If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 726

 

 

 

 

 

Civic Center, Pittsburgh, PA

 

Although this unused Wonday Film Service of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania postcard is titled Civic Center, the photograph also includes the Mellon Institute in the foreground.  The identifying code:  221-D-7 is found at the lower left corner on the reverse.  There is a blurb at the upper left on the reverse:  “Civic Center, Pittsburgh, Pa., showing Mellon Institute in the foreground.  This view shows a part of one of the most costly and impressive civic centers to be found anywhere.  From this point of view, one looks down on universities, libraries, memorials, art galleries, auditoriums, music halls, hospitals, athletic fields—and Carnegie Museum.  Along with all this, magnificient churches, theaters, and hotels.”  Some damage to the card can be detected on the photo at the lower right. 

 

The Civic Center includes a group of buildings.  It is likely this card was produced before the domed Civic Arena was built in 1961.  Edgar J. Kaufmann, wealthy businessman and philanthropist, financed the Pittsburg Light Opera Company and donated $1.5 million to build the arena.  The Civic Arena was used for concerts, circus performances, political and religious rallies, roller derbies, hockey, basketball, fish tournament weigh-ins, pro tennis, boxing, wrestling, lacrosse, football, ice skating championships, kennel shows, and soccer.   That structure was demolished in 2012 and the space was converted for use as public parking.  In March 2025 ground was broken for a new arena, Citizens Live at the Wylie, with a projected opening date in mid 2026. 

 

The Mellon Institute of Industrial Research building is the white building with columns seen in the foreground.  It was built in 1937 and added to the National Register of History Places in 1983.  It was merged with the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1967 to form Carnegie Mellon University.  After it ceased to exist as a distinct institution, the building bearing the name remains at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Bellefield Avenue in the city’s university district. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civic_Arena_(Pittsburgh)

https://en.wikipedia/wiki/Mellon_Institute_of_Industrial_Research

https://en.wikipedia/wiki/Edgar_J._Kaufmann

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 725

 

 

 

 

 

Lewis and Clark Cavern, Montana “Swiss Village”

 

This unused postcard features an area within the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, found in Jefferson County, Montana.  The card was published by L.W, Link, of Caldwell, Montana and produced by Mike Roberts Color Productions, of Berkeley, California.  The identifier, C15820 is at the lower left corner on the reverse.  The blurb, bound at the upper left on the reverse, says:  “Lewis and Clark Cavern, Montana – Swiss Village—A small housing development fashioned by nature in the Paradise Room.  This is the largest room in the cavern and is abundantly supplied with a solid array of imaginary shapes.”  T.W. Link”

 

The park has two visitor centers, 10 miles of hiking trails, a campground and these limestone caverns.  In 2018 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is a public recreation and nature preservation area and covers 3,000 acres or 1,200 ha. 

 

Even though there is no documented evidence of human presence in the cave before the late 1800s, these caverns may have been familiar to Native Americans.  The park is named after explorers, Lewis and Clark, who camped near the caverns in 1805.  It wasn’t until 1898 that a local rancher, Tom Williams, who had seen them in 1892, finally explored the caverns with some friends.  Tours of the cave began around 1900. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Caverns

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 724

 

 

 

 

 

Marquette Park Pavilion, Gary, Indiana

 

This used, divided back, postcard features a color photograph of the Marquette Park Pavilion.  The card was made by Dexter Press Inc. of West Nyak, New York and published by Harvey’s Studio, Valparaisa, Indiana.  The code 5601-B appears at the lower left corner on the reverse.  Even though the card has writing on it, it was not mailed, does not have a dated cancelation mark, and hence dating the card depends on the years Dexter Press, Inc. and Harvey’s Studio were in operation. 

 

Thomas Dexter’s first print shop was opened in 1920in Park Ridge, New Jersey.  By the 1930s he was producing postcards.  In 1952 the company had moved to West Nyak, New York, where this card is identified as being produced.   At the time of the move the company was producing natural color photochrome images.  The estimated date for this particular card is sometime between 1952 and 1972.  The company was sold to Consolidated Foods in 1972 and later merged with MWM Color Press in 1977.  The New York plant was closed in 1984 and moved to Aurora Missouri where it now prints religious material under MWM Dexter. 

