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Bancroft House: 1907

Saginaw, Mich., circa 1907. "Bancroft House Hotel." Note the transit schedule on the corner, "Interurban cars for Bay City." Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

Saginaw, Mich., circa 1907. "Bancroft House Hotel." Note the transit schedule on the corner, "Interurban cars for Bay City." Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

 

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New life

The Bancroft is getting a new life after being vacant for years. There is a restaurant in the floor and refurbished apartments throughout.

Two interesting facts

1. The first street corner in the world to have electric light was Washington and Genesee, outside the Bancroft Hotel. It was suspended from a rope and people came from miles and miles away to see it.

2. First incandescent bulb in Michigan lit the Bancroft Hotel. [Link]

Relief Crews

Below the interurban schedule sign are at least three interurban or street railway crewmen in their uniforms most likely waiting to make a "crew change" on the next car or cars through. This is still a common practice in mass transit today. The little building next to the line pole might be a phone booth or a shelter for the starter, inspector or supervisor who would keep track of the streetcars and interurban cars schedules assuring that they would be on time. Some contemporary larger transit systems use CAD (computer aided dispatching) and GPS to do this today.

Interesting

Depth of field.

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