In northwest Lancaster County, a thirsty visitor could (through the mid-twentieth century) take a draft from a cold-water spring. Near the historic Donegal Presbyterian Church
I admit that, in architecture, I am an anti-modernist reactionary. Yes, I acknowledge that “form follows function”, that these ornate buildings cannot accommodate equipment for
There are many celebrated resorts of the early 20th century (and 19th century) that have followed a similar trajectory. A lavish resort is built in
This is not the grand Public Library building, funded by Andrew Carnegie, that was completed in 1913. The website of the Reading Public Library contains
I am posting this bit of political advertising as a sample of constituent services by a US Congressman circca 1910. Daniel Franklin Lafean was a
There are six statues of Abraham Lincoln in Chicago, representing the enormous pride that the city expressed for the great man who built his political
The celebration of the tricentennial of the Pilgrim’s arrival in Massachusetts included the erection of a statue to Massasoit, great “Sachem of the Wampanoags”. The
Abraham Lincoln grew up as the son of a poor, subsistence farmer. Kentucky had no reason to claim him before his extraordinary political career and
Mr. Frank Zinkie lived in Aurora, a city in northeast Illinois, now within the Chicago Metropolitan District. In August of 1912, Frank received a postcard
In December of 1920, Frances was teaching school or attending school in Otego. Otega is a town in Otsego County, in central New York State.
In the early years of the twentieth century, Ansonia was an industrial powerhouse on the Naugatuck River – 12 miles northwest of New Haven. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansonia,_Connecticut
In 1775, John Andrew Shulze was born in the parsonage of the Lutheran Church near Stouchsburg, a Pennsylvania-German community of Berks County (now, Lebanon County)
Howard Krueger lived in Ripon, the city in south-east Wisconsin. In September of 1936, Howard received a postcard from close friends or family members who
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
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
Old Point Comfort is the extreme tip of the small peninsula that is the eastern extremity of Virginia. It was named for an incident involving
Maude and Will spent “part of our Xmas” with friends outdoors; the group seems to be bathing or swimming. The occasion was memorialized with a
Florence Rumsey was the “school-ma’am” for a school in Minnesota. (I cannot decipher the postmark.) In January of 1912, she sent a postcard to Mr.
Mrs. G. I. Robinson lived in Marion, a city in east central Iowa. In February of 1909, Mrs. Robinson received a postcard from “Guess Who”
This charming quartet memorialized their woodland stroll with a postcard photograph. The postcard lacks any indication of place or time, or the identities of the
Anna Mary Mann was a student at the Prospect Hill School. Her teacher was George W. Gamble. Sometime around 1910, Mr. Gamble presented a postcard
Perhaps the greatest monument to the skill, idealism, passion, and craftsmanship of the Late Medieval Period is found on the Ile de La Cite, in
Columbia was an important transportation hub throughout the 19th century. When the state of New York opened the Erie Canal in 1825, and construction began
I enjoy learning about the many photography studios that once operated in towns and cities across the country. This photographic portrait was made by “Wm.
In September of 1906, Aunt Sallie and “Chick” (?) were in Philadelphia “having a good time”. To celebrate the occasion, Aunt Sallie had a postcard
Sometime around 1910, Aunt Nellie sent a picture of a boy; the postcard photograph was probably enclosed in a letter- it was not mailed. On
John C. Bridgman was traveling through the West; he selected a postcard scene of the Colorado Rockies, wrote a message in Billings, Montana, and mailed
North of the city of Reading, near the Berks County towns of Hamburg and Lenhartsville, is an amazing geological formation. I learned about this place
In 1932, Esther Groff traveled from Pennsylvania to her aunt’s home in Upland, California. On July 12, Esther sent a postcard to her friend, Mrs.
