“I Just Can’t Help It” – Heilwood, PA (1913)

Mrs. Blanche Waltmire lived in Heilwood, now a census-designated place in Indiana County of west-central Pennsylvania.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heilwood,_Pennsylvania

Originally a lumber town called “Possum Glory”, Heilwood was dying when it was reborn as a coal mining center in the 1890’s.

At that time, Heilwood became a “company town, with houses, store, school,  and other community buildings owned by the mine.

The industry was developed by the entrepreneur, J. H. Weaver.

After several sales to other owners (and consolidations in the mining business), the Heilwood mining enterprise was finally sold off in pieces and abandoned in 1959.

In April of 1913, Blanche received a postcard from Harry.

Harry mailed the postcard from Blairsville, a borough on the Conemaugh River in Indiana County.

Blairsville is 42 miles east of Pittsburgh; Heilwood is about 29 miles northeast of Blairsville.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blairsville,_Pennsylvania

The face of the postcard is a drawing of lovers embracing on a secluded path.

The setting appears to be a park or garden.

Our lovers are well-dressed, the man is wearing a suit and tie: the woman sports a long pink dress.

This may be due to the primitive printing process, but each of the lovers is red-haired.

There is no publisher’s mark that I can see, but I am confident the image was printed in the United States.

Harry may be an admirer of a young woman known to Mrs. Waltmire – as he has penciled “Harry and Faith” above the amorous pair.

Apart from some postage marks, the face had large blank spaces without coloration.

(I “re-painted” digitally one-half of the background.)

On the reverse, Harry expresses a hope that Blanche is well, as he is.

Harry reports that, “Emma is getting along all right”.

Sadly, Harry tells Blanche – “I sent you a card last week”, but he has not yet received a reply.

Nevertheless, Harry concludes his message by sending “love to you “with many “X” marks for kisses.

Blanche seems to have enjoyed the scene of courtship as she saved the postcard throughout her life.

One hopes that Harry and Faith made good romantic choices and that Mrs. Waltmire remained a friend and correspondent to each of them.

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