Mr. Ross Wright lived in Alum Bank, a small community in Bedford County of south-central Pennsylvania.
The community is also called, “Pleasantville”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasantville,_Bedford_County,_Pennsylvania
At the time the postcard was mailed, Alum Bank had 191 residents.
In April of 1912, Ross received a lovely art postcard from a mystery correspondent.
The sender is identified only as “Guess Who”.
The postcard was mailed from Cessna, a populated place at a crossroads in Bedford County – about 8 miles southeast of Alum Bank.
The community was named for John Cessna who was credited for creating a rail stop there.
Cessna had a Post Office from 1873-1940
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna,_Pennsylvania
The small size of these communities suggests that Ross would be able to could determine the sender.
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The face of the postcard is a painting of a verdant island or peninsula.
A stream of water, overshadowed by a beech tree, sparkles in the foreground.
In the distance, beyond green meadows and a dense stand of trees, lies the sea -extending to the horizon.
The absence of any figures, or any living creature, creates an aura of perfect calmness.
Like many other art postcards, this postcard does not identify the artist.
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On the reverse, the message begins, “Hello their (sic)”.
Ross is asked, “Come down to the revival Thu. Eve.”
The meeting will be held “at Sloans Hollow if the weather is fit.”
Sloans Hollow, a few miles southwest of Cessna, is no longer a census-identified place.
There is a small community church in Sloans Hollow – and they held a week of Revival Meetings in April of this year!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093962524270
In closing, the sender pleads, “excuse bad writen (sic)”.
Ross preserved the attractive postcard throughout his life.
One hopes that he attended the revival, met his mysterious friend, and enjoyed the exchange of many more postcards.
RESEARCH NOTE
On June 21, 1894, Ross Vincent Wright was born in Alum Bank, Bedford County, PA.
(He was “Ross Vivian Wright” at birth, but used the middle name of “Vincent” on documents later in life.)
Ross was the son of John William Wright (1859-1930) and Charlotte Hancock Clark (1861-1959).
John and Charlotte were married in 1880, and proceeded to have six sons and three daughters.
All the children lived into mature adult years.
In September of 1917, Ross was married to Margaret R. Smay (1897-1980).
Ross and Margaret had one daughter and one son, each of whom lived into the 21st century.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LZCL-X3F
Like the heroes of other postcard stories, we have seen, the family of Ross and Margaret moved to nearby Cambria County before 1920.
The move may have been for employment in the booming industries around Johnstown, PA.
After the death of Margaret in 1980 (age 83), Ross lived as a widower for two years before his death in February of 1982.
Ross was 87 when he died; he and Margaret are buried together in the South Fork Cemetery in Cambria County.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/93296076/ross-vincent-wright
(Margaret was born in Pittsburgh and never lived in Bedford County before her marriage – so she is not the sender of the postcard invitation.)
