Miss Vera Stephan lived in Akron, a pleasant borough on a hill in Lancaster County of southeast PA.
Akron abuts the borough of Ephrata which is noted in the family history (below).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akron,_Pennsylvania
Sometime around 1909, Vera received a romantic postcard from Willis B.
The postcard was not mailed, so we do not know either the date or the location of Willis.
The postcard may have been enclosed within a letter, or delivered by an intermediary.
I have two other postcards of similar design – both were postmarked in 1909, and I have suggested that date for this postcard.
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The face of the postcard is an interesting drawing of an electric light bulb – the globe encloses a young couple in a tight embrace.
.A descriptive verse is printed in gilt letters at the base:
“With Her Arms Round Your Neck
And Your Arms Round Her Waist,
Opportunity’s Being Sublimely Embraced”
I am always delighted to find postcards that reflect the adoption of emerging technology.
Just as automobiles began to be featured on postcards at a time when less than five percent of households owned an auto, so it is with electric lights.
Home electrification in 1909 was about 10%, but one can find illustrations of lightbulbs on many postcards.
from the Google Summary:
“In 1910, about 10% of American homes had electricity, . While this was a small fraction, major cities were largely electrified, and the number of homes with electricity was beginning to grow significantly.”
The postcard is from the “Gold Embossed Lovelights Series”
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On the reverse, Willis explains that he decided to “write a few lines….and leave (sic) you know that we got home alright on Sun. eve.”
There must have been some concern about the horse, the weather, or the roads – for Willis notes, “The horse didn’t go so bad after all”.
Nonetheless, the party will not drive on Saturday eve., but will “take the 6:30 car.”
Akron was served by the extensive trolley system that emanated from the nearby city of Lancaster.
One hopes that the parties assembled as planned by using the trolley.
RESEARCH NOTE
On July 20,1892, Vera M. Stephan was born in Springville – a crossroads outside the borough of Ephrata, PA.
She was the daughter of Carl Stephan (1855-1895) and Mary Rock Stephan (1850-1922).
Vera had two older sisters, two older brothers, and one younger sister.
Sadly, Vera experienced the death of two siblings:
Sister, Elva M. Stephan Garman, died of tuberculosis just before her 32nd birthday.
One brother, Fred, was killed at age 35 in an accident at the Coal Yards (owned by his uncle, John Stephan) in Ephrata.
Sometime around 1917, Vera married Edgar K. Binkley (1888-1975).
The couple had four daughters, all of whom lived to adulthood and married.
Vera and Edgar had five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren at the time of Vera’s death in 1981.
Vera died in the hospital in Ephrata, PA. at the age of 89.
Her obituary notes that she was active in the Methodist Church and the Farm Women Society.
She is buried with her husband in the Lincoln Cemetery just outside the borough of Ephrata.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53028323/vera_m-binkley