 

Marquette Park was originally named Lake Front Park.  It is a city park surrounded by the Indiana Dunes National Park.  The Pavilion was designed by George W. Maher, architect, of Maher and Sons, and built by the construction company Max and Sons [Maximillian Dubois] between 1923 and 1924.  The park includes another building on the property called the Aquatorium.  It was restored as a museum honoring Octave Chanute, the father of flight.  The Pavilion was renovated in 1966, again in the mid-1990s, and most recently around 2008.  The building is a venue for various events from weddings to civic functions. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://londonpostcardsca.wordpress.com/2017/12/22/international-publishers-dexter-press-pearl-river%E2%80%8B-n-y/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Dunes_National_Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquette_Park_(Gary)

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 723

 

 

 

 

 

San Gabriel Mission, California

 

Pacific Novelty Co. of San Francisco, California produced this unused souvenir postcard found in a shoe box jumble at a local antique mall.  Printed at the bottom on the front of the card is: “No. 149 – The Steps at San Gabriel Mission, California.  Founded in 1771.”  This would be a typical card purchased when visiting a site such as this mission.  No other credits or information is available on the divided back of the card. 

 

San Gabriel Mission is a historic landmark.  The Spanish Empire founded the mission on the Nativity of Mary, 8 September 1771.  It was the fourth of what became 21 Spanish missions in California.  Named after the Archangel Gabriel it is sometimes referred to as the “Godmother of the Pueblo of Los Angeles."  Antonio Cruzado, who was a Franciscan missionary in California, designed the building that has capped buttresses and tall narrow windows.  A large stone cross can be found in the center of the Campo Santo (cemetery).  In addition to designing the mission building Cruzado is credited with planting the first California orange grove in 1804.  

 

The steps or stairway indicated on the card lead to the choir loft.  The bell wall next to the stairway was built after the original bell structure toppled during the 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake.  The newer tower is larger and has six bells.  

 

One legend concerning the founding of the mission states that when confronted by a large group of native Tongva people who were intent on driving away the strangers, one of the priests laid a painting of “Our Lady of Sorrows” on the ground for all the see.  The natives were so moved by the beauty of the picture that they made peace with the missionaries.  Today the 300-year-old painting hangs in front and slightly to the left of the old high altar in the Mission’s sanctuary.  It is not known how many of the native people embraced Catholicism. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_San_Gabriel_Arc%C3%A1ngel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Cruzado

https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/the-legend-of-la-dolorosa-finds-new-life-in-the-ruins-of-mission-san-gabriel/

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 722

 

 

 

 

 

Source of the Dôme, Abrest, France

 

Featured on this unused Editions du Lys postcard is one of two hot springs located a few meters apart in the commune of Abrest, France.  A third spring was also found but is not as well known. The card has “V 117 VICHY (Allier), Source du Dôme” at the upper left corner on the reverse.  “Couleurs Naturelles” is printed on the center line on the reverse, with the printer’s identification perpendicular to the center line.

 

Drilling for a spring in 1898, Francisque David, went down 159 meters or about 521 feet to find what has become known as the Dôme thermal spring.  The extremely hot waters gush out at 150 degrees F or 65.4 degrees C.  Originally the water was used for baths in a first-class Vichy spa resort facility, the waters were later used as a drink and bottled nearby, still later the water was used in the production of mud for thermal baths.  Due to electrically charged clay particles, the mud is reputed to treat rheumatism and digestive system ailments.  Two years after he drilled for the Dôme, David, again drilled to create the Lys and Cornélie springs.  These three springs were integrated into the State domain in 1927.  The Dôme and Lys springs have been listed as Historic Monuments since 2022. 

 

The Dôme and Lys springs were modified for ease in access.  The waters have been channeled into a basin.  As can be seen on the card the stone basin is completely covered in deposits of calcium carbonate.  The orange iron oxide and green micro-algae form a colorful crust on the basin.  There is a strong steam with the odor of sulfur.  The Dôme is in a kiosk shelter but the Lys is uncovered. 

