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Lots of Pulp: 1908
Circa 1908. "Paper mills at Petoskey, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:13pm -

Circa 1908. "Paper mills at Petoskey, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Thanks for all the Petoskey picsI grew up in Petoskey, and while these are all before my time, it's neat to see what things used to be like. Pepé Le PewIf you've ever lived anywhere near a pulp mill you can probably smell the sulfur smoke emitting from the smokestacks just by looking at this picture. I hate to imagine what it was like before scrubbers and other emission controls. If you're going to move near one you better try to locate yourself up from the prevailing winds. Not everything has changed.The trestle, mills and the makeshift dam are long gone, but the house on the hill still remains. According to an old Sanborn map, this trestle crossed the Bear River between Franklin Street and Charlevoix Ave. The dam was near Grove Street and the mills are now home to Bear River Park. The house on the hill above the dam is on Ione Street and, except for the windows, is remarkably unchanged. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Petoskey, Railroads)
Newly Wet: 1905
Ecorse, Michigan, 1905. "S.S. William G. Mather , stern view after the launch." 8x10 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/05/2016 - 8:57pm -

Ecorse, Michigan, 1905. "S.S. William G. Mather, stern view after the launch." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 1905I see in the information provided by tterrace that they changed the name of this earlier William G. Mather in 1925. I'm guessing that is because of the newer Mather which was built in 1925, also by Great Lakes Engineering Works, and now sits on the the lakefront in Cleveland. 1905 or 1925?Wikipedia and other internet sources say the vessel was launched in 1925. Sources include the Great Lakes Science Centre and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. [Except for sources relevant to the vessel pictured which, as the caption states, was launched in 1905. -tterrace] Man overboard?I can't quite make out what is happening, but it looks perilous! Confused? Yes, that's my middle nameIt seems there is some confusion on which vessel is which. The Historical Collection of the Great Lakes states the vessel, registry #202542, was scrapped in 1996. Seems the William G Mather is still at the E 9th St pier. If you read the historical text, the William G Mather was 'standing by' when the Nicolet (then named) was squeezed by ice in 1972, suffering 55 cracked plates. [The second William G. Mather (224850) was launched in 1925 and is now used as a marine museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Our ship went through a series of name changes starting in 1925 and was sold for scrap in 1996. -tterrace] Graceful LinesHow different the lines of this ship are from the lines of a modern steel ship ! Note the graceful curved counter stern, totally unlike the flat transoms seen on most of today's ships. Many of this ship's plates are curved in two dimensions, which requires actual heating and stretching of the steel as opposed to merely rolling the plates into conic sections. Note also that she's riveted, rather than welded. Modern ships may be cheaper to build, but they tend to be blocky and not pleasing to the eye. The propeller has some bolts at the base of each blade, suggesting that it is either a changeable-pitch propeller (unlikely) or perhaps a propeller built up from several castings. I'm also struck by the many wooden fragments, blocks, and timbers from the launching cradle which are floating uncontained in the lake. Today, all this would have to be strictly contained and thoroughly cleaned up ! (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Leafy Enclave: 1906
1906. "Cottages at Harbor Springs, Michigan." The resort community in its early years. 8x10 inch glass negative, ... years ago, I was a guest for a week at a cottage on Lake Michigan. It was like these, 6 bedrooms, large kitchen and dining room and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2014 - 10:49am -

1906. "Cottages at Harbor Springs, Michigan." The resort community in its early years. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Look mighty big to be cottages.More like bed and breakfasts. Looks like a very pleasant place to be in a pleasant time. [You've never been to Newport. - Dave] "Cottages"I always assumed cottages to be small simple houses, typically near a lake or beach. Several years ago, I was a guest for a week at a cottage on Lake Michigan. It was like these, 6 bedrooms, large kitchen and dining room and great room. Built about 1903. However, the bathrooms were rather skimpy. (The Gallery, DPC)
William G. Mather: 1905
October 1905. Ecorse, Michigan. "S.S. William G. Mather -- stern view before launch." Our second ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/28/2013 - 8:58pm -

