Irma Hess of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin recently donated several holiday postcards to the Historical Society dated between 1911 and 1915. The post cards were written to the Rockwell Family living in Pleasant Prairie (the one shown at right is dated 1913). Mrs. Hess donated the cards to benefit area patrons of history and provide insight into the area and people of that time.

The tradition of sending holiday cards began in 1843 with Sir Henry Cole, of Great Britain, who enlisted the help of his friend, John Horsley, to paint a card with images and the greeting, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” The Christmas card reached the United States with the help of Louis Prang, who owned a print shop near Boston. Prang is credited with creating the first Christmas card to originate in the United States, in 1875. The modern Christmas card industry began around 1915 when a Kansas City based postcard printing company run by Joyce, Rollie, and William Hall (Hall Brothers later became known as Hallmark) adopted a new format, 4x6 inch cards folded once and inserted into an envelope. According to the president of public affairs for Hallmark, the Hall Brothers discovered that people did not have enough room to write all they wanted to say on a post card but didn't want to write a whole letter. Can you help us add to this story?

The Historical Society is always looking for members who have an interest in researching historical topics. If you would like to become a member of the Historical Society, please contact us at [email protected] or (262) 947-3600. You can also visit our website by clicking here.