(Below, we learn from a helpful Church Archivist, that the postcard relates to a congregation in Whittier, California.) The Free Methodist Church, one branch of
Mr. B. F. Hartman lived in Rouserville, an unincorporated community in Franklin County of south-central Pennsylvania. The community, near Waynesboro, uses alternate spellings of “Rouzerville”
(If you read to the end of the story, you will see that the Guardian Angel may have been very busy.) Mr. Karl Schlosstein, Jr,
Anna T. Campbell lived in Fairfield, a picturesque town of rolling hills and maple forests in Franklin County of northwest Vermont. The hillsides are well-suited
This postcard was not mailed, so it lacks a personal story. Published by Jessie D. Allardice of Providence, the postcard is part of the “Historic
Mr. Russell Weidenbacker once lived in Ardmore, a pleasant suburb on the Main Line – west of Philadelphia, PA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardmore,_Pennsylvania It appears that Russell had
Mrs. Donald Carter lived in Hempstead, a village within the Town of Hempstead, in Nassau County of Long Island. Hempstead lies adjacent to the city
Mr. and Mrs. Norval Stull lived in Thurmont, a charming town in the Catoctin Mountains of north-central Maryland. Thurmont is in northern Frederick County, close
(In the Research Notes, the place is identified more specifically as Orwigsburg – a borough in Schuylkill County of east- central Pennsylvania.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orwigsburg,_Pennsylvania Last Sunday,
Miss Anna Mann lived in Washington Boro, the pleasant community of Lancaster County that overlooks the Susquehanna River in south-central Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Boro,_Pennsylvania We met Miss
Miss Peggy Cook lived in Princeton, the charming college town of southwest New Jersey. We met members of the extended Cook family in other postcard
The city of Chicago, with the its huge industrial and transportation enterprises, attracted immigrants from many parts of Europe. “In 1900, nearly 80 percent of
Miss Belle Alcorn lived in Thompsonville, a census-designated place within the town of Enfield in Hartford County of north-central Connecticut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompsonville,_Connecticut Thompsonville grew up around
This unusual postcard caught my eye because of the very good drawing (of a boy watching the rain) on the face. I could not find
The Book of Exodus recounts the thrilling story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of bondage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exodus The series of plagues which fell
In the 20th century, as opportunities for travel increased and as the idea of summer vacation became widespread, many Protestant denominations established permanent camps, retreat
The New Testament offers many analogies to describe the habits, duties, and aspirations of those who seek the Kingdom of God. In the Epistle of
Mrs. J. B. Ellis lived in Little Falls, a city on the Mohawk River in Herkimer County of central New York State. At this place,
Since ancient times, faithful people from all parts of Europe and the Near East made pilgrimages to Rome -to visit the tombs of Sts. Peter
This postcard was never mailed, so there is no personal story attached to it. On the face, we see a gleaming and haloed figure of
In August of 1928, Iva was visiting the city of Quebec – founded by the French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, in 1608. Quebec, now the
Elwood Brown lived in Maywood, one of the smallest incorporated cities in Los Angeles County of California. In the mid-20th century, there were automobile assembly
Miss Carrie Sterling lived in Oneida, the city in Madison County of central New York. Due to its connection to the Erie Canal, and then
In September of 1936, Susie was on her way to Portland, Maine. Portland, the largest city in Maine, remains an important port on the Atlantic
Miss Beverly Scott lived in Baltimore, the large commercial city on the Chesapeake Bay in central Maryland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore In April of 1931, Beverly received a
Mrs. S. J. Myers was the Superintendent of the Cradle Roll at the United Brethren Church of Galesburg, Illinois. Galesburg is a city in Knox
Mr. and Mrs. N. L. Parks lived in Montrose, a borough in Susquehanna County of northeast Pennsylvania. In the early 20th century, Montrose had significant
For this Good Friday, an image of the “Man of Sorrows” identified and described by the Prophet Isaiah. Since the time of the Apostles, Christians
The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in the Hudson River Valley, and the town of Kingston was one of the earliest towns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Hudson_Valley
Mr. J. L. Gehman lived in Martindale, an unincorporated community in a rural area of eastern Lancaster County, PA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martindale,_Pennsylvania In September of 1911, Mr.
