Tiverton Man Seeks to Reunite 1940s Photograph With Owner

They say a picture's worth a thousand words, but what happens when you lose that picture?

Not everything is backed up or digitized, so printing another copy isn't an option in many cases – especially when that photograph is from another century.

Mark Nimiroski, Executive Director at the Tiverton Wastewater District, recently stumbled upon an old photograph in the parking lot of his business.

"I was just going out to my car at the end of the day. I saw the photograph laying on the ground. It was end of December," Nimiroski said.

He then placed it in his car to address the next day.

"When I remembered to take it out of my car I said to my office manager Pat, 'there's a name on the back,'" he said.

The inscription, written in cursive, says "Nathaniel Knepper October 1946." Nimiroski said he was shocked by the date on the back, not realizing the old photograph was that old.

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To put things into perspective, World War II had just ended, It's A Wonderful Life premiered, Harry S Truman was president, the average cost of a house was about $5,000 and a gallon of milk was a mere $0.67 in the year 1946.

"We all have an old photograph or photographs. There's only one of them," Nimiroski said. "I don't want someone to lose something irreplaceable, a family heirloom."

So he and his staff went to work. They searched their clientele of about 1,000 customers, but no luck. No one with the last name Knepper. They posted the photograph on Facebook, but still nothing. There were no responses claiming the photograph and no knowledge of a local connection.

Nimiroski knows his customers well and is hopeful. He thinks the person that dropped the picture might not be on Facebook and certainly isn't aware that the photo has gone missing yet. Many of his customers pay by check and drop them off in person, possibly dropping the photograph from their wallet or purse on the way. This is Nimiroski's best guess as to how it ended up in his parking lot.

Regardless of how it got there, Mark Nimiroski is dedicated to returning the photo to its rightful owner.

"I hope they get it back," Nimiroski said.

So this is where we turn to you, SouthCoast. Help us help Mark in finding the person who misplaced a memory and reunite them with Nathanial Knepper, October 1946.