This image is of a steamship waiting to progress through the Soo Locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. This particular lock is currently unused pending replacement with a much larger lock once funding is secured.
There is no additional description on the back of this card, but the steamship pictured here is named after James A. Farrell, the former president of the U.S. Steel Co.
The postcard was used and is dated June, 1939.
Tag: Michigan
Michigan Logging Wheels, Traverse City, Michigan
This next card in the series is a historical relic even for the time this postcard was made. By the 1930’s horse-drawn logging was played out in the Traverse City area, but devices like this remained. This one was even demonstrated as shown in the photo.
As with the others of this series, there is no description on the card back. The Michigan logging wheel operated by looping a chain under the logs, then winching them up enough to hang free of the ground, allowing the horse team to pull the load without dragging. Some versions would drag the trailing tip of the lower log, others would suspend the entire load with chains on the axle and the drawbar.
This card was used and is dated June 1939.
Beach at Traverse City, Michigan
This card the the first of five which were purchased and mailed during a family trip from Cadillac, MI to Green Bay, WI. This is a colored photo of folks enjoying a day at the beach in Traverse City, MI.
The swimwear fashions shown give a good indication of the era, but since the postcard was mailed, it can be conclusively dated at 1939.
Michigan’s Lower Peninsula
This week the folio features a collection of sights around the lower peninsula of Michigan.
This folio does not have a publisher or printer credit, nor any description page. It dates from the 1950’s, as indicated by the photo of the incomplete Mackinac bridge, which was finished in 1957.
Monroe Avenue Nighttime, Grand Rapids, MI
This photo, taken from the identical spot as the one posted previously, shows the downtown intersection at night under the lights.
The description states:
GRAND RAPIDS AT NIGHT – A bustling, industrious Michigan city by day, Grand Rapids by night is exciting and inviting. A welcoming glow of hospitality is extended to all by the brightly lighted streets and store fronts. Top-flight entertainment, fine restaurants, clubs, theaters and music to suit all tastes is part of the city scene.
This photo was likely taken in the late 1960s.
Monroe Avenue Daytime, Grand Rapids, MI
The first of two images, taken from a street level vantage point at the intersection of Division and Fulton, looking across Monument Park in downtown Grand Rapids, MI.
The description states:
MONROE AVENUE – By day or by night, Grand Rapids is a throbbing, exciting city. Fine hotels and motels, stores, specialty shops, service functions and entertainment make it a favorite center for conventions. Superior educational and recreational facilities make this an outstanding city in which to work and live.
The park is now filled with trees which obscure the building behind, but the Herpolsheimer’s was demolished and replaced with smaller buildings in the 1990’s. The cars in this photo indicate that it was taken in the late 1960s.
Calder’s La Grande Vitesse, Grand Rapids, MI
Once in the heart of the city, you’ll see this oversized outdoor sculpture which has become the symbol of the city. Like many such works, including the Eiffel Tower, it was not so well received originally.
The description states:
CALDER SCULPTURE, LA GRANDE VITESSE – Dedicated June 14, 1969 in Vandenberg Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan, this lovely sculpture, “The Grand Rapids”, is the first such civic venture financed jointly by federal and public funds. Sculpted by the famous Alexander Calder, the La Grande Vitesse was built in France. Immediately behind the impressive creation is the City-County Building.
— As the description indicates, this card dates to no earlier than 1969, and was probably made shorty after the dedication.
Grand River Bridge, Grand Rapids, MI
Once off the plane and into land transport, one important sight in the midst of the city is the namesake river, with a bit of rapids showing at the bottom right of the photo. The Grand River has salmon runs, and a ladder was built for the salmon to ease their progress upstream.
The description states:
THE GRAND RIVER – Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded along the banks of the Grand River by early Dutch settlers, is now the leading city in West Michigan. The river provides many scenic and recreational areas for residents and visitors alike.
— This photo is part of a collection that appears to date from the late 1960s.
Kent County Airport, near Grand Rapids, MI
Having seen the city from the air, the place to descend back to earth is the Kent County Airport.
Known now as the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, after the man who represented this area in the US Congress and became president after the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974. The description states:
KENT COUNTY AIRPORT – Located just southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan, this full-service airport serves the area with scheduled airline flights and supporting air service functions. The US Weather Bureau radar station at the airport watches over all of Western Michigan, with forecasts of weather conditions and flight information.
This card is part of a series that appears to date from the late 1960s.
Grand Rapids Michigan Aerial View
The week begins with an aerial overview of the city of Grand Rapids, MI.
The description states:
HEART OF THE CITY – Typical of Grand Rapids’ progressive nature is the network of super highways linking the city center to surrounding suburbs and other Michigan cities. Projects such as this and the impressive Vandenberg Center are characteristic of the growth which has made it one of America’s leading cities.
–Since these optimistic words were printed, Grand Rapids has seen a significant decline from de-industrialization and plant closings beginning in the late 1970s. This card, one of several from the same series, dates from the late 1960s.