This postcard depicts the antebellum church of Midway, GA. It is a Congregational Church building reconstructed in 1792 after the original structure was destroyed by British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War.
The description states:
MIDWAY
One of the oldest settlements in Georgia, famous for its old church of simple architecture containing a large slave gallery, high pulpit and plain pews. Across the highway is the graveyard shadowed by magnificent oaks.
— The postcard most likely dates from the late 1950’s, since this was the only time my family was living or visiting in Georgia. My father was stationed as a soldier at Fort Stewart near Savannah, and Midway is a few miles SSW of the city.
Author: desteede
Hanging Rock, Royal Gorge, Colorado
This is an oddly framed photo of the famous Hanging Rock feature over the Gorge. Viewing the central portion of the picture does not reveal the rock among the landscape.
The rock is all the way at the top, not completely seen, while the photo emphasizes the Gorge instead. The description states:
HANGING ROCK IN THE ROYAL GORGE
The Royal Gorge is one hundred and twenty miles from Denver and forty-five miles from Colorado Springs, and may be reached by D. & R. G. R. R. from either place. The bed of the famous canyon is 5,494 feet above sea level. Its walls of rugged granite tower 2,700 feet above the Arkansas River, which flows at its base.
–The railroad referenced in the description above is the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, now a part of the Amtrak system. The card likely dates from the late 1940’s.
Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River, Colorado
This is a colorized postcard from an originally black and white photo of Royal Gorge, Colorado. Regrettably, it is not currently in such pristine condition as a result of the 2012 Royal Gorge Fire. It burned for seven days, damaged the bridge, destroyed the aerial tram and many buildings. The park is closed for the entire 2013 season for reconstruction and repairs.
The description on the back reads:
LOOKING DOWN INTO THE ROYAL GORGE.
The Royal Gorge, the mother of the Arkansas River, is a giant slit or canal in the Rocky Mountains, cut from the summits of the lofty peaks to the very foundation stones. A span wide in places and rising 3,000 feet perpendicular to the clouds, it presents miles of scenery equaled in few places on the globe.
— The postcard is unused and undated, but is consistent with other cards of the late 1940’s.
Alaskan Glacier
This postcard is an aerial picture of one of Alaska’s larger glaciers, but it is unidentified in the picture itself.
The description on the back is very brief and not particularly informative:
A river of ageless ice forms one of Alaska’s scenic wonders. Wien Air Alaska
–This card was mailed and is postmarked 22 August 1980, so the photo likely dates from shortly before that time.
Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona
Pictured is a winter scene of the picturesque mountains and landscape of Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona.
The description on the back states:
Winter’s blanket of white contrasts with the Red Cliffs of Oak Creek Canyon.
This postcard was mailed, and the postmark is 7 June 1965. I sent it as a child to my great-aunt Dorcas Jacokes just after our family visited the Petrified Forest, Arizona on our way to California that summer.
Mackinac Bridge Construction, Michigan
This 59 cent folio of postcard photos depicts the construction of the Mackinac Bridge across the straits of the same name in the mid-1950s. It was opened to traffic on 1 November 1957.
This folio was produced before the completion of the bridge in 1957, as evidenced by the absence of photos of the opening or vehicles on the bridge. Also, the Toll Gate and Administration building card is an artist’s rendition and not a photograph, since the structures were not complete either by the publication of this collection.
There is an ongoing controversy about the ‘longest bridge’, which is hinted at in the last illustration above. Some have championed the Bay Bridge spanning the distance between San Francisco and Oakland, CA. However, this is a multi-span bridge that ‘island hops’ along the way. The illustration above compares only single-span suspension bridges, but even in this comparison there is room for dispute. While the Big Mac, as it has come to be called, is longer from pier to pier, the Golden Gate is longer between towers. Both have since been surpassed on this measure by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.
Avery’s Restaurant, Mancelona, Michigan
This postcard depicts the recently closed Avery’s Restaurant as it looked in its earlier days. This appears to be a photo taken after at least one renovation and expansion, as earlier photos do not show the enhanced entrance or expansion on the back of the structure.
According to some news web sites, the restaurant was victim of the economic crisis of 2008 which saw business drop off drastically.
The description on the back of the card reads:
Avery’s Restaurant
US 131 North
Mancelona, Mich. 49659
Good Food – Pleasant Atmosphere. Open at 6 A.M. Closed Tuesdays. Dining Room Available for Parties.
Phone Area 616-587-7011
Chuck and Lil Avery
— The presence of a zip code in the address and the van shown in the image put this photo in the late 1960’s or so.
High Life Motel, Indian River, Michigan
This is a promotional postcard for the High Life Motel, Inc. It would appear there are not a lot of rooms or that the entire structure is not shown in this photo, since there are only two entry doors, two parked cars and the elevated center section, which presumably houses the office.
The motel was located in the northern central area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, near the town of Indian River.
The description on the back reads:
High Life Motel, Inc.
The North’s most modern. Overnight – Shuffleboard – Miniature Golf – Picnic Grounds – Fishing – Artesian well – On U.S. 27 1/2 mile north of Indian River, Michigan.
The card is dated 1956, which is confirmed by the cars in the photo. US 27 has largely been abandoned or absorbed into state highways in the Michigan area.
Red Cedar Restaurant, Munising Michigan
Pictured is a motel in Michigan paneled on the outside completely in the local red cedar wood product common in the Michigan forests.
The description on the back reads:
The Red Cedar, In the Heart of the Motel Area, Open 6:30 A.M. Every Day Year Around
Specializing in Fine Steak, Chicken, Fresh Lake Superior Fish. (Children’s Portions) Homemade Baked Goods, Cocktail Lounge – Gift Shop. 2 Miles from Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore.
Munising, Michigan Phone 906 – 387-2535
The restaurant has changed hands over the years and still exists in this location. It is not apparent when the photo was taken, but it is consistent with the early 1960’s.
Drummond Island Ferry
This is an Ektachrome postcard of the newly deployed car ferry serving Drummond Island, Michigan. It was christened Drummond Islander II.
The description on the back reads:
New Drummond Island Ferry
Drummond Islander II
This new ferry transports automobiles and passengers between DeTour and Drummond Island, Michigan, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The postcard is dated 1962