Miss Nettie Hess lived in Oregon, a small community beside the Oregon Pike (PA Route 272), about five miles northeast of Lancaster, PA.
In the early 20th century, Oregon boasted a school, a Methodist church, an Inn, and a mill on the Lititz Run.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon,_Pennsylvania
An earlier (1792) meeting house and school founded by Mennonites disappeared during the 19th century.
The importance of “Bear’s Mill” at Oregon along with Bushong’s Mill on the Conestoga River at nearby Pinetown, was the impetus for the construction of the original Oregon Pike linking Lancaster to Ephrata and Reading in 1734.
The Post office in Oregon was established in 1842, but was closed soon after this postcard was exchanged.
On April 26, 1912, Nellie received a postcard from Ella E. Heisey.
The postcard was mailed from Elizabethtown, the growing community in northwest Lancaster County.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethtown,_Pennsylvania
In 1912, Elizabethtown was enjoying a new liberal arts college and a growing chocolate factory.
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The face of the postcard is a drawing of a young shepherdess resting against a tree.
The curly-haired girl wears a broad-brimmed sun bonnet and a long white apron; she may be barefooted.
Beside her, two sheep are grazing on the long grasses; other sheep are seen on the plain beyond her.
The art postcard is ascribed to “Art de Vienne” and “Printed in Germany”.
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On the reverse, Ella greets “Dear Nettie” and reports, “We got home alright, at least I did and so did Mary as far as I went with her.”
There appears to have been some event at Oregon as Ella shares, “I certainly had a fine time”.
On their return, Ella and Mary “got off the car about six squares above the station and walked to pass our time”.
The two also “walked out to the St. Joseph’s Hospital”.
The lines seem to refer to a trolley car to Lancaster, and a later trolley or railroad departure to Elizabethtown and to Mary’s destination.
Ella concludes by urging Nettie to “write soon” and to “come when you can”.
Nettie preserved the postcard art throughout her life.
One hopes that the friends had many more meetings and that they exchanged many more postcards.
