This image shows, according to the caption on the card itself, a Scenic Vacation Wonderland, believed to be in Wisconsin, as the card was published there.
There is no description on the back of this card, only the statement “This is an ECKCO-CHROME Reproduction.” This spelling is present on other postcards of the era, but it is not clear what it refers to unless it was intended to say “Ekta-chrome”, which was a kind of film.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.
Month: January 2016
Flaming Waters, Vanderbilt, Michigan
This image shows a small boat and several objects nearby left by a recent sailor or fisherman.
There is no description on the back of the card. However, there is a caption printed on the front, across the trees in the back of the scene, which is obscured by the image. It reads:
The Flaming Waters
Vanderbilt, Michigan
Vanderbilt, Michigan is located in the upper center of the lower peninsula of Michigan, in Otsego County. It is not known why this is called the Flaming Waters.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.
Autumn Colors, Petoskey Michigan
This image is of typical autumn colors in the northern Michigan woods.
The description states:
Lovely is Autumn…”season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.”
–The quote is from the first line of a poem by John Keats, “To Autumn”
The card was used and is dated 31 August 1955.
Sunset at Petoskey, Michigan
This image shows a colorful sunset scene taken near the city of Petoskey, Michigan, in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan.
The description simply states:
Greetings From
PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN
–There is a quote at the bottom of the card back:
“The sun hath made a golden set…gives token of a goodly day tomorrow.” — Shakespeare
It is a broken quote from Richard III, Act 5, Scene 3.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.
The Monarch Pine, Grayling, Michigan
This image shows the base and marker identifying the Monarch White Pine. At the time it was one of the largest white pines in Michigan.
The description states:
THE MONARCH PINE
One of the largest white pines in northern Michigan, located in Hartwick Pines State Park, Grayling Michigan. 155 feet tall and 51 inches in diameter.
–This tree no longer exists, as it was damaged in a storm and died shortly thereafter. There were earlier posts on this blog about the Monarch here.
This card is dated 1955.
Sleeping Bear Dune, Michigan
This image shows a group of people climbing the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, in the northwestern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. Originally a state park, part of the area was designated a National lakeshore park as well.
The description sates:
SLEEPING BEAR SAND DUNE
The Dune, several miles wide and more than twice as long, is an expanse of Golden Sand where each summer thousands visit making it the favorite playground of Northern Michigan.
–Climbing the dune, as shown here, is a popular exercise for many of the visitors, as the summit provides an outstanding view of the lake and shoreline.
This postcard was used and is dated 16 August 1954.
Pointe Aux Barques, Michigan
This image shows waves lapping the shore of the ‘tip of the thumb’ area of the lower peninsula of Michigan, near Pointe Aux Barques, the northernmost point of the ‘thumb’.
The description states:
MICHIGAN THUMB SCENERY
Breakers at Pointe Aux Barques in the tip of the Thumb.
–The name means Point of Small Boats, apparently a reference to the shallow waters and reefs that pose a hazard to larger ships approaching the shore in the area. There is a lighthouse to advise passing ships of the danger. The object on the lake in the background is a passing ship.
This image is dated 1955.
Lake of the Clouds, Ontonagon, Michigan
This image shows a typical elevated view of the outflow and body of Lake of the Clouds, located in Ontonagon County, Michigan, in the western Upper Peninsula. The image is taken from a scenic spot known as Lake of the Clouds Overlook.
The description states:
LAKE OF THE CLOUDS
Located in the Michigan Porcupine Mountains State Park, twenty-five miles west of Ontonagon, Michigan. The escarpment on the north side is 300 ft. above the lake.
–The lake is formed by the Carp River, whose outflow is visible at the bottom of the image. This card likely dates from the 1950s.
Port Austin, Michigan
This image shows a main street scene in the village of Port Austin, Michigan, located at the tip of the ‘thumb’ portion of the lower peninsula of Michigan.
The description states:
MICHIGAN THUMB SCENERY
Street Scene at Port Austin, Michigan
–The village is quite small, less than a thousand population even today.
This card is dated 1955, which is consistent with the autos shown parked in the image.
S.S. City of Petoskey, Michigan
This image is of the state-run ferry called the S.S. City of Petoskey, part of a larger fleet of auto and passenger ferries operating across the Straits of Mackinac before the construction of the Mackinac bridge in 1957.
The description states:
THE CITY OF PETOSKEY
Michigan State Ferry
Operating at the Straits of Mackinac, in Michigan. “Petoskey” is derived from the Chippewa Indian name “Pe-to-se-ga,” meaning, “The Rising Sun.”
–This ferry was put in service in 1940, and continued in service until the ferry system was discontinued in 1957. It was the next to last ferry put into service, succeeded by the S.S. Vacationland.
This image likely dates from the 1950s.