Your Town is a Treasure – An Outsider’s Perspective
The following correspondence is taken with permission, from a recent email that I received. It was so well written and such a nice complement to our community, I had to share. For a moment I found myself lost in the conversation, as if I were taken back to the good ol’ days, when people would take the time to travel off the beaten path and tell of their stops and experiences by mailing hand written postcards to their loved ones, direct from the places they had visited. That type of nostalgia sounds pretty good right about now, doesn’t it?
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My visit was short, but it was so heartwarming. Your town is a treasure.
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Hello Mr. Hybertson -
On recent travels, I passed through Centerville and saw the historic views of the town reproduced from old postcards on the side of the building at/ Main and Broadway.
I'm interested in purchasing reproduction postcards of those scenes, but I was unable to find any and the very nice ladies at the pharmacy across the street suggested I contact you.
Can you help me?
Ann B.
Minneapolis, MN
PS: Your town is just lovely and the residents were so hospitable!
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Hello Ann,
Thank you for the email! And thank you for noticing the improvements to our downtown. It was a fun project to work on. Yes, the enlarged photo prints were taken from some smaller photos we had access to through our museum. Some were in postcard form and others were just pictures.
I believe I can reproduce these in postcard size if you are interested. That is actually something we were considering doing and having for sale once we get our Arts, Commerce and Visitors Center up and going here in town. I am not sure what it will cost to do but I can look into it and let you know. I could mail them to you once complete. Let’s stay in touch.
Thanks!
Jared Hybertson
-Community & Economic Development Coordinator - City of Centerville
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Hi Jared -
Yes, I'd love to have copies of those pictures!
What a great way you've developed to showcase local history! It looks just great!
I'm a photographer myself and I had camped in the Centerville municipal park the previous night on my journey to see Igloo, South Dakota, and Toadstool Geologic Park in NW Nebraska to take photos.
I saw a lot of work going on freshening up Main Street, but what impressed me the most was the warm hospitality of the residents as I took a stroll down Main Street to the bakery where I got one of those delicious rosebud pastries. A local pastor asked if I was considering moving to the area and told me how he had come to be part of the Centerville community. The ladies in the pharmacy invited me to join them for coffee in the coffee shop across the street from the building with the photos on it.
My visit was short, but it was so heartwarming. Your town is a treasure.
Please keep me on the short list for reproductions of some of those Centerville images. I have collected postcards like that for many years since a friend first sent me one from Twin Valley, Minnesota, in about 1971. They are wonderful keepsakes.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my inquiry.
Best wishes to you and all the Centerville residents to stay safe and healthy during these difficult times.
Ann B.
Minneapolis, MN
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I was so moved by Ann’s words about Centerville I felt inclined to ask for her permission to use them as a testimonial for our town. She was more than happy to allow me to share. And I will certainly be getting Ann those postcards she requested.
Great first impression Centerville! Way to shine! Maybe this write up will encourage more people to pay a visitor to our friendly little town that has so much to offer.
By Jared Hybertson