Michigan

At the beginning of the 20th century, Bay City was the third biggest city in Michigan, after Detroit and Grand Rapids. Lumber and sawmills were a big part of that success. The wealth amassed by its lumber barons built a vibrant downtown and mansions along its main streets. Add industry, shipping, sugar beets, schools, and churches to the mix, and you have the pictures in this book.

These postcards show you how Bay City looked at its peak in the very early 1900s until about 1940-a time when people were glad they had reached their destinations and happy to send a postcard when they arrived.

Saginaw boasts a rich and colorful history. After the early explorers and small Native American villages came the lumbermen, shanty boys, and a bustling commercial center. Later the coal, salt, and sugar beet industries replaced lumbering in the economy. Many of Saginaw's businesses were known worldwide and are still important after more than 100 years. Saginaw was home to a bevy of famous and infamous characters. Among the early ruffians were Fabian Fournier (Saginaw's Paul Bunyan), Silver Jack Driscoll, and the Opera House Rogue, Warren Bordwell. Saginaw's more illustrious residents include "King Clothier," Little Jake Seligman, educator Alice Freeman Palmer, boxer George "Kid" Lavigne, and many others. Many of the postcards in this book represent the businesses and personalities that made Saginaw's distinctive character what it is today.

As one of the earliest developed areas of the state of Michigan, Berrien County has a rich history that appeals to the locals as well as the tourists who still enjoy the many treasures to be found there. Author Sherry Arent Cawley has compiled over 200 vintage postcards chronicling the life and times of this historic area.

The historic Benton Harbor Fruit Market, Silver Beach, the mineral baths at the Whitecomb Hotel, and the House of David are all featured here in vivid postcards, some never before published, with accompanying captions. Images of Grand Beach, Niles, New Buffalo, Paw Paw Lake, and Berrien Springs offer readers a nostalgic glimpse into a Berrien County of yesteryear.

View evocative and historical images in postcards from the early days of Detroit.

Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of neighborhood children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history.

Historic Petoskey and the greater Little Traverse Bay area possess a wealth of natural and cultural gifts. The region's virgin forests, crystal clear waters, and powerful Native American heritage inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to write "The Song of Hiawatha." Its plentiful wildlife and peaceful natural settings provided Ernest Hemingway with his early hunting and fishing experiences. Abundant natural resources set the stage for industries like the fur trade, lumbering, shipping, and limestone quarrying. Petoskey's ideal location on the picturesque bay has attracted visitors and adventurers since the 1870s.

In this unique volume, author C.S. Wright explores the many legacies of the Petoskey area, from the native tribes that first protected the land through the eras of industry, transportation, and tourism. A rare collection of historic postcards illustrates Petoskey's rich history, providing immaculate images of pastoral scenes, industrial achievements, striking architecture, and community development.

"I am sending you this so you won't forget Pontiac." This is the sentiment inscribed on one of the postcards included in this collection. Pontiac, Michigan: A Postcard Album brings to life the history of this uniquely American city. The postcard has always been a very popular means of communication, and now as a historical document, it offers us a fascinating insight into the times and places of the past. Like many cities, Pontiac has passed through many phases, from agricultural center to auto manufacturer--through good times and bad. These postcards capture the people and places of Pontiac, and remind us of the courageous people who built this country.

Selected from over 1,000 postcards representing 125 years of Michigan history, discover the life and times of this favorite Michigan destination.

For over 125 years, generations of vacationers have made the annual journey to the Sister Lakes region of southwest Michigan. Their experiences and photographs represent a cultural snapshot of a summer spent at a group of Midwest lakes.

Rich in history, magnificent in scenery, and abundant in hospitality, Mackinaw City lies at the very tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and is the area's own majestic playground. From early Native American settlements, French explorers, and fur traders to Mackinaw City founding father Edgar Conkling's vision to build a business center upon the south shore of the Mackinac Straits, Mackinaw City does not disappoint anyone who visits it. Due to its strategic location on the crossroads of the Great Lakes, this area has always been a gathering place for early inhabitants. When the railroad arrived in the late 1800s, it provided needed transportation with unique railroad and car ferries to and from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Today Mackinaw City still enjoys the distinction of being one of the most popular historical resort areas in Michigan. Through the insight of talented individuals who had the foresight to capture history with the interesting and colorful medium of the postcard, one is able to learn and smile at Mackinaw days gone by.