October 1905. Ecorse, Michigan. "S.S. William G. Mather -- stern view before launch." Our second look at this freighter on the ways at Great Lakes Engineering Works. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Long-lived shipRoamed the Great Lakes for 91 years; scrapped in 1996. The First SS William G. Mather was built by Great Lakes Engineering Works for Cleveland Cliffs Iron and delivered in October, 1905. The Mather was renamed the J.H. Sheadle in 1925, then the H.L. Gobeille in 1955, and finally the Nicolet in 1965. She was scrapped in Port Maitland, Ontario in 1996. The second SS William G. Mather was also built by Great Lakes Engineering Works for Cleveland Cliffs Iron. She was delivered in July, 1925 and is now a museum ship in Cleveland, Ohio. That thingWhat is the object protruding from the rudder at the 11 o'clock position? That thingIs a turnbuckle for lifting. Actually that thing......is a shackle, not a turnbuckle. Shackles are used for lifting, towing, etc. Turnbuckles are for removing slack from or connecting rods and cables. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Lake Front Depot: 1899
... Railway Station." Romanesque Revival structure on Lake Michigan completed in 1890; demolished 1968. 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/15/2018 - 6:59pm -

Milwaukee circa 1899. "Chicago & North Western Railway Station." Romanesque Revival structure on Lake Michigan completed in 1890; demolished 1968. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. PinocchioLooks like the clock tower has been telling lies. Fond memoriesIn the late '50s/early '60s, downtown Milwaukee was a fun place to be, and the CNW depot at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue was part of it. My girlfriend and I would stop in there occasionally to use the restroom or have a meal while bumming about downtown, waiting for a movie to start or just sightseeing. By 1965 trains were routed through a new depot. Milwaukee County had purchased the site in 1964, with the thought of using the land for a freeway interchange. Fortunately we were spared the folly of it all. The depot was demolished in 1968, and it was a sad sight to witness. It was her time though, being in the state of disrepair it was in. Her main lines have since surrendered to becoming bicycle and hiking trails. If I believed in ghosts I would spend endless hours looking for a ghost of a 100mph CNW 400, thundering north along the lake shore, headed for the twin cities. Demolished in 1968Was located at 901 E Wisconsin Ave, what the area looks like, today: It was a wonderful building - inside - and outIn 1968, just before this building was demolished, I found a door that had been left open, so I went inside. Probably this was true of many railway stations of that era, but the main hall was marvelous and grand, but peeling and sadly broken. Days later they began knocking it down, before I got a chance to go back into it to take some photographs. What replaced that beautiful structure is entirely forgettable, but then I haven't been back there for over a decade. I doubt that much has changed since then. OOPS! I forgot about the art museum. It's pretty good, but not 100% exactly the same location as the train station. Late adopters?The locomotive at left and the coach at right appear to still have link-and-pin couplers. The coach looks like it might have an air brake hose; the resolution is inconclusive, but why would that change not have taken place at the same time as the knuckle coupler retrofit? They have, at most, a year or so to comply with the Railroad Safety Appliance Act of 1893. The locomotive looks like a 4-4-0, and those were on their way out anyway, so that might explain the lack of change, much like the aged semiconductor manufacturing tools that I remember in 1999 being labeled as exempt from Y2k compliance. (The Gallery, DPC, Milwaukee, Railroads)
Tashmoo at Port: 1906
Circa 1906. "The Tashmoo at Port Huron, Michigan." Our seventh post featuring the celebrated sidewheeler. Note the bike ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:44pm -

Circa 1906. "The Tashmoo at Port Huron, Michigan." Our seventh post featuring the celebrated sidewheeler. Note the bike rack advertising the "Port Huron Cycle and Electric Co." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. So many tripsSo many hundreds of trips between Detroit & Port Huron on flat, boring I-94 (and on flat, boring Gratiot Ave. before 94 was built) I would love to have made just one on the wonderful Tashmoo. As soon as I arrange all these deck chairsI have to replace those flags. ClassicThere are two particular people in this photo that remind me of a movie set. The fellow with the suitcase, covered in stickers, and the little guy at the very left front, having a pouty moment with his arms crossed and toe at a 45. Timeless. Still an uncommon eventAlthough it’s been commented on more than once in the previous six Tashmoo posts, it’s still remarkable how many people turn to face the photographer in these shots. (The equivalent number nowadays would likely be holding up their handhelds to take photographs of their own.) (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Day Job: 1941
... the day he works on the new home which he is building. Detroit, Michigan." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/19/2020 - 12:01pm -

