Delhi is a small town within Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana.
The town of Delhi was originally, Deerfield. I have not learned when the name was changed -it might help date the linen cards that I found.
According to one website, the town was named for Delhi, India, but no explanation was offered.
The National Historic Landmark of Poverty Point - an enormous earthen construction from the Archaic period (1200-700 BCE) is near the town of Delhi. The extent of the complex was not recognized until aerial photography became availabel in the mid-twentieth century.
Poverty Point -National Historic Landmark
Delhi is near the Mississippi River, there are numerous bayous and lakes in the area.. The Tensas river runs nearby. I do not know what body or bodies of water are represented in the vintage postcards. In recent years, a large reservoir has been constructed in Delhi, but i am certain that the postcards are older than the reservoir.
In the last twenty years, this area has twice been visited by especially fierce tornados.
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Comments: 29
The name change apparently took place in 1859, Lord Peter. The post office changed names that year according to this site.
I am very glad to learn this, Dave. The place was called "Delhi" at the earliest possible date for these cards (1930).
I never considered that it contained the dates of operation for a particular post office.
I spent the past week in a (red) corner of the heartland, but managed to stop in a little antique shop on my last evening there.
Now, as I sit in the Charlotte airport, I have a small staqck of "new" postcards to explore.
A small "staqck" is, of course, a limited quantity of a very precious substance.
I grew up in a town named Deerfield...but nowhere near LA. It's an odd name switch; not one of the first states that would pop in one's mind to have a town named Delhi.
Then you will be pleased to know that I hae some more postcard places being prepared for posting.
I would like to learn more about the change of Deerfield to Delhi.
"From an humble beginning about 1845 or the close of the Mexican War, when settlers began to pour into this country, Mr. John Bishop's father erected the first recorded building in this locality that now goes by the name of the town of Delhi. The original name of Delhi was Deerfield, so called because of the woody area and the many deer. It was told to me by an old settler of Delhi that, 'one of the best early deer stands in North Louisiana was around the present site of the Delhi Swimming Pool.' It was not until after the Civil War [note: other information sets the date at 1859] that Deerfield was changed to Delhi. How the name Delhi came about was told by Grandmother Tweedle, mother of Miss. Lillie Tweedle. She relates, 'As I was on my way to school one morning, I saw a man ride up to a large oak tree, located about the place the First National Ban[k] now occupies, and start to carve a name on the tree. On my way home from school that afternoon I saw that he had completed his work and I read the name Delhi, this name was adopted by the people who were settling the little town, and so it has remained. The man who carved the name on the tree was a Mr. Ben Lowry.'"
I quite agree, Aniko.
There is a Delhi, New York - in Delaware county.
Ithaca, Syracuse, Utica, Rome, Carthage, Marathon (plus Homer, Seneca Falls, Aurelius, and Tully).
So, we have "nooBERlin", "South nooBERlin", and MADrid.
(Or did I just imagine that?)
Some of my favorites are from Western New York: Scajaquada, Tonawanda, and Cheetowaga.
Dew-boys and Ver-sales.
Aniko is right in noting that one must always check with the locals about correct pronunciation.
After the first episode aired, I remember that there were a lot of inconsistencies that the locals noticed immediately, and chief amongst them was the proper way to say "Salina" - the former name of the city and still the name of a major north-south roadway.
Here in NYS, it's "sa-LINE-a" but out in California, it's "sa-LEEN-a" (or something like that -- I don't speak Californian.)