Howard Hetrick lived in Linglestown, a “Census Designated Place” in Dauphin County of central Pennsylvania.

This community, at the foot of a mountain, was initially called “St. Thomas” and was meticulously platted by Thomas Lingle in 1765.

Within a generation, the community was commonly called, “Lingle’s Town” – and the first Post Office was established with that name.

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

Sometime around 1910, Howard was given a postcard from a friend, John.

The two may have been neighbors or classmates at school or at Sunday School.

The face of the postcard is an elaborate and gilded image of a truck comprised largely of flowers.

The postcard caught my interest for this artistic rendering of an early truck.

The truck bears an embossed greeting, “Heartiest Congratulations”.

The greeting suggests that it may have been Howard’s birthday or some other celebration in his life.

There is no indication of a publisher, and the postcard was not mailed.

It seems that Howard prized the postcard as it was preserved in very good condition for more than a century.

One hopes that Howard enjoyed many more birthdays and that he and John remained friends and correspondents.