August 1941. "Defense worker who is on night shift. During the day he works on the new home which he is building. Detroit, Michigan." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Après-ApronsOf all the minor things I have thrown away and ought not to have, the greatest was a paint-stained carpenters' apron marked “Carmel Builders’ Supply.” Giveaways back in the day, carpenters' aprons have local appeal for collectors, and sometimes two-digit phone numbers as well, and provide epitaphs for defunct local businesses. In a city like Carmel-by-the-Sea, where most businesses are now oriented toward the tourists, such homely advertising is a reminder that we used to be a real town. Similar nostalgia inducers include yardsticks and dry cleaners’ wooden hangers, but carpenters' aprons win on patina, hands down. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, John Vachon)
Here Comes Carbon: 1910
... in 1964. On October 29, 1965, both scows broke tow on Lake Michigan. Bow section struck Frankfort, Mich., breakwater and sank; stern ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2012 - 7:58am -

Cleveland circa 1910. "Freighter W.W. Brown taking on coal." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Museum QualityThere's still one of these loaders that lifts the RR gondola car up by elevator to dump to the loader shute in Ohio, I can't recall which port, but there are several that push the gondolas up a hill and turn them over to load ships from a similar loader along the southern shore of lake Erie. The one at Toledo is quite busy. Tipper.This is really interesting. It's a type of "rotary" dumper. Well, not rotary, but you get the picture. Operation was rather interesting. Cars would be pushed onto the dumper, locked down, and then lifted up where the machine would slowly rotate to dump the car. In this case it looks to be a gondola car other than the usual hopper you would expect. Harry T. EwigW. W. Brown was built in 1902, lasted until 1964 as the Harry T. Ewig. The elevation print for her 1939 conversion to a crane ship is on the wall at Brennan's in Grand River OH. Long service life is common on the lakes. There are several 70 year old boats in active service, 2 recently scrapped at 80, and one from 1906 still working. I was out on a similar steam powered dumper in the early 60's, before the liability crisis hit - "OK, be careful!" Strange to see a full size modern hopper car hanging upside down... W. W. Brown *Built February 1, 1902 Bulk Propeller -Steel U.S. No. 81803 3582 gt -2778 nt 346' x 48.2' X 24' * Renamed (b) BALTIC -US -1920 (c) JOHN W. AILES - US - 1922. (d) HARRY T. EWIG - US -1926 Converted to crane ship in 1939 Cut in half and reduced to two scows in 1964. On October 29, 1965, both scows broke tow on Lake Michigan. Bow section struck Frankfort, Mich., breakwater and sank; stern section grounded at Christmas Cove. Vessel officially removed from documentation on January, 1966. Source: maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca Complete history of the WW BrownHere's a website that documents the complete history of this ship, with many pictures included. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cleveland, DPC, Railroads)
Tulsa: 1921
... the term, riot, is misleading. I am 62 and grew up in the Detroit, Michigan area. I was 61 when I learned about the Tulsa massacre. Thank you, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/20/2020 - 11:14am -

"Disaster Relief. Interior, American Red Cross hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nov. 1, 1921. Patients recovering from effects of race riot of June 1, 1921." 5x7 inch glass negative, American National Red Cross photograph collection, Library of Congress. View full size. Indeed a massacreAgree that the term, riot, is misleading. I am 62 and grew up in the Detroit, Michigan area. I was 61 when I learned about the Tulsa massacre. Thank you, Dave. Just two words, three, actuallyThank you, Dave. MassacreThe term "riot" is misleading. I didn't learn about this event until I was over 40 years old. This history has been suppressed, and will be no longer. Five months laterThe patients pictured were still being treated five months after the riot/massacre. [November 1 is the date the caption was written. Unclear if that's when the photos was taken. - Dave] HeartbreakingThis photo brings tears to my eyes -- the patients look shell-shocked, as they should, since everything and so many loved ones were decimated. (The Gallery, ANRC, Medicine)
Meet Mrs. Ash: 1941
... new home which they are building themselves. Outskirts of Detroit, Michigan." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2020 - 1:50pm -

