Letchworth State Park

As I've mentioned in my previous post, I do have an intense interest in bridges.  Now I must also confess that I am also filled with so much wonder and delight at the sight of trains, railroads, and waterfalls.  That is why I'd only be too happy to pay a visit to the Letchworth State Park in Castille, New York where I can marvel at a grand railroad trestle bridge overlooking a scenic waterfall.  I thank Josh for transporting me to that magnificent place through this postcard.  

"Letchworth State Park in Castille, New York covers 14,350 acres of land along the Genesee River.   The park is named after William Pryor Letchworth, who bequeathed the 1,000-acre estate that forms the heart of the park to New York State in 1906.

Standing high above the Genesee River just upstream of the Upper Falls is the Potage Bridge. The present trestle replaced an earlier wooden structure which when built in 1852 was the World’s tallest wooden structure."  (Source:Wikipedia Article)

It would have been a treat to see a train crossing the Postage bridge, but I believe that the same was ordered closed in 2009 due to structural damage.  You may read more about the Postage Bridge and Letchworth Park's interesting history here.

The card came with three stamps, but I shall feature only the third.   The other two stamps, I believe, warrant a separate blog entry because they are much too interesting.  

                                 
The American Clock stamp was issued in 2003 as part of the American Design series.  It was reissued in 2006. The stamp features an artistic rendering of the dial of a clock designed by Simon Willard in 1805.  The clock was also commonly referred to as the banjo clock because of its shape and is considered as one of the most famous designs in American clock making.


Stay tuned for the post that will feature the rest of the stamps. 


Wishing you happy journeys...

This is my share for the Wednesday Postcard Meme

hosted by Willa Stock of  

The Death Railway

Who would ever think that beneath this lovely scene lie the harrowing stories of the brutalities of war, of shattered dreams, and of thousands of lives lost?

This postcard features the Kanchanaburi portion of the infamous Death Railway which was constructed during the Second World War. Thousands of prisoners of war (POWs) were forced to work on a railway that was used to transport the supplies of the Japanese Imperial Army.

"The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma. During its construction, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war died and were buried along the railway. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the course of the project, chiefly forced labour brought from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, or conscripted in Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar). Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in Burma worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre." - Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

About 130 kilometers of the original 415-km line, which used to connect Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbuyuzayat, Burma, are still operational today. Parts of abandoned route have been converted into walking trails. Proposals to rebuild the complete railway have been made, but not one of the plans has been realized due to the immense work and large amount of money the reconstruction project entails.


To honor the suffering and death of thousands of prisoners and laborers in the construction of the Death Railway, several memorials have been built along the route from Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

I thank Kulnita for sending me this postcard. It urged me to revisit history and draw parallelism to the experiences of the Philippines and Thailand during the World War II. We both have sad stories to tell, but they are the tales worth telling over and over again. LEST WE FORGET.