May 15 to May 21, 1938, was National Air Mail Week. Post Offices in communities near air mail routes recognized this event by producing commemorative envelopes with cachets (art work printed usually on the left half of the envelope), and post office cancels of the towns.
The subject of the cachet was Love Lock, which is located in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The story of the rock is of a legend involving Indians and early frontier brothers Harold Wingans and William Wingans.
The cachet featured a line drawing of the Lykens-Carsonville Highway and the following wording:
“Love Rock”
“Over the paths the Indians tread – The Swift Air Mail Flies Overhead.”
One of the many scenic spots along the new Lykens-Carsonville Highway
National Air Mail Week
Lykens, Pennsylvania
May 15 – 21, 1938
The issuance of the commemorative envelope was described in the Lykens Standard, May 6, 1938:
Lykens will join the nation in celebrating National Air Mail Week My 15 to 21st, designated to be informative and educative to the American people of the progress already attained in this department of the Postal Service and to impress upon the Public the possibilities of its future expansion as well as of its easy and efficient availability.
The story of aerial mail transportation is coexistent with the story of the development of the science flying dating from the first flight of the the Wright brothers on the North Carolina coast in 1903. The contribution made by citizens of many of the smaller towns and hamlets throughout the nation have materially helped in welding the great organization of the postal service who have taken to the air to expediate the delivery of mail locally. The massed flight of 24 airplanes over town this week and several smaller groups during the day, may be a reminder that the idea of an airport near Lykens, as conceived by the creative mind of one of our former residents, should have received more encouragements locally, but the idea we believe has served to give encouragement to others.
The local post office management has gone to considerable time and expense in selecting a subject of interest for a cachet, suitable for this important occasion. We know it will be of interest to the citizens to know that “Love Rock,: one of the many attractive spots along the newly constructed Lykens–Carsonville Highway, will be used as the subject for the cachet. This no doubt will be interesting news for stamp collectors and philatelic clubs as the cachet will be rare and valuable in the future. Special commemorative Air Mail stamps will be on sale at the local post office during the week of the celebration….
A second article appeared in the Lykens Standard, May 13, 1938, which told of the demand for the cachet, which would be applied free by the Lykens Post Ofiice. The cost of the stamp for a air mail letter was 6 cents.
According to requests during the past few days, made to the local postmaster, Walter E. Snyder, for imprints of the cachet Love Rock as described in last issue to be used as the subject of local interest during Air Mail Week from May 15 to 21, many residents have already decided to mail at least one Air Mail letter each day during the celebration.
Altho an ample supply of Commemorative Air Mail stamps were made available to the local post office, the present demand indicates that the supply will be exhausted by Saturday, the final day of the important event.
Produced above is a pen drawing of the cachet which will be placed on the front of the Air Mail envelope to the left side. Including the cachet, the red and blue bordered envelope and stamp, the complete cost will be six cents — just three cents more than an ordinary letter.
The postmaster reported Wednesday that it was surprising the number of requests received from former residents, readers of the Standard for as many as twelve of the Air Mail cachet Love Rock envelopes.
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Cachet design and articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.