Postcard History Series

The American Postcard history series books explores the history of an area through vintage postcards. Go fishing in the Salton Sea, tour the iconic Hollywood Studios during their golden age, and then take one of New York City’s subways back in time. From early Denver to the Grand Canyon National Park, these postcard books send greetings from the past to eager readers with a passion for history. [View all Postcard History Series books]

15 products

Sort

Racine

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Oshkosh

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Baraboo

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Neenah and Menasha

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Columbus

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Janesville

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Lake Geneva in Vintage Postcards

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

La Crosse

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Madison

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Watertown

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Kenosha

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Reedsburg in Vintage Postcards

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Oconomowoc

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Beaver Dam in Vintage Postcards

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Mineral Point

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Racine

9780738550626

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

In November 1834, Capt. Gilbert Knapp staked a claim to 141 acres at the mouth of the Root River, naming it Port Gilbert. This site became the city of Racine.

During the pioneer years, Racine was dubbed "the Belle City" of the Great Lakes (from the French word belle, meaning "beautiful"). The growth of this beautiful city and its harbor was captured in vintage postcards at a time when people sent little notes and messages to friends and family the way people use e-mail and cell phones today. These cards are like vignettes showing the changes that have taken place since one century ago - a pictorial documentation of Racine preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Oshkosh

9781467105224

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Named after Chief Oshkosh in 1839, Oshkosh became an established city in 1853. In its early days, Oshkosh was Wisconsin's second-largest city and the lumber capital of the world. Along with familiar Main Street views, the postcard images in this book reveal Oshkosh's forgotten sites of the past such as Electric Park, Alexian Brothers Hospital, and Northern Hospital Zoo. Many of the city's iconic sites that still stand today are also featured, including the Oshkosh Public Library, the Grand Opera House, and the Oshkosh Public Museum. This postcard collection presents a unique historical record of Oshkosh.

Baraboo

9781467125109

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Like many small Midwestern cities, Baraboo has had the usual share of postcards printed featuring its buildings and landscapes. However, Baraboo's unique place in Wisconsin history provided for a much richer array of subject matter. As the original winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, along with its proximity to Devil's Lake and its place as a division headquarters for the Chicago & North Western railroad, Baraboo has always provided an interesting setting for postcard images.

Neenah and Menasha

9781467128261

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a worldwide postcard craze. This new means of communication did not cost a lot and was accessible to everyone. Its only limitation was the availability of postcards that suited one's fancy enough to purchase and send off. The Twin Cities of Neenah and Menasha, Wisconsin, were not immune to its charms. Neenah and Menasha: Twin Cities of the Fox Valley captures this era, using 200 vintage postcards from the author's own collection. From the lush green spaces of Riverside and Smith Parks to their bustling downtowns, industrial mills, and factories, this book will present Twin City landmarks that have withstood the ravages of time, while honoring those that are gone forever.

Columbus

9781467102605

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Founded in 1839 on the banks of the Crawfish River, Columbus is home to about 5,000 residents. For more than three quarters of a century, from 1900 to 1977, the canning factory and the businesses it spawned were the biggest contributors to area prosperity. When the canning factory, Stokley Van Camp, closed in 1977, Columbus maintained its vitality because of mostly decent weather, relatively fertile soil, industrious business leaders, and its proximity to the state capital, Madison. During the early 1900s, when communication by postcards reached its peak, Columbus-area residents were thriving, too.

Janesville

9780738584461

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

In 1837, Henry Janes applied for a post office called Black Hawk for the southern Wisconsin settlement where he ran a ferry across the Rock River. The postmaster general, however, noticed a town already by that name in the Iowa part of Wisconsin Territory, and he assigned the name Janesville, with Janes as postmaster. Two years later, Janes moved his family west, but the community grew to become the Rock County seat, and by 1860 it was Wisconsin's second-largest city. Today more than 62,000 people call the "City of Parks" home.

Lake Geneva in Vintage Postcards

9780738533988

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

An overview of Lake Geneva's rich history.

Lake Geneva was originally called Kishwauketoe by the Oneota tribe, a name meaning clear or sparkling water. Carved out by a glacier, this same crystal water has attracted residents and tourists for centuries, and continues to be a retreat for many in every season. Through a collection of vivid vintage postcards, authors Carolyn Hope Smeltzer and Martha Kiefer Cucco provide an inside look of Lake Geneva's past, rendered in views of mansions, cottages, and camps, and in images of recreation, the surrounding towns, and, of course, Lake Geneva itself.

