Happy Postcard Friendship Friday to America's Friendliest City!

Today's postcard is the Court of Four Seasons at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915.

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An article about the Exposition stated it is no longer to necessary to say "the known world" as all of the world is known, and mapped and presented to those who attend the Exposition. This huge exposition opened just 8 years after the devastating San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. It was held on the waterfront, by the Golden Gate Bridge and the Presidio.

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The Exposition was built on the same location that held a Tent City for quake survivors.

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The PPIE brochure reads:

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"The Panama-Pacific International Exposition is an encyclopedia of modern achievement. You are afforded an opportunity to make a comparative study of the methods and manners of modern civilization; the conditions and means of living—the hygiene, the religions—in short, the objects and accomplishments of all the peoples of all the world. Such an event will not occur again while you live."

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The breathtaking electric scintillators, aka floodlights, at the Court of Four Seasons

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An auspicious visitor to the Exposition was beloved American Author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura, who wrote of her pioneering adventures in the Little House series of books, visited her daughter Rose in San Francisco. Together they toured the Exposition. Click on the link to read her memoirs of her visit!

The large display of modern acheivements could not be seen in just a day or two. A month long visit was the recommendation. Season tickets were available and included an photo identity card.

The postmark reads San Francisco, Cal, October 16, 1915 4:30 PM

The writer says:

Be good Mother. I'm at the fair for the last time. Gee I will be glad to see you all. So by by

your (?)

It is addressed to Mrs. Elizabeth (?)

Delphos Hotel

Delphos Ohio

Delphos is located in north west Ohio, and was founded amidst the Great Black Swamp in 1844 on the Miami and Erie Canal by the German-born Reverend John Otto Bredeick and his brother Ferdinand Bredeick, both from Verl, Germany. The Canal brought early prosperity to the community, providing access to Toledo and Cincinnati. By the 20th century, the Canal had declined in importance, but railroads provided access to markets.

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Delphos is known as "America's Friendliest City". I will attest to that, as I called Delphos this morning to clarify a couple of questions and my call was put directly through to the Mayor! Now I ask you, is that not proof positive of the friendliest city in America?

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My question to Mayor Michael Gallmeier was about the Delphos hotel. I could not find information on a hotel by that name despite an exceptionally well documented on-line history of Delphos. The two period hotels mentioned are the Beckman House and the Phelan, both built in the late 1800's

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The Phaelan Hotel c.1881

Picture Compiled by Robert Holdgreve, President of Delphos Historical Society
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Mayor Gallmeier suggested I call the Lehmann Furnature Store. It is housed in one of the old hotels - the former Phaelan Hotel, as it turns out. My thought is that perhaps the writer was just referring generally to "the" hotel in Delphos. Folks could get away with just providing the postoffice with a name and a city. The card was summarily delivered as requested. It was not returned 3 months later shredded and sealed in a plastic snack sized baggie with vague threats pencilled on the steamed envelope flap. This, of course, was back in the time of 2 digit telephone numbers, no Social Security numbers and certainly no zip codes.

Perhaps the postcard was delivered in this mail carriage.

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The carriage is on display at the Delphos Postal History Museum.


Hop aboard and visit our Postcard Friendship Friday Host, Marie at Voila! Vintage Postcards! for more postcard fun.

As always , thank you so much for stopping by! I LOVE your comments and enjoy your visits as much as I enjoy investigating the friendly people and places of these wonderful old postcards