 

To help get an idea of where these springs are located, the Allier River is a tributary of the Loire River.  Abrest is a small community in the Vichy Auvergne countryside.  Vichy is a city in central France located about 3 km or 1.9 miles north of Abrest. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sources_du_D%C3%B4me_et_du_Lys  [there is an English translation option]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allier_(river)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrest

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 721

 

 

 

 

 

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum, Stirling Castle, Scotland

 

 

Printed by James Fleming & Co., of Callander, Scotland, this unused postcard features a photograph from the interior of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum housed in Stirling Castle, Scotland.  The card has a divided back with the title located on the reverse at the lower left corner.  No other credits are found on the card.

 

Counties in the United Kingdom that have organized regimental armies have museums dedicated to the history of specific army regiments.  Yeomanry, Militia, and Volunteer regiments also have museums or exhibition spaces.  Many are open to the public, some are open by appointment only. 

 

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, also known as Princess Louise’s, was created under the Childers Reforms in 1881 and is a light infantry company.  In 2006, as part of the restructuring of the British Army’s infantry, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were assimilated with the Royal Scots, The King’s Own Scottish Borderers, the Roy Highland Fusiliers, the Black Watch, and the Highlanders to form the seven-battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.  Defense cuts in 2012 reduced it to a single light infantry company called Balaklava Company, Royal Regiment of Scotland.  

 

 

It was fun to find this old picture of Bopa aka FarFar’s father, “Mac” who served a mission in the Highlands of Scotland when he was about 20 years of age.  While he was there, he visited the town of Thurso where his parents had lived before emigrating.  No bag pipes, here he and a companion are dressed in the traditional kilt, bonnet, and sporran, while the third member is wearing a more traditional looking dress suit.  The picture taken around 1913 or 1914.

 

 

 "Mac" McKay in the center with two companions, ca 1913-1914

 

 

The black & white photo does not let us see if the kilts are in the MacKay plaid.  Standing in the middle, Grandpa McKay was almost 6 feet 4 inches tall, which would make it easy to pick him out even if we did not have other pictures of him to be sure.  Note the Argyll knee socks.  

 

  

 

MacKay plaid

 

 

The Regimental Museum for the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders is housed in Stirling Castle.  That castle was built in the 1490s and was known as the “King’s House,” or the “King’s Old Buildilng,” because it was thought to have been the private residence of King James IV.  The castle sits atop a crag giving it a strong defensive position.  The castle is considered one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland.  This castle has withstood at least eight sieges including one in 1746 when Bonnie Prince Charlie tried unsuccessfully to take it.  Today the castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a tourist attraction managed by Historic Environment Scotland. 

 

The grounds are used as an open-air concert venue.  Like some other castles, Stirling Castle has ghost lore.  A maid servant to Queen Mary, called the Green Lady, has been sighted by residents of visitors.  She is thought be a warning or omen of impending danger.   There is a fee to tour the castle and the museum.  The entry ticket fee to tour the castle incudes entrance to the museum.  Public donations is the main source of support and maintenance.  The governing body is the charitable trust:  The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum Trust. 

 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regimental_museum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyll_and_Sutherland_Highlanders

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_Castle

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 719

 

 

 

 

 

Weymouth from Greenhill Gardens, Dorset, England

 

This unused British Production postcard has a divided back but no information blurb or identifying codes.  Although in color, it is not a color photograph but has been colored or tinted.

 

Greenhill Gardens are found on the edge of the town boundaries, on a slope above the beach and promenade and over looking Weymouth’s seafront and bay.  The Gardens were part of the Wilton Estate and gifted to the local council in 1902 for “the benefit of the inhabitants of Weymouth.”  Safe, clean, well-managed, welcoming, and accessible it was awarded Green Flag status as is one of the best green spaces in England.  The gardens feature brightly colored borders, winding paths, and recreational spaces.  There is an indoor café, Greenhill Beach Café, with outdoor seating.  There is also an 18-hole putting green and four tennis courts, plus a bowling green.  Future plans include a wooden gazebo. 