Miss Eva Simpson lived in Flushing, a village in Belmont County of east-central Ohio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flushing,_Ohio In July of 1912, Eva received a postcard from her
Mrs. Guy Hersey was having a tough time in the late winter of 1908. Mrs. Hersey lived in East Andover, an unincorporated community along Highland
John H. Rhein, Jr. lived at 1742 Pine Street in Philadelphia. This handsome residence, a brick townhouse, was erected near Rittenhouse Square about 1800. (The
Mrs. E. C. Warner lived in Minneapolis, the city of wonderful lakes in southeast Minnesota. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minneapolis In September of 1918, Mrs. Warner received a postcard
Mr. John Pierce lived on a Rural Delivery Route outside Batavia, a village of Clermont County in southwest Ohio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavia,_Ohio Mr. Pierce appears to belong
We have seen other postcard stories in which decorative cards and mottoes were presented to students of the Sunday School. Some were awarded specifically for
There is no shortage of stories about religious innovation, enthusiasm, and awakenings in the history of the United States. Other postcard stories have touched on
St. Francis, whose Feast Day we celebrated on October 4, is beloved by many people for his love of all Creation and for his embodiment
In an earlier postcard story, we met Daisy Pickel who lived in the Susquehanna River town of Safe Harbor, PA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_Harbor,_Pennsylvania Sometime around 1910, Daisy
Miss Stella Dunlap lived in Coatesville, the steel-making city along the Brandywine River in Chester County of southeast Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coatesville,_Pennsylvania Miss Dunlap was an avid
For this very warm Sunday in late summer, a look at one of the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer. In earlier postcard stories, we saw
Mr. George Smyser Agnew lived in Philadelphia, PA. In September of 1907, Mr. Agnew received a postcard from a friend known only by the initials,
In the 19th century, a “seminary” was the name often given to educational institutions for women – whether or not the course of study involved
Mrs. Bertha Sipes lived in Petersburg, a borough on the Juniata River in Huntington County of south-central Pennsylvania. Before the bankruptcy of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
Mrs. Sarah Case was in Indiana Harbor, an industrial community around the Inland Steel Plant east of Chicago, Illinois and of the Indiana community of
For this warm Sunday in July, a consideration of the spiritual life. The Gospel of St. Luke includes a number of instances in which Jesus
May Bates lived in South Norwalk, a town in the southwest corner of Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. In 1913, South Norwalk was incorporated
Upon first glance at the title on the face, I thought that this might be a comic postcard – there are many postcard variations on
In other postcard stories, we have looked at the fine postcards printed by the German American Novelty Art Company. This international company published some of
For a warm Sunday in July, this example of postcard art circa 1905. Pictured on the face is a painting of a rural church such
Arthur Walter Hunt lived in the household of Walter Hunt (presumably, his father.) The Hunt family lived in Albion, a town in Kennebec County of
Master Ellis Pierce lived in Walton, a charming village and town on the West Branch of the Delaware River in southern New York State. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walton_(town),_New_York
On Sunday, May 12, Bethany United Evangelical Church was celebrating “Mother & Daughter Day“ – the celebrations took place during Sunday School and during the
On this site, one can find another postcard featuring a Guardian Angel. That postcard, mailed to Marietta, PA, depicted an Angel rescuing two children playing
In 1911, Miss Emma Hankel lived in Galion, Ohio, a small city midway between Columbus (to the south) and Lake Erie (to the north) in
Marshall Skelton lived in Burlington, a small city in northeast Massachusetts. In 1909, this area had been by-passed by the railroad and the local businesses
Miss Elmira Jean Campbell lived in the household of M. C. Campbell, presumably, her father. The family lived in Conestoga, an unincorporated community between the
Taunton was founded in 1637 by settlers from the Plymouth Colony; it is one of the oldest towns in the US. On land along the
Miss Bertha Fleming was in McKinney, a charming city about 32 miles north of Dallas, Texas. (I visited the historic downtown in McKinney some years
One of the glories of Pennsylvania is its history of offering refuge and sanctuary to religious nonconformists, dissenters, and visionaries of many kinds. Among the
(This image was first posted to another internet group on Christmas Day.) This postcard greeting was not mailed at Christmas, but it is a fitting
With the arrival of Autumn, many Protestant Churches planned a “Rally Day” to celebrate the beginning of the Sunday School year. Dick Brown lived in
This Sunday School card was published by the Sunday School Board of the Reformed Church which was located on Arch Street in Philadelphia. The illustrations
I found an unusual postcard image of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Marietta. The image is not an hand-colored photograph, but an artist’s drawing. The
The Anglican Church was established by the crown in colonial Virginia, so it is not remarkable that the oldest church in continuous use in the
This phrase from “the Lord’s Prayer” reflects the longing and the aching of many people who hope to see the world set aright. I am
The oldest church in Richmond, this parish was formed from the consolidation of smaller parishes as the city replaced Williamsburg as the center of political
For Sunday, a reflection on saying Grace. The custom of giving thanks before meals, whether by invocation of the Deity or a general acknowledgement of
New Freedom is a community in southern York County, on the Mason-Dixon Line. It was originally called “Freedom” until the discovery of another town by
In 1916, Mr. Clayton Stehman was living at 528 South Queen Street in Lancaster. During September of that year, Anna was visiting the city of
Jerusalem, the city sacred to three monotheistic faiths, is pictured here in a postcard circa 1910. It is a sad indictment of human nature that
The artist, Gustav Richter, was born in Berlin in 1823. He studied there, and in Paris, and in Rome. (He died in Berlin in 1884).
In September of 1915, George Glick was living at 528 North Queen Street in Lancaster. George received a postcard from his Sunday School teacher, C.J.