One is accustomed to seeing images of buffalo (or bison) across the Great Plains of the United States; we may forget how widely these large
This comic postcard was copyrighted in 1905 and published by J. Murray Jordan of Philadelphia. We met the publisher and the same three figures (photograph
For Veteran’s Day, a reminder of the citizens who resisted the depredations of a hostile army. On the placid green expanse of the Commons in
Gertrude Duff lived in Jersey City, a city on the Hudson River (west of New York City) in northeastern New Jersey. Gertrude exchanged postcards with
“Camel Driver” is not an exact translation of “chamelier”; it might be better to say, “camel man”, as in the English word, “horseman”. I found
In February of 1905(?), Bessie Hill (Hile?) was in Orillia, Washington. Bessie sent a postcard to her friend, Josephine Resch, in Marietta, PA. The postcard,
I am sure that every new parent is dazzled by the marvelous creature that is born into the family. This father is so young that
We cannot know what event was celebrated by this photograph, but it appears to be a family gathering on the porch. It may have been
Photographic portraits from Atlantic City are not rare; millions of visitors flocked to the shore each summer. Hundreds of thousands had photographs made at Boardwalk
It is very unfortunate that the two winsome children, whom I assume are a brother and sister, are not named. The picture appears to have
Sometime in the very early twentieth century, a group of young women celebrated their outdoor picnic by making a picture postcard. The picture is not
Three friends were captured in a photograph about 1910. The women are standing with linked arms in front of a structure with wooden siding. Each
Mrs. S. Bell lived in New Castle, Ohio, an unincorporated community in eastern Ohio. New Castle is close to the Ohio River and the border
The city of Harlowton lies on the Musselshell River on a high plain between the mountains of central Montana. It was an ancient hunting ground
This postcard photo was taken at an unknown location on a specific date, May 9, 1925. A thoughtful person recorded the names of “Alma +
This postcard photograph was made by the Penn Park Studio which operated at locations in York and in Hanover. Sometime around 1910, a group of
“A normal school is an institution created to train high school graduates to be teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum.,,”(Wiki)
I recently acquired a postcard photograph, circa 1910, of a stylish young woman wearing a broad-brimmed hat with a tassel. An admirer of hats, although
This postcard languished in a box of 25-cent cards until I found it at a postcard exhibition. It is interesting in two ways: the photograph
The extent of the Lancaster stockyards was apparent to anyone who traveled to Lancaster by train from Philadelphia through the 1970’s. As the train slowed
We met Bernice Blue in an earlier postcard story, in which an admirer sent a postcard illustration entitled, “Maiden Meditation”. Bernice lived in White Pigeon,
My first understanding of the impact of Coney Island on the imagination of New York City residents came from reading the short stories of O.
This postcard photograph was not mailed. I was glad to see the legible names inscribed on the reverse, but there is no indication of the
Lewis Mansfield was born in the early years of the 20th century and lived near Fayette City, PA. Fayette City, at that time, was a
I am not sure what occasion is memorialized in this picture, perhaps a groom and best man at a wedding celebration. The postcard photograph was
Jane Cushing was on a camping trip to the mountains. While in Torrington, Wyoming, Jane sent a postcard to Mrs. Sherman Scofield in Denver. (Torrington
Miss Edna Bender lived in Wyoming, a small city in east-central Iowa, not far from Cedar Rapids. Sometime around 1911 (the postmark is badly-applied), Edna
J. Murray Jordan was a prolific photographer and publisher in Philadelphia. Murray’s work included a wide range of subjects – from the comic and frivolous
The legacy of slavery continues to trouble our nation. Many institutions have struggled to find an appropriate response to historical wrongs. (This is not a
On October 4, 1906, cannons were fired in York, Pa for the “President’s Salute”. An Internet search reveals that President Theodore Roosevelt visited the city
Charles Hood was born in Vermont in 1845, where he grew up to work in his father’s apothecary shop. In early adulthood, Charles Hood moved
This photograph does not identify the plump little girl with bright eyes. The girl is sitting before a wall of tongue-and-groove molding, and she is
There are several websites devoted to the photography studio of Gerlach which operated on South Washington Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Gerlach Studio made thousands
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Maass were celebrating 25 years of marriage. In honor of the event, family members gathered at their home in Gaylord, Minnesota.
