Sister Sends a Valentine to Miles – Rock Island, Texas (1922)

Mr. Miles Bingaman lived in Rock Island, an unincorporated community in southeast Texas.

Rock Island was platted as a land development scheme of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad in 1896.

Parts of the community were destroyed by a hurricane that struck the area in July of 1909.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island,_Colorado_County,_Texas

The mother of Miles seems to live nearby.

In February of 1922, Miles received a postcard Valentine from his sister.

Sister mailed the postcard from Sunbury, a city on the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania.

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

On the face of the postcard, a heart-shaped target is filled with dogwood blossoms.

A large arrow pierces the bouquet.

Beneath he drawing is a legend, “Valentine Wishes”.

The anonymous postcard artist drew dim shadows behind the arrow and several leaves  – this shading first appeared to me as blemishes, but the lines were made by the artist.

The postcard was published by the international firm of “Gottschalk, Dreyfus, & Davis” of London, Munich, and New York.

(The firm was incorporated in New York, with branches in the European cities.)

Many postcards were published by this company between 1904-1915.

I am confident that this postcard was published before 1914, the year in which Dreyfus left the firm.

A small collection of G. D. & D, postcards is curated on-line:

https://brucemuseum.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=Gottschalk%2C%20Dreyfuss%20%26%20Davis

On the reverse, Sister sends some family news.

George Mader was “up to grandpa” and he reports that “they both are well”.

Sunbury seems to be having a warm spell, as Sister writes, “It is not cold now.  Snow is melting.”

In closing, Sister asks, “Did Ma get her package”.

The configuration of family members is somewhat puzzling.

Sister seems to be near Grandpa in Pennsylvania; Ma seems to be near Miles in Texas.

One hopes that Miles was pleased by the Valentine, that Sister continued to enjoy a mild winter, that Ma received her package, and that Grandpa maintained his good health.

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