 

Weymouth is a seaside resort town that depends on tourism for its economy.  The history of the town goes back to the 12^th century and incudes roles in the spread of the Black Death, the settlement of the Americas, and the development of Georgian architecture.  During World War II, Weymouth was a major departure point for the Normandy Landings. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhill_Gardens,_Weymouth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weymouth,_Dorset

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 718

 

 

 

 

 

Antique Steam engine tractor, ca 1959

 

Modern farm equipment looks entirely different from this antique steam powered tractor featured on a used postcard.  Vincent Tortora is credited as the photographer on this card published by James E. Hess of Lancaster, PA.  The cancellation mark provides the date of 3 Oct 1959.  An information blurb is at the upper left corner on the reverse:  “Greetings from “The Penna. Dutch Country.”  Antique Steam Engine Tractor leaving farm yard.  Many of these old-timers are on display at Arthur Young’s of Kinzer, Pa. where an annual get-together is held displaying the limitless power of these aged engines.  Many are still in use today used mostly to Steam Tobacco beds.  This process is to kill weed seed in the soil before the tobacco seed is sown.”

 

Steam tractors similar to the one depicted on the card were used in the late 19^th and early 20^th century.  The first ones were specifically designed for agricultural uses.  Horses pulled the portable engines that were built on skids or wheels for ease in transporting to work areas.  These machines were used for threshing grain and plowing.  The owner/operator of the engine would travel from farmstead to farmstead.  Oats and wheat were the common types of grain; however, other grains could also be threshed using this type of engine. 

 

Usually there was a “threshing day” when all the neighbors would work together to complete the massive job.  Women and girls were in charge of cooking the noon meal that was brought out into the fields.  The engine did not do all the work, children had jobs suitable to their ages such as pitching bundles into the threshing machines, driving the bundle racks, supplying water for the steam engine, hauling the freshly threshed grain into the granary.  Because the steam engine was so expensive, several farmers might pool their resources and join together forming a cooperative.  The power of this type of engine allowed for the threshing and plowing to be completed quicker and easier than by hand and/or with horses or mules.  Some of the largest steam engines had 150 horsepower and were known as “Road Locomotives.”  In the mid-1920s these engines were phased out by lighter, faster-starting internal combustion tractors that were fueled by kerosene, petrol or distillate. 

 

Kinzers, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County.  The Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association has held an annual reunion in mid-August each year on Arthur S. Young’s farm since 1948.  A number of steam traction engines are showcased during the reunions.  Originally there was also a publication called Iron Man Album, founded by editor Rev. Elmer Ritzman, that was devoted to preserving the heritage of threshing and farm life in general.  Today Ogden Publications now owns that magazine and has renamed it Steam Traction Magazine. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam-tractor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinzers_Pennsylvania

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rough_and_Tumble_Engineers_Historical_Association

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 714

 

 

 

 

 

Wailua Falls, Maui, Hawaii

[Photograph by R. Wenkem]

 

Today’s unused postcard features a color photograph by R. Wenkem of Wailua Falls, Maui, Hawaii.  Published by Ray Helbig’s Hawaiian Service, Honolulu in 1951 the card has S-116 on the reverse center line at the top.  It is Mirro-Krome card by H.S. Crocker Co., Inc. of San Francisco, California.  It is identified as a Natural Color Card, Nani Li’I “Hawaiian for ‘Little Beauty.’”  At the upper left on the reverse is the blurb:  “Wailua Falls, Maui . . . near Hana; the falls are one of the many cascades that plunge into the sea from the Haleakala slopes, and provide a beautiful setting for camera fans stopping at the distinctive Hotel Hana-Maui.”  The card was most likely a souvenir available at the hotel.

 

The Hana Highway, also called The Road to Hana, connects the town of Hana to east Maui.  This highway is 64.4 miles long.  It is narrow and winding, so it takes about 2.5 hours to travel from Kahului to Hana by car.  One report showed 620 curves all through lush tropical rainforest.  There are bridges dating from 1910 that are still in use.  In 2000 President Bill Clinton designated it as the Hana Millennium Legacy Trail.  There is a stone monument and a Zero Mile marker at the junction of routes 36, 360, and 365.  In 2001 the highway was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Today the Hana Highway is a popular tourist attraction with many waterfalls and other attractions.  There are scenic turn outs including one for Wailua Falls. 

