The massive stone walls and steeply pitched slate roof of Restored Fort Ticonderoga rise against a twilight sky in this hand-colored early postcard — mossy rubble in the foreground and a solitary tree leaning into the composition giving the image a romantic, almost painterly quality that suited the fort's reputation as one of the most storied battlegrounds in American history. Written on the back in a confident, flowing hand from Ticonderoga, N.Y., dated September 19, 1916, the sender — signing simply as "Bunny" — tells Paul of receiving his letter and money order, reports that a fellow named Webster was drowned in Lake Champlain two days prior, describes hiking 11 or 12 miles every morning and making camp in the afternoon, mentions that "the folks" will meet him in the car in a few days, and closes with a hopeful invitation: "Let's have another picnic if it's not too cold when we get back." Fort Ticonderoga, originally the French Fort Carillon, was famously captured by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys in 1775; it was restored and opened to the public beginning in 1909 by the Pell family, making this card an early souvenir of one of America's first major historic preservation efforts. Card number 13906 printed in corner. Postmarked Ticonderoga, NY, September 1916.