A rushing stream labeled "Sylvan Rapids" pours through a narrow rock gorge at Watkins Glen, with wooden stair railings and a footbridge climbing the steep, tree-shaded bank beside it. Watkins Glen, at the southern end of Seneca Lake in New York's Finger Lakes region, became a state park in 1906 and was already a well-established tourist stop by the 1930s, known for its waterfalls and gorge paths. The note on the card catches travelers at the end of a glen tour, with rain just starting and a night of little sleep behind them.
Postcard Details
Message · English, in pencil
Everything OK so far. First night
saw stars shining
on the cabin ceiling.
Not much sleep.
We have seen all
of the glen. It has
just started to rain.
We are going on now
goodbye
Love Mr. and Mrs. [illegible]
White border; visible linen/canvas texture; printed card number 112763 at lower right.
Postmark: WATKINS GLEN N.Y. JUN 26 11-AM 1937. Divided-back linen-era card with white border; moderate foxing/staining on back; message in faint pencil.
Cite this card
Sylvan Rapids, Watkins Glen, New York, 1937, postcard, c. 1937. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/sylvan-rapids-watkins-glen-new-york-1937. Accessed November 2, 2026.
