American Falls, Idaho

This post card can certainly be dated as being 109 years old today. The post mark tells us that it was mailed on July 1, 1909. But, it is older than that. This type of post card was used for mailing post cards prior to March 1, 1907. Prior to this date, one could only write the message on the front of the post card. The back was reserved for the address only.

After March 1st of '07 the Divided Back post card took the country by storm. You can see that this post card has an added feature of being embossed. Those grey lines on the post card are from the rocks and river on the front of the post card.

The front of the post card is showing the American Falls in the Snake River

in Idaho. The town of American Falls was once a thriving, active hub located on the west bank of the Snake River, but during what was easily the largest government relocation of its time, the town was moved in it’s entirety to avoid flooding by the nearby dam. The known history of American Falls is just as fascinating as what remains shrouded by the passage of time. Part underwater marvel, part ambitious undertaking, part prehistoric wonder, and part active community, this (literal) hidden gem is a spectacular portion of Idaho’s history that few know the full story of… and even fewer know of the incredible discoveries that its muddy depths have revealed. In 1925, the Bureau of Reclamation began the job of moving American Falls to make way for the American Falls Dam. It was an ambitious and expensive undertaking that involved moving nearly 350 residents and their homes, over 60 businesses, churches, and schools, and lifting the entire railroad across the river an additional 22 feet to prepare for the increased water levels. The above information can be found at: http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/idaho/id-underwater-ghost-town/