In September of 1909, young Mac Fryberger was living in Phillipsburg, PA, a borough in Centre County – not far from State College.

Mac received a postcard from his Aunt who announced her upcoming visit on Saturday.

Mac is addressed as “Master Mac Fryberger”.

Aunty lived in Patton, PA, a borough in Cambria County – about 36 miles southwest of Philipsburg.

In 1909, Patton was a thriving community due to the growth of the Patton Clay Works, one of the largest manufacturers of bricks and terra cotta products in the world.   Following the demise of the factory in 1968, the population of the borough declined by half.

(Bricks from Patton were used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower and the Panama Canal.)

Aunty tells young Mac to “have old ‘Handsome Harry’ down to the train” to meet her.

I assume that “Handsome Harry” is a horse.

The face of the postcard is illustrated with a drawing of children playing outdoors; they are attended by geese.  The clothing of the children and the architectural elements in the background appear Dutch.

On the margin of the drawing, Aunty wrote, “This must be you and Mary Louise”.

One assumes that Mary Louise was the sister of Mac.

It is a shame that one can no longer travel between these towns by train.

We hope that Aunty made the journey successfully, that “Handsome Harry” was waiting for her at the train station, and that Mac and Mary Louise were delighted by her visit.

The postcard was preserved in good condition for more than a century.