Mr. John A. Hedges lived in Stockton, a small city in Cedar County of southwest Missouri.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton,_Missouri

In July of 1915, John received a postcard from Joe Hedges, presumably his brother.

Joe mailed the postcard from Bedford, the resort town built around springs, in Bedford County of south- central Pennsylvania.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford,_Pennsylvania

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The face of the postcard is a hand-colored photograph of a long road stretching into the trees and the hills in the distance.

The road is lined with telephone poles and wooden fences.

A single auto is using the highway which appears to be graveled or paved.

Above the quiet rural scene, a title identifies the “Seven mile stretch on Philadelphia and Pittsburgh State Highway.

The postcard was published by William A. Weisel of Bedford, PA.

Contemporary motorists in the Keystone Commonwealth may not believe that Pennsylvania was once a national leader in the construction and improvement of roads and highways.

The “State Highway” of the title is what is now the “Lincoln Highway”.

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On the reverse, Joe reports on the trip.

He writes, “We drove over here yesterday”, “we brought mother over with us”.

The daily drive was “103 miles”.

It seems that the party stayed in Bedford, as Joe announces, “We will go back this afternoon.”

The “7-mile stretch” is west of Bedford, PA – so we may assume that the travelers departed from a place near Pittsburgh.

One hopes that John was thrilled by the postcard souvenir, that the travelers returned safely to their homes, and that the brothers remained postcard correspondents for many years.

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GENEALOGICAL NOTE

I believe I have found the Hedges family.

In September of 1858, Aaron Hedges (1819-1897) married Martha Ellen Kirk (1841-1922) in Jefferson, Ohio.

Aaron and Martha were both born in Ohio; Aaron was 38 or 39 years old when his bride was 17.

The couple had 7 children; their first was a son, John Albert Hedges (1863-1951).

(This is the recipient of the postcard)

The next child was a daughter, Margaret, followed by five sons.

One of the boys died in infancy.

The sixth child was Joseph Franklin Hedges (1876-1939) – the sender of the postcard.

Although the parents lived and died in Ohio, the Hedges boys moved several times in their lives.

The US Census reports, however, show John A Hedges in Cedar County, Missouri between 1900 and 1930.

After 1930, John lived in Maryland – where he died and is buried.

Joseph Franklin Hedges resided in Allegheny County, PA (Pittsburgh) from 1900 to 1930.

After 1930, Joseph lived in Florida where he died and is buried.

Mother must have been visiting Joseph in Pittsburgh at the time of their driving excursion in 1915.

Mother died seven years later (at age 81), in 1922.