The Pennsylvania Turnpike

  

I have a high level of confidence that the original source material for this postcard was a photograph, so I'm posting it here rather than on my Fair Use blog that has some of the few bits of non-photographic ephemera that I've picked up over the years as well as all sorts of images I've found online. I'm guessing that this postcard has more interest for me rather than most visitors to the New Found Photography. I grew up in Pennsylvania and spent quite a few hours traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. 

The turnpike was built in 1940 as the great depression was ending. It's a limited-use toll road that connects Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's three largest cities without actually going into those cities.  For those who hate getting stuck on interstate highways while crossing large urban areas, that was the original vision of President Eisenhower when he envisioned the interstate highway system, and the PA Turnpike, with its toll booths and limited entrances and exits, had to have been somewhat of an inspiration for the current highway system we have. The Pike starts on the Pennsylvania, New Jersey border at the Delaware River interchange and crosses into Ohio near the North Beaver Township tool booth. Monroeville, in Allegheny County, was the nearest entrance to where I grew up. Today, the Turnpike is designated I-76. 

This card was published by "C.T.ART COLORTONE." and was "DISTRIBUTED BY J. B. HOFFMAN & SON, HARRISBURG, PA."  The caption, "The Pennsylvania Turnpike, five miles west of Bedford, crosses over the Lincoln Highway.  The two lane road looks antiquated. Some distance past the Bedford "Interchange" the Turnpike crosses the Lincoln Highway again, runs past the ruins of the historic iron works at Everett, then crosses the Lincoln for the last time."  The Lincoln Highway was the first true interstate highway in the U.S. but not limited access or multi-lane. The Narrows mentioned on the front of the card is a gap in Evitts Mountain. The postmark, "CARLISLE PA OCT 24 7 PM 1951." 

There is a message written on the back. "Hi Dad, I am going to the hospital the 1st of the month am taking the whole month off. Hope to see you at Thanksgiving as we're expecting you. John C." It's addressed to John J. Hofaloom, apt. 6B, 442 Main St. Hartford, Conn."  I'm not 100% sure of dad's name.