This image is from almost the same spot as the previous post, but elevated to give a slightly longer field of view. More obvious is the service station building, topped by the Sinclair gasoline sign.
The description states:
Holding’s
LITTLE AMERICA
LITTLE AMERICA, WYOMING
America’s New Travel Center, 300-Capacity Coffee Shop and Dining Room, 150 Air Conditioned Motor Lodge Rooms, Fountain, Cocktail Lounge, Deluxe Rest Rooms.
World’s Largest Service Station – 55 Pumps, Garage, Giant Paved Parking Areas, Famous Coast to Coast.
“QUEEN OF THE HIGHWAYS”
— Robert Holding, the founder of Little America, would come to own Sinclair Oil in 1976, and has kept the brand alive to the current day. Holding himself died in 2013.
This card also dates from the 1960s.
Category: Postcards From Another Millennium
Postcards from various decades of the 20th century.
Little America, Wyoming
We begin a week with images of the famous tourist spot called Little America. Originally it was a remote hotel intended for long distance travelers, but as time passed it prospered from its location on a major highway. This initial image shows a portion of the huge gasoline refueling station, touted as the world’s largest.
The description states:
Holding’s
LITTLE AMERICA
LITTLE AMERICA, WYOMING
America’s New Travel Center, 300-Capacity Coffee Shop and Dining Room, 150 Air Conditioned Motor Lodge Rooms, Fountain, Cocktail Lounge, Deluxe Rest Rooms.
World’s Largest Service Station – 55 Pumps, Garage, Giant Paved Parking Areas, Famous Coast to Coast.
“QUEEN OF THE HIGHWAYS”
–As is obvious from the age of the cars in the photo, this card dates from the 1960s.
Labrador, Canada Fishing Scene
This image features boats and pots used in lobster fishing in the Canadian Maritime province of Labrador.
The description states simply:
LOBSTER POTS
Battle Harbour, Labrabor, Canada
— Battle Harbour was once a permanent fishing station but is now only used during the summer. It changed after resettlement in the 1960s.
This card was used and is dated 1965.
Handicraft House Glass Kitchen, Mar, Ontario
This image is of a room in the Handicraft House called the Glass Kitchen, displaying a large range of glass objects and kitchenware in a cafe setting.
The description states:
HANDICRAFT HOUSE
Visit the Glass Kitchen at Canada’s Finest Gift Shop
Mar, Ontario
Highway 6 West of Bruce Trail.
–It is not clear from the current website for this establishment that the Glass Kitchen still exists. The card likely dates from the 1960s.
Handicraft House Bear, Mar, Ontario
This image is of the iconic Kodiak bear which greets customers to the Handicraft House trading post in Mar, Ontario.
The description states:
HANDICRAFT HOUSE
See the 9 ft. Kodiak Bear at Canada’s Finest Gift Shop
Mar, Ontario
Highway 6 West of Bruce Trail
–This establishment is still in business under the same name and at the same location. The card is believed to date from the 1960s
S.S. Ontario at Cobourg, Ontario
This is an image of the railroad car ferry named the SS Ontario, which had as one of its terminals the port of Cobourg, Ontario. This ship, along with another of the same name, were used to move railroad freight cars across the great lakes to shorten travel distances where railroads could not be built.
This image was black and white, then colorized before printing as a postcard. The ship was built in the first decades of the 20th century, and has long since been scrapped.
There is no description on the back of this card. The image is likely from the 1930s
Lamplighter Motel, Niagara Falls, Canada
This image shows a typical hotel of the period, the Lamplighter, located near Niagara Falls.
The description states:
THE LAMPLIGHTER MOTEL
1257 Ferry St., Niagara Falls, Canada. Walking distance from Falls. Featuring: telephones, electric heat, air conditioning, broadloom carpets, swimming pool, T. V., tubs and showers, restaurant next door. Phone (Area Code 416) 356-2842.
–The people in the front of the pool photo are probably models, while those in the back are more likely owners or residents of the motel at the time. The automobiles in the lower image indicate that this card dates from the 1960s.
Oakes’ Garden Theatre, Niagara Falls, Canada
This image is a color artwork of the Oakes’ Garden Theatre. It forms part of the 16 acre Oakes Park, built during the 1930s as a make work project.
The theatre was built on the site of the Clifton Hotel, which was destroyed in the early 1930s.
There is no description on the back of this card. The card likely dates from the 1940s.
East Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, Canada
This image shows a dramatic closeup of the east side of Horseshoe Falls, the Canadian section of the Niagara Falls complex.
There is no description on the back of this card, only the caption printed on the front.
Of note, on the left side of the falls, there appears to be a ledge that the falling water strikes before reaching the rocks at the bottom. This ledge is in fact the previous precipice, now eroded away and slowly being destroyed by the action of the falling water. The falls continuously retreat as a a result of this process, and have moved many miles upstream over the eons.
This card was used, and is dated 1951, but the image likely dates from the 1940s. The dark spot in the center right of the image is an ink stain.
Goat Island View of Niagara Falls, USA
The image here is from Goat Island, just above and to the right of the previous image, which was from the tour boat Maid of the Mist. The view is in the same direction, and shows the Rainbow Bridge in the background behind the observation tower on the American side.
The description on the back of the card states:
NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO CANADA
As seen from Goat Island on the American side, showing Prospect Point and the American Falls, with the new Tower and the Rainbow Bridge in the background. The New Tower is 282 feet high.
–The New Tower is part of the Prospect Point complex, and is also the boarding point for passengers on the Maid of the Mist tours.
This card dates from the 1960s.