In other postcard stories related to travel or road trips of the early 20th century, we have often noted that the majority of roads in the United States were unpaved and unimproved.
“Unimproved” means that the traveler often encountered roads that were flooded, without berms, containing abrupt angles, and lacking sound bridges.
This postcard photograph shows a bridge over Broad Brook on Hendrick Street leading from Easthampton, Massachusetts.
The postcard was not mailed, so we lack any indication about the collector who preserved it.
Easthampton is a city in the Pioneer Valley of west-central Massachusetts – near the college towns of Amherst and Northampton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easthampton,_Massachusetts
The photograph is credited to Charles J. Keene, but the postcard was printed in Germany and published by the English firm of Raphael Tuck & Sons.
One sees that the rustic structure across Broad Brook could accommodate a pony cart or a buggy, such as the ones shown in the photograph.
The advent of the automobile age, however, would produce a crisis in bridge and road accessibility.
Many automobile associations and “Better Highway” groups began advocating for sustained investment in roads and bridges by local and state governments and by the Federal government.
AAA, the largest surviving automobile association was founded in 1902 as a joint venture of nine smaller automobile clubs.
While “Triple A” is now known primarily as a traveler assistance program, the organization was a powerful lobby for better roads.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Roads_Movement
I cannot locate a picture of the current Broad Brook Bridge, although it is listed as a development project of the recent Federal Infrastructure initiative.
