“Promise to Tell You All” – Wappingers Falls, New York (1913)

Miss Ora Smith lived in White Deer, an unincorporated community within White Deer Township of Union County in central Pennsylvania.

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

The West Branch of the Susquehanna River forms the border of Union County; most of the county’s population is grouped in river communities.

An historic stone-arch bridge (Watsontown River Bridge) crosses the Susquehanna to Northumberland County from White Deer Township.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watsontown_River_Bridge

In September of 1913, Ora received a postcard from Harrie.

{This name was unfamiliar to me; I believe it may be a shortened form of “Harriet”.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_(name)

The postcard was mailed from Wappingers Falls, a picturesque village now within the town of Poughkeepsie in Duchess County of southeast New York.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wappingers_Falls,_New_York

The community was named for a series of cascades on Wappingers Creek which flows nearby.

Grinnell Library, one of the oldest in New York State, is still operating in the community.

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The face of the postcard is a photograph of “Village Park, Wappinger Falls” (sic).

The mature trees and paved paths suggest that the park was established for some time.

In the distance, one sees some decorative shrubs and an ornamental gate.

Published by the firm of Valentine & Sons of New York, the postcard was “Printed in Great Britain”.

We have seen other postcards of this firm when it was established in England and in Canada:

“Olive Sends a Picture of Penn Park” (1907), “Freda Tours Toronto” (1920):

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On the reverse, Harrie thoughtfully notes the date.

After greeting “Dear Ora”, the writer reports, “I arrived home Thursday last at 2:30 P.M.”

Then, Harrie adds the tantalizing promise, “I will write you in a few days to tell you all.”

Ora seems to have appreciated the view of the park as the postcard was preserved in good condition throughout her life.

One hopes that Harrie composed the letter as planned, and that the friends maintained a postcard correspondence for many years.

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