 

Haleakala crater is an active shield volcano located in East Maui.  It forms about 75% of Maui. The tallest peak is 10,023 ft or 3,055 m.  The last time it erupted was estimated in 1999 by the U.S. Geological Survey to have occurred between 1480 and 1600.  Even though it has not erupted in recent times it is still considered dormant rather than extinct.

 

Robert George Wenkam was a photographer, author, and book producer born in 1920 in Oakland, California.  He worked as a civil engineer with the Army Corps Engineers from 1941-1946.  In 1947 he worked as a civil engineer for Bogert Childs Association, of New York City.  Then in 1948 as an architect, designer for various firms in Honolulu.  From 1949 to 1976 he was an independent photographer.  In 1976 he was the owner, writer, photographer, of Wenkam/Candere Books, Honolulu.  Wenkam died in 2000 at the age of 80.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hana_Highway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleakal%C4%81

https://prabook.com/web/george.wenkam/358294

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 713

 

 

 

 

 

San Giacomo [St. James], Trieste, Italy, 1854

 

This is one postcard in a booklet set.  It features a painting of San Giacomo, or St. James, church and part of the surrounding area.  My friend who lives in Trieste recently sent this card and two others from the set.  The only information about the picture is printed on the back of the card at the upper left:  “Nuova Chiesa di s. Giacomo in Trieste, 1854.”  My friend’s note on the card provided some additional information.  He says in part:  “This hill was a good place to see afar and protect the town from raids.  The neighborhood is very old around the cathedral. … It is a very urbanized quarter [now] so all the trees and field have disappeared, alas.  But it is quite lively, with foreign communities from the Balkans and it is a popular neighborhood, not yet gentrified or overwhelmed by tourism.”

 

Notice the detail on the church, the people’s clothing, the horse and wagon, and the hint of the landscape in the background.  The square in front of the church is called Campo San Giacomo.  The church was built between 1851 and 1854.  It seems likely that this picture on the card is representative of the way the church and square appeared when the church was new.  Today this part of the city, near the center of Trieste, is the most populous and houses about one quarter of the city inhabitants.  The neighborhood has every service from supermarkets, bars, taverns, restaurants, to schools.  There is also a “washhouse” that can be visited where a permanent exhibit tells the story of the washerwomen.  This same building is also a venue that can be used free of charge as a meeting place for citizen events and hosting cultural associations.

As always, thank you M for sending the card!

For additional information, see:

 

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Giacomo_(Trieste)  [select translate option for English]

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 712

 

 

 

 

 

 Woodland Park Zoo, Snow Leopard, Aibek

 

This week’s postcard was purchased at the Woodland Park Zoo gift shop and features the male snow leopard named Aibek.  The number 96583-46 is at the lower left corner on the reverse.  No photographer is credited nor is there an information blurb on the card. 

 

Bob and I have a friend who volunteers at the zoo.  She had been showing us pictures of the animals, including the snow leopards.  She said she didn’t have regular days or hours at the zoo but was often there.  We crossed our fingers and chose a sunny day to visit the zoo, hoping that she would be there.  And, she was!  She explained that leopards are solitary in the wild; therefore, Aibek, the male, and his mother, Helen, came out at different times.  While Marai, mate of Aibek, and the 3 cubs came out as a group.  All of the snow leopards are not out at the same time.  We asked if there was a time of day when it was most likely to see the mother and cubs.  She said it was not always at the same time. 

 

When we got to the snow leopard area viewing station, we could barely see Aibek who was sleeping on top of a rock with the sun on his back.  Our friend said she could tell which leopard it was by the pattern of spots on his coat.  The volunteer on duty came over to talk to her and explained that Aibek had been taking a snooze up there for more than an hour and a half.  Just at the moment, Aibek stretched and ambled down from the rock, posing briefly before moving to a less visible area in the enclosure.  We did not get to see the cubs, Lenny, Phillis and Raya, but we will go back another time and hope to see them also. 

 

 

Aibek coming down from the top of the rock where he had been taking a long nap

 

 

Aibek looking right at us

Since 1981 Woodland Park Zoo has been a conservation partner with the Snow Leopard Trust.  The zoo participates in a Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan working with other accredited zoos to ensure a healthy population.  In the wild their native home is in the high mountain ranges of Russia and in countries like Afghanistan, China, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, and Pakistan. 