La Crosse

9781467113328

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

La Crosse is situated between the Mississippi River and the picturesque bluffs of the Driftless Area. Founded in the 1840s, La Crosse's location at the intersection of three rivers attracted entrepreneurs. Fertile farmlands, scenic coulees, and prosperous industries enticed adventurous East Coasters and immigrants to settle in the area. From the 1850s to early 1900s, a boomtown atmosphere shaped the city's culture and fueled the construction of a distinctive downtown--much of which remains standing today.

Madison

9780738560540

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Madison has a rich photographic history, much of it in the form of postcards. This volume presents more than 200 historical postcard images from the private collection of Madison resident John Powell, who has been collecting and trading postcards for more than 20 years. The images here reflect Madison's businesses, public institutions, civic life, and civic pride in the first decades of the 20th century. With author David Sakrison's engaging text, these images offer a unique window into the city as it was, and as it saw itself, 75 to 100 years ago.

Watertown

9780738539980

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The ever-changing face of Watertown is captured in this fascinating collection of postcard images dating from the early 1900s to the present. The postcards in this book come primarily from the extensive collection of W. F. Jannke III. He has presented an entertaining history of the city, from the changing face of its business district to the different forms of recreation once enjoyed by its inhabitants. Other images highlight scenes of calamitous events, most notably the 1914 cyclone. All will find this work to be a most engaging guide to the way life was lived in Watertown in "the good old days."

Kenosha

9780738540061

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Looking from the decks of schooners toward the western shore of Lake Michigan, early explorers quickly saw the potential of the prairie wilderness that was to become Kenosha. The vintage postcards in this book show a community that has evolved through rapid growth due to immigration, employment opportunities, and eras of educational leadership, patriotism, and a phoenixlike revival following devastating economic depression. From its beginning, the people of the area have demonstrated a strong work ethic, religious and civic spirit, and the ability to triumph over adversity.

Reedsburg in Vintage Postcards

9780738532035

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Reedsburg is a small Wisconsin town as quintessential as the paintings exhibited in the local Norman Rockwell museum. Its story is told here in this collection of vintage postcards. The rich and rolling farmland first attracted settlers to the area, and it continues to draw people to the town today. With Main Street as the center of their community pride, the citizens of Reedsburg shared their excitement, news, and sometimes their tragedies with family and friends through the postcards whose images are preserved in this book.

Oconomowoc

9780738540894

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Oconomowoc--"the Newport of the West"--was a summer home and tourist destination for Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Louis families of prominence from the 1870s through the 1930s. Names like Pabst, Miller, Armour, and Ward built sprawling mansions along the shores of Lac La Belle. They arrived by train every summer to Oconomowoc's stone railroad depot, a popular restaurant today, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to local lore, there were 97 millionaires living in the Oconomowoc area during this era of opulence. The lavish living began to wane in the 1930s and drew to a close as a result of World War II, after which Oconomowoc was transformed into a hub of commerce and industry.

Beaver Dam in Vintage Postcards

9780738539737

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

In 1841, Thomas Mackie journeyed south along a winding river to an open meadow. There, alongside a bubbling spring, he erected a small cabin, establishing the beginnings of the community now known as Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The city gained fame as the jewel of Dodge County, a family community that stressed hard work, good play, and awe for the almighty. This book examines that lifestyle through the unlikely means of the penny postcard. It is ironic that the postcard, which was meant to act as a disposable means of communication, has endured to become one of the greatest resources of pictorial history of small-town America.

Mineral Point

9780738552156

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Mineral Point is home to the only surviving territorial governmental buildings in the United States, the first Wisconsin capitol, and the oldest surviving railroad depot in the Badger State. The village obtained its name from the mineral spring waters that filled the caves and lead mines of the region. With its scenic beauty and amazing architecture, Mineral Point is well poised to cultivate heritage tourists, who long to experience places and activities that authentically represent the past. They are seeking the irreplaceable historic, cultural, and natural resources that can only be found in a town as rich with history as Mineral Point. This artists' mecca offers pottery and art shops to explore and appreciate. The combination of both provides the explorer an unusual and interesting place to visit for a long weekend or a family vacation.