A few days ago, we looked at an ink drawing of chickens that had been mailed to Spring Forge, PA.  (“A Few Scratches”)

Soon thereafter, I found this postcard art that was mailed to Spring Grove, with an additional inscription of “P.O. Spring Forge”.

This is interesting evidence of how names of localities evolved faster than the Post Office – which was reluctant to undertake the massive re-printing of maps and postal guidebooks – reflected the change.

(In some cases, the USPS simply opened a new Post Office.)

Published by Meissner & Buch of Leipzig, this postcard bears an original painting of a country cottage with a thatched roof.

A couple are shown at work on their farm.

There is a line of German text on the reverse of the postcard; I have not translated it.

Mrs. Albert Hinkel received the postcard at her home in Spring Grove in September of 1906.

The postcard was mailed from Amsterdam, then a busy mill town (carpets) on the Mohawk River in central New York State.

(Amsterdam today, unfortunately, struggles with the loss of manufacturing plants and the results of botched Urban Renewal projects which destroyed some of the charming features of the town in 1906.)

On the face of the postcard, the sender inscribed a brief message and his name:  “Best Wishes from John B”.

One hopes that Mrs. Hinkel was delighted by the charming scene and that she and John remained correspondents for many years.