“Aunt Edith Goes Through the Tunnel” – Kanab, Utah (1930)

Miss Crystal Dursch lived in Philadelphia, the historic city and center of commerce and culture on the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania.

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

Sometime in 1930, Crystal received a postcard from her aunt Edith.

The postcard was mailed from Kanab, a city and county seat of Kane County in south-central Utah.

Originally a military outpost called Fort Kanab, the city was established after ten Mormon families settled in the area in 1870.

The Post Office was established in 1871.

In the 20th century, Kanab became a center of tourism due to its proximity to the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Monument Valley.

In 1930, however, Knab had a population of fewer than 1200.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanab,_Utah

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The face of the postcard is a photograph of “East Portal of Mt. Carmel Highway Tunnel, Zion National Park”.

From Google:

“Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches.”

“Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity.”

Although President Taft had designated most of this area as the “Mukuntuweap National Monument” in 1909, the “Zion National Park” was established by Congress in 1919 – the first National Park in Utah.

The use of place names given by the Mormon settlers was believed to be important for tourism.

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

The Tunnel at Mount Carmel was completed in 1930 – so Aunt Edith was one of the first travelers to experience this marvel.

“The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel is a historic, 1.1-mile tunnel in Zion National Park that connects the main canyon to the east side of the park. It features six galleries carved into the sandstone for light and ventilation…”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zion_%E2%80%93_Mount_Carmel_Highway

The publisher of this postcard photograph is not clear.

A descriptive paragraph notes the Union Pacific Railroad – which may be the publisher.

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On the reverse, Aunt Edith writes only, “We went thru this tunnel today” -and signs her name.

One hopes that the rest of the trip provided other wonderful sights and adventures and that the travelers returned safely to their home.

Crystal preserved the postcard in very good condition throughout her life.

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