“Where the mountains meet the sea” we are to usher in a New Year 2016. We, too, watched the ball come down at Times Square, but by television. I stay up late anyway, but every year it looks almost the same. It is what happens during that year is what we never know until a day when everything changes our whole life.

Meanwhile, at this time, we shall send a New Year card, call a friend or two or perhaps go out and celebrate, if our day has not gone by. If it has, we remember all the fun we had and can live with memories.

The tradition is old. There were no phones, nor automobiles.  We did not watch the ball drop in Times Square because there was no television or even a radio.

Later years, when you were out of high school, you could go to a dance and get home very late that evening.  As time went on, you didn’t feel like waiting for evening, so a dance was held on New Year’s Day at the Samoset, where you could have lunch and dance away the afternoon.

Back in the early 1900s, many people sent postcards for everything, as it was a means of communication.  Fortunately, many people saved them for some reason.  We are lucky because old cards can be bought from dealers at antique shows.  The greeting cards are very interesting, and the scenic postcards saved pictures of places that are no longer here.

If you are a postcard collector, let me tell you something about the New Year ones.  Did you know it is more valuable if the postmark is New Year’s Eve or January 1?

In this article are some dated from 1910 to 1913. A couple of cards were dated Dec 31 and Jan 1, but guess they celebrated all year because one is dated June 24th.

Meanwhile, I hope you have had a very Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year!

Barbara F. Dyer has lived in Camden all of her life, so far.

More Barbara Dyer

Trolley transportation

More shipwrecks

The burning of the Annie L.

The demise of a Camden-built vessel

Camden’s wooden boat builders were perfectionists

Building wooden boats in Camden, many years ago

The Hub of Camden

Socializing and such, before television

The first years of the Camden Snow Bowl

Snow Bowl

Launching ‘Whimsey’

The many moods of Camden Harbor

Demise of the Camden steamboat wharf

Curtis Island Lighthouse - the sentinel of Camden Harbor

Camden Harbor: As old as the last glacier

Mr. Camden Harbor

Windjammer cruises in Camden

Memorial Day remembrances