 

For more information about Woodland Park Zoo, see:

https://www.zoo.org/

https://www.zoo.org/snowleopards

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Woodland+park+snow+leopards

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 711

 

 

 

 

 

Giant City State Park, Makanda, Illinois, ca 1950

 

This used Genuine Curteich, “C.T. Photo-Finish” postcard features a black & white photograph of Shady Lane Drive in Giant City State Park, Makanda, Illinois.  The date 5-7-50 is handwritten at the center back above the message.  The photographer is identified as Bill Hedrich of Hedrich-Blessing Photographers.  This card does not have an information blurb; however, the title at the bottom on the front of the card shows the location of Shady Lane, Giant City State Park, Makanda, Illinois.  

. 

Giant City State Park was established in 1927 on more than 1100 acres acquired near Makanda, in Southern Illinois.  Makanda is a small village of about 550 people and was named after a local Native American chieftain.  A lodge and six cabins were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps [CCC] in 1934-1935 using harvested lumber and locally quarried sandstone.  The CCC also built the furniture for the lodge.  In 1985 the cabins and lodge were added to the National Register of Historic Places.  That same year the original cabins were replaced by replica cabins and several new cabins were added.  The lodge now houses a restaurant and gift shop.  The cabins are available as rentals for visitors to the park.  Today the park spans 4000 acres in Jackson and Union Counties.  It is a popular destination for hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, and rock climbing. 

 

The Hedrich Blessing Photographers company was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1929 by Ken Hedrich and Henry Blessing.  It originally produced architectural photos.  A 50-year (1929-1979) collection of the pictures can be found at the Chicago History Museum.  The University of Chicago also as a collection in its photographic archive.  Although Blessing left the firm in 1931 the business continued to operate under the Hedrich-Blessing name.  Henrich’s two new partners were his brothers, Ed and Bill.  Bill is the person credited with the picture on this week’s card.  Later a third brother, Jack, joined them and was an administrator and the president for about 40 years.  Hedrich-Blessing continued as a family-run business until Jim Hedrich, Ken’s son, retired in 2003.  The studio finally closed in 2017. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makanda,_Illinois

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_City_State_Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedrich_Blessing_Photographers

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 710

 

 

 

 

The Church, Pioneer Park, Ferndale, Washington, ca 1968-1970s

 

This unused color postcard was published by F. Wear Photographers, Blaine, Washington in conjunction with Dexter Press, Inc. of West Nyack, New York.  The picture is of the church in Pioneer Park, Ferndale, Washington.  The code:  41062-C is located at the lower left corner on the reverse.  There is a blurb at the upper left corner on the reverse:  “The Church,  Pioneer Park, Ferndale, Washington.  This Church, the first in Whatcom County, was built in 1876 of massive hand hewn cedar logs.  It was inspired by Rev. (Father) W. M. Stewart, who at the time was an 80 year old patriarch.  The Church was moved from its original site on California Creek to its present location in 1968 under the sponsorship of Edna Pike.”  Since the photograph shows the church in the park, it is possible to estimate the date as to sometime between 1968 and the 1970s.  It is likely it was available at the park headquarters as a souvenir card.

 

In 1901 the Whatcom County Old Settles Association purchased 4 acres of uncut cedar trees that now form the Pioneer Park.  The association has held an annual pioneer picnic on the park grounds since that time and it is considered one of the oldest celebrations of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.  A dance hall and headquarters building were added in 1925.  Gradually, beginning in the mid to late 1930s and 1940s, abandoned pioneer structures from the 1800s were relocated to the park land to be preserved as examples of rustic pioneer architecture.  The grounds are open to the public without charge.  However, guided tours of the cabins are given from May 15 to September 15, 11 am to 4 pm, for a small fee.  

 

The Ferndale Heritage Society web page has links to more information including some YouTube videos.  One video is from the 2009 Annual Old Settlers Association Picnic, another video explains more about how the cabins were acquired and moved to the park.  HistoryLink.org has an article by Kathleen Moles “Ferndale—Thumbnail History” that provides more detailed interesting historical information about Ferndale.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferndale_Washington

https://www.ferndaleheritagesociety.org/about-pioneer-park

https://www.historylink.org/File/10806