Miss Clara M. Jemison lived in West Farmington, a village along the Grand River in Trumbull County of northeast Ohio.
In 1900, the population of West Farmington was almost the same as it is today – 542.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Farmington,_Ohio
In January of 1908, Clara received a postcard from Mrs. H. L. Smith.
Mrs. Smith mailed the postcard from West Brownsville, once an important transportation hub in southwest Pennsylvania.
This small borough lies on an ancient indigenous pathway that crossed a shallow section of the Monongahela River at this point.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Brownsville,_Pennsylvania
In the early years of the US, many settlers passed into the lands west of the Appalachians on a wagon road that followed the early trail.
Eventually, this well-traveled route became the National Road, and later, Route 40.
West Farmington, OH is almost 138 miles northwest of West Brownsville, PA.
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The face of the postcard is a lovely drawing of pink flowers (asters, I think) on a plain background.
Each phase of the blossom’s budding and opening is represented in the bouquet.
The artist is not credited; Mrs. Smith has written her name below the stems.
The large assortment of European languages on the reverse conforms that the postcard was printed in Europe.
I could not distinguish a publisher’s mark.
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In her message, Mrs. Smith addresses Clara and reports, “I was much surprised to receive your postal”.
She adds that she was, “glad to hear that you are all well.”
Unfortunately, the same is not true for Mrs. Smith.
“My health has not been very good for the last two months”, Mrs. Smith relates.
Nevertheless, Mrs. Smith will “try and write to you some time soon.”
Clara seems to have appreciated the response to her surprise postal; it was preserved in very good condition throughout her life.
One hopes that Mrs. Smith was restored to health and that she and completed a letter to Clara as she promised.
