This is an aerial photo of the Soco Gap and it’s current occupation by the Blue Ridge Parkway and US Highway 19. The original picture was apparently taken in early autumn by the appearance of a bit of color change among the trees.
The description states:
Scenic Soco Gap, at the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway and U.S. 19, is the marked boundary of the Qualla Reservation of the Cherokee Indians and was the gateway to the last Cherokee stronghold in Western North Carolina.
The postcard is used, but was mis-cancelled and the postmark is not present. The 15 cent coil stamp would indicate the card was mailed shortly after the stamp’s issue date of 1978, with the photo predating it.
Tag: postcard
Lower Tunnel, Trans Mountain Highway, Tennessee
This is a view of the tunnel entrance on the US 441 highway as it traverses the Great Smoky Mountains through Sevier County, Tennessee.
The description states:
THE LOWER TUNNEL on the Transmountain Highway U.S. 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To the left may be seen the Chimney Tops which dominate the view for several miles along this highway. This is one of two tunnels on this highway which were built in order to avoid steep grades as the highway climbs to the top of the main range of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The picture is dated on the card as taken in 1955.
Glass House Restaurant, Oklahoma Turnpike
This is a nighttime photo of the restaurant built over the Will Rogers Turnpike at Vinita, OK. While this structure still exists, it changed ownership and names over the years, and was most recently a MacDonald’s. As of this writing, it is closed for renovation and is expected to reopen in 2014.
The description reads;
Spectacular Night View of the Glass House Restaurant Broiler Room on the Will Rogers Turnpike at Vinita, Oklahoma.
This photo dates from the early 1960s. The postcard was used and postmarked August 1964.
Hahatonka Castle, Lake of the Ozarks, MO
This is a colorized photo of the Hahatonka Castle building and grounds overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks reservoir. It is now part of the larger state park in Missouri.
The description states:
Rising majestically on the crest of a rocky cliff, this edifice is suggestive of a medieval castle on the Rhine. Built in 1905 on a 5,000 acre estate as a private residence by Robert Snyder, street railway magnate of Kansas City, Hahatonka is now an inn. It is constructed of native stone, has a patio-type interior with twenty massive rooms.
–Tragically, just a year after this postcard was mailed in July of 1941, the building was completely destroyed by fire. It is now in ruins, but has been partially restored since it’s purchase by the state of Missouri for the state park.
Davis Gun Collection, Claremore, Oklahoma
Today presents a folio of the amazing gun collection of J.M. Davis, who spent a lifetime selecting and displaying the tens of thousands of items shown below. Most notable is the fact that there are no duplicates in the collection, which covers several centuries of gun making history.
The collection is shown here in it’s late 1940’s location, the Mason Hotel in Claremore, OK, which Davis purchased both for the hotel itself and as the display venue for his growing collection. At this time, the collection was more than 15,000 items. Over time the collection outgrew even the numerous rooms and corridors of the hotel, and a new building was constructed specifically to house the collection: the J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum. The hotel was later closed and has since been demolished.
The last image (from the back of the folio) is of the nearby memorial to Will Rogers, the actor, humorist, journalist and aviator of the early part of the century who was born and lived nearby.
These colorized photos date from the late 1940’s.
Jasper Samples, Michigan
A little different kind of postcard this time: a selection of mineral rocks from the Michigan area. These are Jasper stones, common in many areas of the world.
The description on the back of the card reads:
JASPER
The varieties of quartz classified as “Jasper” are generally opaque or only translucent. There are about 70 varieties. Jasper may be red, yellow, brown, green, bluish or black. Favored by the ancient Orientals for carving. Found in both peninsulas of Michigan.
–This card is dated 1962, and was likely purchased in Mackinaw City, Michigan.
Congregational Church, Midway, Georgia
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.
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.