Tag Archives: 1940s

Methodist Church, Ithaca, Michigan

This image shows the Methodist Episcopal Church, as they were then called, located in Ithaca, Michigan.
There is no description on the back of this card.
The church is still active at the same location, now known as the Ithaca United Methodist Church, and the building still stands, expanded in size but retaining much of the original construction.
This postcard was used and is dated 7 August 1945.

Michigan Home, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

This image shows the Mt. Pleasant, Michigan Home and Training School, an institution for the developmentally disabled. Originally established in the late 19th century as a school for Native Americans, it closed in 1933 to reopen with its new purpose a year later.
There is no description on the back of this card.
The home was renamed the Mt. Pleasant Home and Training School in 1946, so the date of the postcard is most likely in the 1940s. The facility closed in 2008 due to budget shortfalls and declining attendance.

Pentwood Camp, Pentwater, Michigan

This is an image of a pair of simple campground cabins located in the lakeside community of Pentwater, Michigan.
There is no description on the back of this card.
–The cabins no doubt are long gone, as this appears to be a very informal development. The marking on the right building indicates where the sender’s family stayed during their visit.
The postcard was used but is not dated. However, the stamp used is from the wartime issues of the 1940s.

Cooley Bridge Park, Cadillac, Michigan

This image shows Cooley Bridge Park at the cascades of the Manistee River flowing down a hillside near Manistee, Michigan at the Highway 55 over crossing.
There is no description on the back of this card. The caption on the front reads:
ROAD SIDE PARK AT COOLEY BRIDGE • F254
BETWEEN CADILLAC AND MANISTEE MICH.
–The park is still there, and there is a picnic area under the still existing bridge.
This image likely dates from the 1940s.

Burt Lake, Michigan

This image is of Burt Lake, Michigan during an afternoon showing the sun reflecting on the water as the camera points to the west, with the sun partially obscured at the top of the image.
There is no description on this card, only the caption: Sunset on Burt Lake
The image is not quite of a sunset, as the sun is not in close proximity to the horizon as would be expected in a typical sunset picture.
The lake is 17,00 acres of surface area, with a 73 feet maximum depth. It is located in Cheboygan County, the northernmost county in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
This image likely dates from the 1940s.

Scenic Drive, Eagle Harbor Michigan

This image shows the rather rough road called Sand Dune Drive along the shore of Lake Superior on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
There is no description on the back of this card. The caption on the bottom states:
Scenic view  Sand Dune Drive
Eagle Harbor Mich
–The sand beach in this area stretches for four miles from the unincorporated village of Eagle Harbor.
The auto shown indicates that the image likely dates from the 1940s.

Charles Manor Restaurant, Grand Rapids, Michigan

This image shows the Charles Manor, a restaurant on the southeast side of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Nationwide Advertising, Tyler, Texas


The description states:
Dine at Charles Manor
Chicken, Steak, Ham and Trout Dinners
By Reservation — For your convenience
It’s never too late to call
Dinners for one or more persons
ALSO
Luncheons, Weddings, Dinners for all occasions
209 Charles Ave. at Cherry St.
Phones: 80875
              94485
–The business is gone, but the building is still on the site and in good repair, as shown here. Other than paint and a few other modifications, the building looks much the same now as then.
This image likely dates from the 1940s.

Iron Bound Motor Court, Williamsburg, Virginia

This image shows the buildings and restaurant that made up the Iron Bound Motor Court and Restaurant.

Published by Henry H. Ahrens, P. O. Box 2663, Charlotte, N. C.


The description states:
IRON BOUND MOTOR COURT
AAA Recommended
Williamsburg’s Outstanding Court. Restaurant on Premises. Twin and Double Beds. All Private Baths. Steam Heat. Telephone 1131.
1218 Richmond Road, U. S. 60Z
Within city limits,
WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA
–This is a pretty typical example of the second generation of motels, where the once free-standing cottages are merged into a single building with independent entrances on to a common parking lot. The presence of a restaurant on site was a significant amenity in areas where the motel was not near a population center, which is not the case here.
This card likely dates from the 1940s.

Jenson’s Motel and Dining Room, Providence Forge, Virginia

This image shows the grounds and restaurant that made up the Jenson’s Motel and Dining Room complex in Providence Forge, Virginia.

E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis.


The description states:
JENSON’S MOTEL AND DINING ROOM
Completely furnished 1-2 & 3 room cottages with private baths, also rooms in private home. Telephone Providence Forge 591 or write for reservations.
Mr. And Mrs. V. E. JENSON, Owners
On U.S. 60, Halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg at PROVIDENCE FORGE, VA.
–This is a very typical first generation motel, as the buildings are unique and separate, with the addition of lodgings in a private house, much like the bed and breakfast inns of the current day. The restaurant would have been a popular amenity when the motel was not close to a population center.
This card likely dates from the 1940s.

Grass Hut in Tropical Setting, Location Unknown

This image shows a typical tropical building made of local wood and grasses. It is set in a fenced enclosure amidst a tropical setting.
There is no description on the back of this card. The only writing is an inscription stating “Richard May 1946”
If anyone knows the origin of this image or the location of the subject, feel free to leave a message.