place of a long explanation describing a very busy day with lots of things happening. See if you can find one documented case of a person committing suicide by cutting their own throat, I couldn't find any

Personally after reading a few more of the cases in the link Jeff posted I agree it was a figure of speach. Another case read ( John Doe, 2323 W Jackson blvd,. Murdered wife, Cut own throat, Probably die. ) Now that makes me think they are saying, guy killed his wife now faces life in prison or death. Anyhow to get back on mr. Gastel's tag. I agree the orignal owner is the same Fred jr. listed living in Hammond in early 1900's. Looks as though he was a successful realstate investor and was wealty for the times. Stand to reason if you could afford custom engraved name tags. Found him being noted in a history book of lake county ind. Possible the county or state have info on the fellow?

 

[bfloyd4445]

Personally after reading a few more of the cases in the link Jeff posted I agree it was a figure of speach. Another case read ( John Doe, 2323 W Jackson blvd,. Murdered wife, Cut own throat, Probably die. ) Now that makes me think they are saying, guy killed his wife now faces life in prison or death. Anyhow to get back on mr. Gastel's tag. I agree the orignal owner is the same Fred jr. listed living in Hammond in early 1900's. Looks as though he was a successful realstate investor and was wealty for the times. Stand to reason if you could afford custom engraved name tags. Found him being noted in a history book of lake county ind. Possible the county or state have info on the fellow?

i think you have solved the mystery. Good work

 

[Dirtslinger]

A call to the local county museum may be fruitful. If it was a suspicious suicide of his father's, this item may be of interest to them, or it may be a new brick wall you could bang your head against.

 

[Helix]

A call to the local county museum may be fruitful. If it was a suspicious suicide of his father's, this item may be of interest to them, or it may be a new brick wall you could bang your head against.

Yes I might just do that, call local museum. I live about 60 miles from Hammond and the general area I found it in was a huge summer tourist spot. Lots of summer cabins and camping, boating during turn of 1900s. Don't know how this tag I found has anything to do with a suspicious suicide, if this even same person. If I find anything out, will be sure and post findings.

 

[jeff of pa]

Yes I might just do that, call local museum. I live about 60 miles from Hammond and the general area I found it in was a huge summer tourist spot. Lots of summer cabins and camping, boating during turn of 1900s. Don't know how this tag I found has anything to do with a suspicious suicide, if this even same person. If I find anything out, will be sure and post findings.

actually there will be allot of guessing & taking for granted involved,
unless there is a Picture of him with the Luggage & the tag visible,
or a relative handy who has an identical tag as a memory already.

I'm sure any Relative of Fred Jr. will either say Yep That must have been his,
or it Could have been his.
and if you locate a Francis Gatstel Jr. his relatives would say the same.

 

[Keppy]

I do not know why you would even put so much time in finding his relatives ... Myself i would not try to find them ... I got better things to do than to try to give back a rusty piece of metal..

 

[jeff of pa]

I've done it on things like ID tokens, that probably got thrown away by the Possible owners
I haven't had to do major research though.
if they weren't alive or another person with the same name weren't handy, to mail them to,
I gave up.


If the owner isn't alive, the most I've done is with class rings when I placed an add in the paper.
with the owners name. and when someone contacted me saying they were related,
I gave them to them.
How many times I got played I figure most people are inherently honest

 

[Helix]

Well I have never attempted to dig this hard in returning item also, guess that's why I created post for advice. Lot of factors I had not thought of. I see your point Jeff there is no way to be 100 percent certain unless photo or something. if pursuing any further I think look further into any other F jr. Gastel living in area during 30 year time frame. If not I believe I will trust my gut and go with him. Really I'm just fishing here, like I said in orignal post never dug this deep and figured it would be intresting to look into. Yeah crossed my mind if I do contact someone possibly they could care less,thinking what is this crazy person want, If so I keep. Oh well, hay least learning something about the difficulties returning lost items. Again thanks for the help.

 

[Helix]

Little update, I called up and left a message during break with lake county ind. Historic society. Possible might just donate tag to them if they are interested. Sure will be intresting to hear what they say. I apologize if I am beating this topic to death, I have a boring life.

 

[Helix]

.


