We met “Auntie Smith” in another postcard story.

Mrs. Margaret Smith lived on Madison Street in Wilmington.

In 1907, she reached her 100th birthday, and her many friends and fellow-parishioners celebrated with a postcard “shower”.

From a bundle of several dozen at a postcard exhibition, I picked out a half-dozen to purchase and scan.

(Alas, neither of the first two that I scanned contain the actual day of the celebration.)

Margaret was born in 1807 – and it would have been thrilling to hear her reminiscences of all the events of the 19th century.

If she lived her life entirely in Wilmington, she would have been born into a relatively small city still bearing the influence of its Swedish settlement.

The rise of the DuPont empire and the industrialization of Wilmington might have been observed first-hand.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington,_Delaware

Many of the “Founding Fathers” were alive when Margaret was born: John Adams, John Jay, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson – who was President of the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_States

What a wonder it would be to see the first paved roads, the first railroads, the first canal boats, and the considerable expansion of the city.

What did Margaret recall of The Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the assassination of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, the various Panics and tumult that characterized the growth of the American economy?

This birthday postcard features a drawing of irises.

I cannot identify a publisher, but I am confident that the postcard was printed in Europe.

Two inscriptions, “100 Years” and “1807-1907”, are applied with glitter.

On the margin of the face, the sender is identified as “Mr. and Mrs. J. Farra”.

On the reverse, a blessing is written, “Wishing the Lord’s richest blessings may attend thee.”

The wishes are also signed, “Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Farra”.

One hopes that Mrs. Smith enjoyed rich blessings in the celebration of her centenary.