The northeastern boundary between British North America and the United States was disputed for nearly six decades after the Treaty of Paris of 1783. Arbitration efforts failed on several occasions. Increasing competition over lumber heightened tensions in the 1830s. The cycle of retaliation became known as the Bloodless Aroostook War. At that time, American forces built a blockhouse in Fort Fairfield. The exact course of the boundary line was finally settled by the Webster-Ashburton agreement of 1842. Still, commerce and travel across the boundary remained very fluid until the twenty-first century. Passports were not mandated until the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Fort Fairfield's port of entry, which faces Perth-Andover on the Canadian side, receives a relatively low traffic load. Its current customs house dates from the 1930s.

The postcard bears no date or postmark.