Sometime around 1915, three children named “Barnes” were carefully arranged for a photographic portrait. The three – Dean, Ralph, and Gladys – are all smiling
In September of 1912, Rebecca visited New York City. As she prepared to leave for home, Rebecca mailed a postcard to her friend, Florence Ashton,
Mr. George W. Johnson lived in Red Bank, a borough on the Navesink River in northern New Jersey. This area was settled by Dutch and
Miss Evelyn Richardson lived in Fawn Grove, a borough in southern York County, on the Mason-Dixon Line. (I was unfamiliar with this place name and
The Susquehanna River forms the western border of Lancaster County, PA. The river-front community of Pequea grew up where the Pequea Creek empties into the
It is not hard to find early postcard photographs of the boulevard that winds up the side of Mount Penn in Reading, Pennsylvania. This is
In August of 1910, Ruth was in Woodbine where she was very busy- making hay, visiting the Wild West Show, finding elderberries, getting red feather
I love the Ephrata Cloister – the preserved buildings, the museum, the grounds, and the sacred history of the place. “The Cloister” was established in
On May 30, 1928, this statue of a standing soldier was erected within the Locust Street Park in Columbia. A little more than seven feet
One of the greatest orators and political leaders of the Civil War Era, Thaddeus Stevens, had a long career in law, industry, education, and public
Miss Stevie Moxley lived in Kingston, Canada. Kingston, the first capital city of Canada, lies at the eastern end of Lake Erie- at the mouth
In 1772, a dam was first built on the west branch of the Codorus Creek near York, PA Dams were one of the first “infrastructure”
Very early in the history of motion pictures, film stars captured the interest and enthusiastic embrace of the public. “Celebrity culture” around movies assumed a
The city of Reading established a school for boys in 1852. In 1857, girls were admitted to the school. This is almost fifty years before
In 1898, Samuel Grumbacher (and son, Max) opened a one-room millinery store on Market Street in York. The store eventually filled a handsome building on
Here is an hand-colored, postcard photograph of Marietta Avenue, still a lovely drive westward from the city of Lancaster. The postcard was postmarked in Lancaster
Accustomed as we are to all manner of flying airships, it may be hard to imagine the mania that gripped the country with the appearance
Arthur Sutton was in Seaville, an unincorporated community in Cape May County, New Jersey. Arthur wanted to sail, and wrote to the Brooks about an
Mr. B. F. Hartman lived in Waynesboro, a borough of Franklin County in south central Pennsylvania. The borough lies in the Cumberland Valley, only two
This postcard photograph was not mailed, and it lacks any identification of the two boys. I assume that the two are brothers or otherwise related
This postcard photograph was not mailed, so we cannot determine the location of this mother and her children. Sometime around 1910, a photograph was taken
Walhonding is a crossroads near the geographic center of Ohio. A small community had grown up there when the Walhonding Canal (a short feeder to
This postcard photograph was not mailed, but a message is inscribed on the reverse. The postcard may have been enclosed with a letter. Florence Lombard
Wilmington is a small town (with a wonderful historic district) in the Deerfield Valley among the Green Mountains of south-central Vermont. In the winter, this
The Wylie Camping Company was the first (and the longest-lasting) enterprise that accommodated tourists in rustic camps within Yellowstone Park. Mr. V. L. Berryman was
The Catskill Mountains of Ulster County, hunting grounds of successive tribes of indigenous peoples, were not settled by Europeans until the mid-18th century. The best
Just after 5:00 AM on the morning of April 18, the growing city was struck by the largest earthquake in the history of California. A
In 1896, a late-summer storm destroyed the covered bridge between Columbia and Wrightsville. I found a postcard photograph of this devastating event. The photograph was
Mr. David W. Van Houton lived in Prescott, Iowa. Prescott is a small city in southwest Iowa. Mr. Van Houton had mailed several postcards to
Charles Blakey lived in Kingfisher, a small city in central Oklahoma. Today, Kingfisher is mostly a “bedroom community” for workers in Enid and Oklahoma City.
On the Fourth of July, a pause to remember the hardship of the War of Independence. Valley Forge was not the site of an important
Before motor-powered boats crowded the sea lanes near New Jersey, there were sailboats in the marinas that still line the bays and inlets of the
I had never heard the interesting tale of Mary Shaw Leader. At 23, Miss Leader was a news reporter for the Hanover Spectator, which was
The 1901 assassination of William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY shocked the nation. This was a time of optimism in American
Miss Annie Evans lived in Scranton, the booming industrial city in northeast Pennsylvania. (We looked recently at another postcard related to Scranton – the “Electric
Although I have lived most of my adult life in cities, I love the tree-lined streets of mature suburbs. Roselle Park is a borough in
Sometime around 1915, a small family shared their photograph by postcard. The picture was taken on the porch of a home, but (probably) was developed
Elva (age 13) and her sister, Cecile, (age 6) lived in Clinton, Iowa. Clinton is a city on the Mississippi River in east central Iowa.
In this postcard photograph, the men are seated, the woman stand behind – a traditional pose in photographs of the early twentieth century. These two
South Haven is a port city in southeast Michigan, where the Black River flows into Lake Michigan. A center of transportation of passengers and freight,
Miss L. V. Parker lived in York, Pennsylvania. She had a friend, “B”, who was traveling through the west. In December of 1933, Miss Parker
One learns interesting facts from the collecting of vintage postcards – in this case, that central New York State was the nation’s leading producer of
In January of 1925, Martha Randall was on her Christmas Break from school. Unexpectedly, Martha had received a postcard from another young woman she had
Mrs. H. Stryker lived in Chicago, Illinois. In June of 1907, she received a postcard greeting from her niece, Fannie. Jammie mailed the postcard from
Lizzie Baumgardner lived in Fulda, a small city on Lake Fulda in southwest Minnesota. The town is known as the “Home of the Wood Duck”.
