Photo: Carver County Historical Society
Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world as a day of romance, but its origins were anything but romantic. The day was named after the Roman priest Valentine, who was sentenced to death on February 14, 269 AD for his stance of protecting the sacrament of marriage. The date was first declared a Feast Day in 496 AD by Pope Gelasius to honor the now Sainted Valentine. It was not until many centuries later that the date became associated with romance.
In 1797, Valentine’s Day cards appeared. Starting in London, England, cards became popular quickly, and it wasn’t long until the United States followed suit. In 1849, Esther Howland created the first commercially produced Valentine’s Day card, earning her the nickname, “mother of the American Valentine.” Hallmark didn’t join the market until 1913.
The Valentine in this photo was sent by Elmer Fink to his romantic interest, Lola, in 1915. (Note the names handwritten below each character.) A Chanhassen resident, Fink was 21 when he gave Lola the card. The Valentine did not achieve the hoped for results, as Elmer married Cora Scholl in 1923.
