John Calcott Horsley a London inventor produced the first Christmas card in 1843 as a favor for friend Henry Cole–now more than 150 years later the simple greeting card exchanged by the millions each holiday season has been etched in the lore of Christmas.
Locally several residents have perserved a few of these old cards–recalling memories of Christmas? long ago. Most of the 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch postcard type greetings are very detailed and often embossed with a variety of designs. Some of the cards were handmade.
Maurine Scramlin, 89, of Ortonville has saved some of the old cards and recalls how the greetings were often the only exchange families made across the miles at Christmas.
‘We had very little back then considering telephones we few,? said Scramlin. ‘And two cents for a card was about it for us at Christmas.?
Scramlin who grew up on a farm in Groveland Township near Oakhill and Reese roads in the early 1920s and attended Oak Hill one room school about a half-mile from her home.
Scramlin’s collection along with other cards archived at the Old Mill in Ortonville date back to about 1900 and were exchaged by local residents at Christmastime. A first and last name and the city were good enough for the cards to be delivered to local cities including Clarkston, Davisburg and Holly.