130 years ago, 1896: Transcribed as originally published in the Youngstown Vindicator.

“St. Valentine. Cupid engaged today in shooting his arrows in every direction. Great demand among dealers. Letter carriers find their burdens greatly increased by these missives.”

“This is the day when Cupid is supposed to have absolute sway and on which he fires his love tipped arrows with a recklessness that cares not how many hearts are bled.

“The custom of exchanging valentines dates back for so many years that it has now became legend. The patron of this day, St. Valentine, is claimed to have been a bishop of the Roman Catholic church, who was beheaded by King Claudius in the year 270. He was later canonized a saint of that church and this day is set apart for special devotion to him, and the office of the priests of the church contains a special reading of his life and a meditation on his many virtues. His biographers say that he was a man of admirable mould of character, and was in his own day and time revered for his love and charity to all who came in contact with him. So generally was this fact recognized that in his native place on the anniversary of his birth, it was thought an omen of good luck for young people to plight their troth on this day, and from this custom, came the sending of valentines or epistles of love, promising affection that would prove eternal.

“Still another reason is given for this custom that it was a popular belief among the early Romans that on this day the birds of the air sought their mates, and popular opinion found a sentimental omen of good luck in the betrothed of lovers on this day. Again history tells of the practice of choosing wives in a lottery, on the feast of the ‘Lupercalia,’ an early Roman holiday, which occurred on this date in February. The custom then became for young people on the eve of St. Valentine’s day to choose their lovers for the following year, which, when chosen, was known as a Valentine. The custom has since grown and spread, and popular feeling in the sentiment of the festival is bound only by the limits of civilization. Writers of prose and poetry in all ages have honored the legend in their writings….

“This age of rush and struggle for material gain has not been able to crush out the sentiment which today awakes….

“Youngstown is like the rest of the world, so far as its devotion to this festival is concerned, and the fun to be gotten out of the comic valentine, as well as exchange of the more beautiful creations, is here enjoyed to its fullest limit. A call at the different establishments where valentines are sold, developed the fact that there has been a big demand for valentines of all descriptions this year. The comic valentine has sold like the proverbial ‘hot cakes,’ while the demand for the prettier creation has been greater than for many years, some of the dealers having disposed of their entire stock as early as yesterday morning.

“How to account for this increased demand for the better quality of goods, the dealers are at a loss to know, except for the fact that this is leap year, and the girls are taking all the advantage of the prerogatives with which popular opinion vests them on this occasion.

“The post office felt the weight of business this morning, and the mail was unusually heavy, many of the letters being enclosed in the large telltale envelope or box in which are usually found the sentimental verses.”

Compiled from the Youngstown Vindicator by Dante Bernard, Mahoning Valley Historical Society Museum Educator.