To one raised in a conservative Protestant environment, the Roman Catholic devotional practices related to the veneration of the Virgin Mary and of the Saints
One of the significant changes in community life during my lifetime has been the sharp decline in weekly church attendance. Like membership in civic organizations,
Over the past few years, I have found at various antique stands several cards illustrating phrases of the “Lord’s Prayer”. Convinced that I could assemble
Several years ago, there was a popular book entitled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. I don’t recall ever reading it,
This very thin and fragile paper was printed as an advertisement for Star Soap. The reverse has a familiar English bedtime prayer that most readers
For Ash Wednesday, I am posting another Sunday School lesson from the Reformed Church-this one published in 1901. If you were in Sunday School in
I have posted several examples of Sunday School materials from denominational publishing houses. The example today is from the David C. Cook company. Founded in
“Rally Day” was the special celebration to open the Sunday School year in many Protestant Churches. The Rally Day program often involved the introduction of
In January of 1935, Nelson Godfrey lived in Shrewsbury, PA in the household of H.S. Godfrey, whom I assume to be his father. Shrewsbury is
On the Feast of the Transfiguration, a brief story about an act of devotion at the foot of the Great North Mountain in the Shenandoah
In 1892, Akron was a booming center of industry and the population was growing in areas surrounding the city. A group of women in West
Marietta, the small city on the Ohio River in the southeast corner of Ohio, was the first settlement in the Northwest Territory gained in the
The Virginia Company, chartered by King James the First, was established to colonize the east coast of North America. The spread of English civilization meant,
Robert Habersham Coleman, great-grandson of the founder of the Cornwall Iron dynasty, was once the richest man in Pennsylvania and one of the wealthiest in
I admired the wonderful coloration of this postcard when I first saw it. The many shades of blue and purple are exquisitely applied. Despite the
Katherine S. lived in Kenton, a city in west-central Ohio. The site was first settled as Fort McArthur, one of a series of fortifications erected
This postcard illustration of Commandment IX was copyright by the Rose Company in 1908. Printed in the United States, the postcard was not mailed. Like
At a recent meeting of the local Postcard Club, I found this illustration of the Commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. I have seen other examples
The Church of the Transfiguration was founded as an Anglo-Catholic parish of the Episcopal Church in 1849. Built in a Early English Neo-Gothic Style, the
I picked up this postcard at an exhibition because I admired the evocative drawing on the face and because I was unfamiliar with the place
The Congregational Home Mission Society was the successor of an inter-denominational Protestant church-building organization initiated in 1826 as the American Home Missionary Society. (The Congregational
We met Emma Hankel in an earlier postcard story; Emma collected postcard photographs of churches sent by her many fellow-collectors. Emma lived in Galion, a
Mrs. Aldus Martin lived in Holtwood, PA, an unincorporated community along the Susquehanna River in southern Lancaster County. It is now the site of a
In March of 1932, Miss Hazel Black lived on Harvey Avenue in Doylestown, PA. (Doylestown is a borough and the county seat of Bucks County.
It is an unfortunate fact that the congregations of many Churches in the early 20th century reflected specific socio-economic or racial subsets of the population.
The Last Day of Camp Meeting – Pitman Grove, New Jersey (1907)Although many of the historic “camp meetings” still assemble each summer, the events do
On a Sunday in March of 1915, Mrs. Neill was visiting Arkansas City, Kansas.Arkansas City, in south central Kansas, is built on the site of
In October of 1905, the Rev. Marion Baker celebrated the beginning of his fifth year of service at HighStreet Christian Church.The church was located in
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep – circa 1895 A few weeks ago, I posted a child’s bedtime prayer in the German language. This
Remember the Sabbath – circa 1910 I love Sunday mornings, often the most quiet and peaceful hours of the week. In New York, my apartment
Lead Us Not Into Temptation – circa 1910 For this Sunday, another illustration of a phrase from the “Lord’s Prayer”. This phrase is problematic, theologically,
In 1914, Katie Kramer lived near Mount Joy. In December of that year, she received a postcard from her friend, Anna, in Middletown. Anna typed
The Guardian Angel of the Trolley Track – Marietta, PA (1908) The concept of a guardian angel or tutelary being is found throughout the ancient
The Trumpets of Gideon – Sunday School circa 1905 I have posted Sunday School material from a variety of Protestant denominations. Today’s example is from
Roger Markey’s Birthday 1913 Roger Eugene Markey was born in 1910 and added to the “Cradle Roll” of the United Evangelical Church in Jacobus. In
“Hallowed Be Thy Name” – circa 1910 This beautiful card was printed in Europe (note the variety of languages on the reverse) sometime around 1910.
Rally Day in Penryn – October 24, 1926 Ninety-two years ago, Sara Long received her invitation to Rally Day at the Penryn Lutheran Church. Penryn
“Old” Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church” circa 1906 I found recently a postcard photograph of Grace Lutheran Church and the pastor, the Rev. C.E. Haupt. The
Tellings stories from the past.
