A Postcard History » Maentel Painting
John and Caterina Bickel
Painting by Jacob Maentel of John and Caterina Bickel of Jonestown, Pennsylvania owned by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City. Painted between 1820 and 1825 by Maentel, who frequently traveled around the south central Pennsylvania countryside painting affluent farmers and small town citizens. From his home base in Schaefferstown, he and his family departed for New Harmony, Indiana, about 1837. Maentel died in 1863 and is buried in Indiana near his friend Jacob Schnee, Lutheran pastor and publisher of the first newspaper (1807) in Lebanon. The Whitney Museum published this post card in 1980.
John Bickel, Jr. (1775-1863) served 57 years as the postmaster at Jonestown. When he retired in 1859, he was the oldest postmaster in the US, having served under 13 Presidents. He and his wife, Catherine (nee Caterina Eichelberger), are buried at the Reformed and Old Lutheran cemetery.