Doggone-it, tried to post a link from the book on the history of lake county ind. Almost a full page talking about Fred Gastel jr. Book was published in 1915. I might just type it out if I have time. Ok

taken from. A Standard History of Lake Count, Indiana and the Calumet Region.
Pages 667-668

Fred Gastel Jr. The relation of Fred Gastel Jr., with Indiana Harbor, witch have been subsisted pleasantly and profitably for the past 10 years, are chiefly through insurance,loans and general brokerage lines. He is one of the succesful and popular buisness men, has worked hard for all he has got, and has well merited success.
While perhaps the majority of successful men in Calumet region today were born in other localities and have been drawn into this field by the presence of it's great industrial and commercial resources, Fred Gastel Jr. Acknowledges Lake County as his native home and can claim a pioneer relationship for his family with this section.
Fred Gastel jr, spent his early boyhood in Hammond, attending public schools, and after finishing a commercial course in Valparaiso in 1900 was employed by the firm Libby, McNeil& Libby of Chicago as paymaster, and on coming to Indiana Harbor in 1903 was made paying teller for Indiana Harbor State Bank. Since 1904 Mr. Gastel has been engaged in dependent operations as real estate and insurance broker. He handles real estate, insurance, commercial paper, bonds, and act as general broker and finical agent. On June 20 1906, Mr Gastel married Ida D. Joern of Crown Point. Their two children are Fred the third and Dorothy Marie. Mr Gastel has membership in the Masonic Blue Lodge of Indiana Harbor and in the Royal Arch Chapter at East Chicago, is independent in his political relations, and a member of the Commerical Clubs of Lake County.

 

[Lt13501]

It's always worth the effort to track down the family because it's just another type of treasure hunt. Hunt info and the hunt for satisfaction. To each is own my friend but I think making that connection with people is part of this whole silly hobby. It's also not like helix is staying up till 5am pouring over history books to find this guy. He made a post, a phone call and I sent a message on ancestry, i don't consider that much work. The rest of the Thread is enjoyable conversation. At the end of the day Chances are you won't get rich metal detecting or treasure hunting but you can become self-enriched. That's what we are doing here.

 

[jeff of pa]

It's always worth the effort to track down the family because it's just another type of treasure hunt. Hunt info and the hunt for satisfaction. To each is own my friend but I think making that connection with people is part of this whole silly hobby. It's also not like helix is staying up till 5am pouring over history books to find this guy. He made a post, a phone call and I sent a message on ancestry, i don't consider that much work. The rest of the Thread is enjoyable conversation. At the end of the day Chances are you won't get rich metal detecting or treasure hunting but you can become self-enriched. That's what we are doing here.

Good Practice at Research also

 

[Helix]

It's always worth the effort to track down the family because it's just another type of treasure hunt. Hunt info and the hunt for satisfaction. To each is own my friend but I think making that connection with people is part of this whole silly hobby. It's also not like helix is staying up till 5am pouring over history books to find this guy. He made a post, a phone call and I sent a message on ancestry, i don't consider that much work. The rest of the Thread is enjoyable conversation. At the end of the day Chances are you won't get rich metal detecting or treasure hunting but you can become self-enriched. That's what we are doing here.

Yes (to to each is own). You hit the nail on the head Lt1. Doing research of owner and possibly tracking down family I figure would be fun and intresting. Biggest effort put forth was retyping that info. I'm not looking for reward or Honerable mention or anythithing of sort just something I figure would share.

 

[Helix]

Sorry one last post for the night. I find this extremely intreasting. So if Fred the third was born in 1906 and say he had kids in 1930s possibly 40s. Put his grand children well into 80s today. Also looks so Mr Gastel past in 1954. Kinda makes me think there would be someone out there that new the guy. Family for sure. Intresting stuff thanks Tnet goodnight.

 

[Helix]

Little info on my family tree. Seems both males , my dads dad and my great grand father on my moms side fought during wwI. Actually remember my great grand father... Old man during early 80's he was a marine that lived through Ww1 speical expedentary forces...

 

[Lt13501]

On the tree I looked at the user showed a direct link to a person who was living. On ancestry if the person is alive it shows a "private" icon no info. That means that person is alive. So they also must know or are that person because alive info has to been Inputed manually. So as long as they respond to me we should get some info

 

[Helix]

On the tree I looked at the user showed a direct link to a person who was living. On ancestry if the person is alive it shows a "private" icon no info. That means that person is alive. So they also must know or are that person because alive info has to been Inputed manually. So as long as they respond to me we should get some info

Wow thanks. I would think that's a good sign. Sounds like someone in family is intrested in there history. Today I spoke with person in charge of Hammond, Lake county history dept. He did some digging and found info I posted above and agreed facts do add up that F jr most likly is Fred jr. No other F jr Gastel living in Hammond during time. Told him if we can't find family or family not intrested in tag their historic dept is welcome to to if they want and if they don't have intrest I will have no problem holding on to it.

 

[Helix]

Figure I would bump this back up. No New Updates, could take some time. I will bump this post too the top once every two weeks till this tag finds a home.