Although Roy identifies his address in Dayton, he was in the bustling city of Mansfield, Ohio when he mailed a postcard photograph to his sister.
Grimsby is an English town in Lincolnshire, on the North Sea. Built on the estuary of the Humber River, the site was once occupied by
Leslie was two years and four months old when his mother held him for a studio portrait. The photograph was made at the Ideal Studio
This beautiful picture of mother and child was created at the photography studio of Simon & Murnane in York. The Studio was located at 227
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
At the end of the 19th century, a number of hotels, resorts, and taverns were erected on Neversink Mountain, one of the peaks overlooking the
In his documentary about our great National Parks (2009), Ken Burns noted that the railroads were great boosters of the efforts to create and maintain
The story of the Western Maryland Railroad illustrates how local railroad companies created an incredible network of rail connections across the United States. (I consider
On-line, one can find other photographs of this imposing building along with other York County structures that exist no longer. Beginning in the Middle Ages,
The City of Pittsburgh grew up at the confluence of two great rivers, the Allegheny and the Monongahela. Together, these rivers form the Ohio River
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
Miss Ada Brubaker lived in Mount Nebo, a populated place in southwest Lancaster County. It is not far from the Holtwood Dam on the Susquehanna
Before South Dakota became a state, a group of Presbyterian leaders founded a college in Pierre. In 1883, this was the first college to grant
Bessie lived in Hazlehurst, a small city south of Jackson, the capital of Mississippi. (Hazlehurst was developed as a stop on the Jackson-New Orleans Railroad,
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
On September 11, 1907, a postcard was mailed from York, PA to Lloyd Weinhold of Denver, PA. This postcard, printed in Germany, bears a hand-colored
While we are quarantined at home, the prospect of a railroad journey to a scenic retreat has great appeal. This linen postcard was published by
I.G.F. lived in The Brick House of Brookfield, Connecticut. Brookfield is a town in Fairfield County, in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains that rise
Mrs. Abbie Eshelman lived in Strasburg, the charming town southeast of Lancaster, PA. In July of 1913, Abbie received a postcard from Zillah L. who
When I was a child, one could still be impressed by the various ships anchored or in repair at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The enormous
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.
In September of 1939, Milly was living temporarily in Bismarck, North Dakota. She sent a postcard to her friend, Nora, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Milly
Dr. Harry W. Ryman lived in Summit, New Jersey, a prosperous city on a ridge within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley of northern New
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
Don McNeil was born in Illinois, but grew up in Wisconsin (he was a first cousin to Casper Weinberger, with whom I would not have
In recent years of this century, I have ridden on Amtrak through the station at Norwood.Thus, I was excited to find this view of the
Some weeks ago, we looked at the Train Station in Norwood, Massachusetts- from which friendsdeparted after a visit to that town.Westfield is a community, adjacent
Soon after Christmas in 1909, Miss Ermina Schroeder received a postcard from her friend, Hallie.The postcard photograph of Corning, New York was published by S.H.
