note: this post has been updated with a translation!
It’s rare to find old postcards with pictures of nice goats. There’s joke cards with butting billies, and tourist snaps of mountain goats. But, rarely do you see anything with dairy goats. That’s not surprising since there wasn’t much of a market for goat milk or cheese in this country until recently. So, when I saw this card at last month’s Brimfield Flea Market, I didn’t hesitate to buy it.
Look at those gorgeous bucks and their shepherds! No doubt this is the “Greatest Goat Farm in New England.” I couldn’t read it, but my friend, Karen L, has a friend who speaks Greek. This is what it says:
Dear Sir
I received the letter and I thank you.
I will send the cheese tomorrow be patient.
Greetings
Nick I Nasikas
There’s a story here. Does anyone know it?
It’s all Greek to me…..(C’mon now, you KNEW that was coming!)
It’s Greek to me too, but those look a lot like Angora goats????? I would love to know more about the Greatest Goat Farm in New England too.
I’m curious too. I love old photos.
Hi Terry, here’s what I’ve been able come up with in Google:
http://translate.google.co.uk/?vi=c&hl=en#el|en|Αγαπετε%20κύριε%20ελασων%20το%20και%20σας%20ευχαριστε%20στείλε%20%20τό%20τυρί%20%20αύριον%20μείνε%20έσυχος
I think it’s to do with cheese (turi), possibly thanking someone for their interest? Please bear in mind my Greek knowledge is based on Ancient Greek school lessons from 30 years ago and my transliteration skills have become somewhat rusty with age…
Rob, thanks, brilliant! From what I’ve been able to find out, the farm was started by a Greek immigrant in order to make Greek cheese here in America. There was a large and growing market for it. So, your translation fits in with that.
I found this facebook entry by Googling N J Nassikas:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42294314378&v=wall
Nick Sakelaris Dave..have not seen you for a very long time. We are stll in Merrimack. Just a little tidbit. When Dave moved to NH from MA, everyone kept asking him if he was related to me. We still do not know. My Dad came to the states around 1908 and worked at Sheep farm in Manchester, NH called Nassikas’ sheep Farm. He came to the states from a small town called Smixi. he bec
April 3 at 4:45pm
My friend Karen came up with this article dated 1916. The postcard is from 1948. There’s still a lot of story to tell, but this bit of history is fascinating!
http://books.google.com/books?id=NjALAQAAIAAJ&lpg=PA309&dq=%22A%20Visit%20to%20a%20Grecian&pg=PA309#v=onepage&q&f=false
That article dated 1916 was interesting and I enjoyed reading it, though I didn’t have time to read it all. Thought the use of goats as fire break creators was neat as well as the narrative of the drive up into NH through my childhood hometown of Nashua. :) Thanks for sharing!
Sharon- goats are still used to create firebreaks. They’re in California canyons near LA and other places!
I dont know any greek but it looks to me like the second line is a translation in greek of the first line. And the rest is the name of the farm and the location. :D what do u think?