Mrs. David Morgan lived in Charleroi, a borough on the Monongahela River in Washington County of southwest Pennsylvania.
The community was named for the Belgian city of the same name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleroi,_Pennsylvania
At the turn of the 20th century, many Belgian immigrants worked in the glass factories worked in this area south of Pittsburgh.
Corning Glass and Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. had plants at Charleroi; Corelle ware and Pyrex products were made here also.
In May of 1924, Mrs. Morgan received a postcard from Mrs. Schulz.
The postcard was mailed from Cumberland, the historic city on the Potomac River in Allegheny County of western Maryland.
Thousands of pioneers streamed through this city as they followed the “Cumberland Gap” to settle beyond the Appalachian Mountains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland,_Maryland
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal brought industry and commerce to the area in the early 19th century.
Charleroi, PA is about 102 miles northwest of Cumberland
+ + + + + +
The face of the postcard is a photograph of “National Highway Ascending Martin’s Mountain” and “East of Cumberland, MD.”
The National Highway (“The National Road”) was the first federal highway in the nation.
Authorized by Congress during the administration of Thomas Jefferson in 1806, the new road began at Cumberland, Maryland – extending private turnpikes that began at Baltimore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Road
The slow progress of new road construction continued until the 1830’s – although freight and passenger traffic surged immediately on completed segments.
Huge wagons, with wheel widths of ten feet, shipped produce and goods as settlers followed the National Road into Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
This postcard photograph was published by the Neff Novelty Company of Cumberland, Maryland.
+ + + + + +
From earlier postcard stories we know that a tall mountain ridge overlooked Cumberland, Maryland
“The Lovers Leap at Cumberland” (circa 1935), and “Ruth Receives Dan’s Rock” (1908)
+ + + + + +
On the reverse, Mrs. Schulz offers only a brief message: “Having a fine time”.
To be fair, we note that many correspondents sent dozens of postcards to friends, relatives, and neighbors when they were traveling.
Mrs. Morgan preserved the postcard in excellent condition throughout her life.
We trust that Mrs. Schulz returned safely to her home and had much more to say about her trip.