We met members of the Bashore family in earlier postcard stories.Mrs. S.S. Bashore lived in Union Deposit, a community in southeast Dauphin County of centralPennsylvania.The
Catlettsburg is a small city on the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky, where Ohio and West Virginia meet the border of Kentucky. The area was
Mrs. R.S. Giles lived in New London, a village in north central Ohio. (The name reflects the Connecticut roots of the early settlers, and the
Traveling in the Roadster – Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1911) We met Ermina Schroeder a few weeks ago; she was living in Hamilton Heights (Manhattan) and
I have long been a fan of General Grant, resenting the defamation he endured at the hands of “Lost Cause” sympathizers and Confederate apologizers. Now,
Any collector of vintage postcards is likely to find numerous examples of lovely linen postcards printed by Fred Harvey Restaurants. What Howard Johnson’s restaurants were
I don’t know how many Pennsylvanians are familiar with the destruction caused by Confederate General, Jubal Early, in the month leading up to the Battle
The works of Longfellow (1807-1882) are far less familiar and beloved than they were a hundred years ago. Well-educated (he was the first American to
Because there is a “York Furnace” community in York County, I mistakenly assumed that this postcard photograph represented that place. I learned, from York County
Wanamaker’s, the gigantic department store filling an entire city block near City Hall, dominated the commercial landscape of Philadelphia for several generations. I did not
Looking at North Broad Street today, it is hard to imagine the grand buildings and private mansions that were erected there in the late nineteenth
This postcard photograph lacks any indication of time or place; the identities of the women are also unrecorded. They are dressed similarly, and have some
In the early years of the twentieth century, the photography studio of Simon & Murnane was located at 227 West Market Street in York, “At
This well-preserved postcard photograph lacks a studio identification, suggesting that it was processed in a small, local shop. It is a very good photograph, so
Rifling through a box of postcards at a recent exhibition, I was charmed by the bright, inquisitive face of this peering child. On the reverse,
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War, and the largest military engagement that has ever occurred in Pennsylvania. One
The American colonies, with an expanding frontier, offered a congenial home to many “characters”, some of whose eccentricities are captured in historical accounts and embroidered
Benedict Arnold, whose name is now synonymous with “traitor”, was once a hero in the fight for American Independence. His daring exploits for the Colonial
Today, the Episcopal Church commemorates Conrad Weiser, colonial peace-maker, city planner, administrator of justice, and Lutheran churchman. Although Conrad Weiser was not part of the
In August of 1912, Mrs. Rieber visited Wildwood, New Jersey – joining hundreds of thousands of other visitors who flocked to “the shore” on each
Jennie was traveling in the southern US, but she did not forget Norman Carpenter who lived in Rothsville, PA. While in Bethune, SC, Jennie mailed
For those who grew up reading the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the town of Malone, New York is remembered as the childhood home of
In April of 1913, Hiram Morey received a postcard reminder of the upcoming Club Convention on Mackinac Island. The address is typed. Perhaps a secretary
Ella Bluhm lived in Deer Creek, a small city (population of 322) in west central Minnesota. The city is very close to the bordering states
Sara lived in Lebanon, a city in the Lebanon Valley of south central, Pennsylvania – 26 miles east ofHarrisburg and 28 miles west of Reading.
Harry S. may have intended to mail this postcard featuring a hand-colored photograph of the railroad terminal in Allentown. The photograph was made and published
One forgets how important iron ore was to the growth and development of eastern Pennsylvania. Although the much larger and deeper deposits of iron ore
York was a center of the air-cooling and air conditioning industry in the early decades of the 20th century. Founded in 1874 as an ice-making
Robert H. Coleman, iron magnate and once the richest man in Pennsylvania, was largely responsible for the development of Mount Gretna. The lovely spot was
The low-grade line across southern Lancaster County is one of the marvels of the Pennsylvania Railroad. I found this image with a lot of old
In south central Pennsylvania, where one still sees the grey buggies of conservative religious sects, it may not be as hard to imagine how ubiquitous
This handsome Station in the Beaux Arts style was erected in 1911, so it was the “new” station when this postcard was mailed in 1913.
Those of us who love to travel by train are often overcome by a deep longing to experience the days in which all major towns
I found this postcard, an uncolored photograph without attribution of the photographer, in an antique shop in Columbia, PA. Historians in the Facebook Group, “Trolleys,
John Henry Sends “Welcome Stream” – December 27, 1912 In 1912, Miss Anna Weidman lived on Spruce Street in Lititz. On December 27, Anna received
Sea Lions have lived in San Francisco Bay for millennia, feeding on the schools of anchovies that thrive there. At the time this postcard was
Several months ago, I posted a beautiful, hand-colored photograph of the Conestoga River that was on a postcard mailed to Bertie Kilbough in Peters Creek,
In January of 1911, Papa was in Portland, Oregon, but he was thinking of his little girl in Ashtabula, Ohio. Ashtabula is a city in
Pennsylvania ranks within the top ten states in the percentage of land devoted to parks or wildlife preservation. Many Pennsylvanians are unaware that game, including
The large underground cave system near Carlsbad, New Mexico, was discovered by a local teen-aged boy in 1897. President Calvin Coolidge directed the development of
The Train in the City – Carlisle, PA (circa 1920) These postcard images of trains are often posted with feelings of regret that rail connections
A Truss Bridge Near Ephrata, PA I found an uncolored postcard photograph of a “Rural Scene Lancaster County, Penna.” The photograph shows horses pulling a
The Railroad Station in Gettysburg – circa 1910 My laments about the tragic decline of railroad networks may be tiresome to readers. But, here is