Tag: 1950s

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This image is a view of the dock built and maintained by the city of Petoskey, Michigan, located near the northernmost point of the lower peninsula of Michigan.

The description states:
2–The Petoskey municipal dock cost $60,000. The money was raised from subscriptions of $1.00 to $100.00 given by individuals, businesses and industry.
–It is not apparent whether the dock exists currently, or whether it has been replaced by the marina complex now extant. This card likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the Port Austin Lighthouse, located just off the northern tip of the ‘thumb’ of Michigan’s lower peninsula, where it protects ships from a dangerous reef.

The description states:
Michigan Thumb Scenery
Port Austin Lighthouse, Port Austin, Michigan
–The lighthouse was constructed in 1878 and has been regularly updated since then. It is now maintained by a private restoration group, and runs off of solar power.
This card is dated 1957.