This real-photo card could almost be a photo of the same curve as the PTV view of State Road 135, taken from the opposite direction. It looks to be a little earlier -- the excavation looks fresh, there's no paving or guardrail. The card carries no identification of publisher or subject -- nothing inked into the negative or printed on the standard plain back. Someone has written "Knobs 12 mi. n. Salem Ind." along the right edge of the address block. It was mailed from Salem on Oct. 26, 1921 to Miss Mae Coil, of 1217 West 2nd Street in Anderson, Indiana. The message reads, "Arrived in Salem O.K. Fishing yesterday without any luck. Just ready to start hunting this morning with the expectations of a good day. Jim." The State Road through the Knobs must have been constructed at about this time, in the late 1910s or early 1920s. If you'd like to see what was there before there was a State Road 135, the Indiana State Library has a postcard view of a scene from the old Jackson Highway in its Web exhibit of images from Indiana counties. (5/5/01) Home | The 1920s | Next card