Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: Susquehanna

"Steamboat Mary, Wrightsville and Columbia, Pa. B. D. Beittel , Columbia, Pa." An early postcard of Steamboat Mary, which evidently ran on the Susquehanna River between Wrightsville, York County, and Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The card dates to the first decade of the twentieth century (circa 1907, based on the postmark of another copy I spotted elsewhere on the web). In the background is the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge , a steel truss bridge that was built in 1896. It carried railroad and automobile traffic over the river until it was dismantled in 1963.

"Hotel Langford. Lighted by electricity. Heated by steam. Everything new. Sample room for traveling men. Near the passenger station. Baths--hot and cold. Rates, $2.00 per day. Susquehanna, Penn. F. F. Langford, propr." This nineteenth-century business card indicates that the Hotel Langford catered to salesmen (called "commercial travelers" or "traveling men" at the time) by offering them "sample rooms" where they could display their wares for potential customers.

I haven't been able to locate any information regarding this jazzy bunch of musicians. "Susquehanna," though, suggests an association with the Susquehanna River , which flows through Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland. Or perhaps they were students at Susquehanna University , which is located in Selinsgrove, Pa.

"Susquehanna Trail. The right road to a good smoke. Mild, mellow cigar." As Wikipedia explains, "The Susquehanna Trail was an auto trail in the United States linking Washington, D.C., with Niagara Falls, New York. It passed through Baltimore, Maryland; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Williamsport, Pennsylvania; and Buffalo, New York." Although it's no longer an official designation, "Susquehanna Trail" is still widely used in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York as a name for roads, businesses, and places along the old route. Somewhere along the way, a tobacco company thought it would make a good name for a cigar as well.

"Compliments of A. D. Harding, artistic photographer, 42 Main St., Susquehanna, Penn'a. Satisfaction guaranteed." For a delightful collection of similar cards with photos, see Photo_History's set of Calling Cards, Business Cards, and ID Cards over on Flickr.