August 1941. "Mrs. Ash, wife of defense worker. They are living in a tent beside the foundation of their new home which they are building themselves. Outskirts of Detroit, Michigan." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Egg & IBefore I saw Marjorie Main play the character on screen, this lady approximates my mental image of Ma Kettle. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, John Vachon)
Grand Rapids: 1908
Grand Rapids, Michigan, circa 1908. "Canal Street from corner of Monroe." Merchants vying for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:34pm -

Grand Rapids, Michigan, circa 1908. "Canal Street from corner of Monroe." Merchants vying for your trade include The Giant, Idlehour and People's Credit Clothing Co. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. It's already colorizedPost card version: Can this be the Idlehour?View Larger Map Home townThat's my home town...one year before my father was born in Cascade, just outside of GR. Thanks! Idle Hour TheatreWhoa, good eye stumpy! Google finds a couple of references to the Idle Hour Theatre at 188 Monroe Street NW. Canal was renamed Monroe in 1912. So the current description of the view would be Monroe Street north from the intersection of Pearl, Monroe and Monroe Center. The building on the left is Sweet's Hotel, on the site of the Pantlind (now Amway Grand Plaza) Hotel built in 1913. (The Gallery, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Bois de Bourgeois: 1906
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1906. "Residences on Jefferson Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/27/2018 - 12:11pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1906. "Residences on Jefferson Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Open for Business: 1908
Circa 1908. "Ashmun Street, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan." A bustling business district whose transport options include auto, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/29/2015 - 9:02am -

Circa 1908. "Ashmun Street, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan." A bustling business district whose transport options include auto, streetcar, bicycle, horse and your own two feet. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Still standingThe two buildings on the left are still standing: the Central Savings Bank and the lower one with the B.M. Morris sign. If you drive up the Google street view, you can spot a couple of other originals, plus gaps / parking lots, plus a little sadness. David Bowie!a.k.a The Thin White Duke, riding his Bicycle. Slice of LifeWhat great characters! Dapper guy on bike right, man with big cigar behind him. White shirt clerks on left, leaning. etc! Ground-floor makeoverThe building on the corner has had a ground-floor makeover but it's still there. Car IDMaxwell (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Cheersh: 1941
... on Sunday afternoon. Finnish community of Bruce Crossing, Michigan." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/29/2020 - 5:46pm -

August 1941. "Farm boys in beer parlor on Sunday afternoon. Finnish community of Bruce Crossing, Michigan." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Bottle Can GlassTo me it always seemed that pouring from a bottle or can into a glass allowed the brew to breathe a little, thus taming the carbonation and improving taste. After the third one though, who cares. Royal Bohemian BeerLooks like they are enjoying Royal Bohemian from the Duluth Brewing & Malting Company. Sisu, eh?All communities thereabouts are Finnish communities. Pritnear every Yooper is at least part Finn. GlassesFind out that they use glasses to drink beer. I'm not American and I find that in every American film people drink beer directly from bottles. Is it now normal as it was normal to use glasses in forties? [In my experience, most bottle beer in restaurants and bars here in America is poured into glasses or mugs. - Dave] Natty BohThe boys are enjoying some National Bohemian Pilsner. A bit surprising, since Bruce Crossing is in the UP, and Natty Boh was brewed in Baltimore. I would have thought Milwaukee or Detroit suds would have been the beer of choice. [The beer is Minnesotan -- Royal Bohemian from Duluth. - Dave] (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
The Writing Room: 1905
Alma, Michigan, circa 1905. "Alma Sanitarium, gentlemen's writing room." 8x10 inch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/15/2014 - 11:34pm -

Alma, Michigan, circa 1905. "Alma Sanitarium, gentlemen's writing room." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Wonderful roomIn the newspaper article cited below, Dr. Shurly, in 1894, points out the beneficial properties of Alma Bromide Water: "producing tonic, stimulant, alterative or resolvent effects in nervous diseases, skin diseases, catarrhal troubles and rheumatism." Ah, the charming and absurd claims made for products and cures in yesteryear. There is no denying, however, the curative and salubrious effects of the room in the photo: enormous windows providing gorgeous light; an absence of clutter; sizable potted plants; several models of handsome chairs; tables to create semi-private zones within the large public room; and a general feeling of airiness, space and commodiousness. My breathing comes easier just looking at this wonderful room. All the comforts of a homeAccording to an article in the Ann Arbor Argus dated June 8, 1894, Dr. Pettijohn is quoted thus: "The Alma Sanitarium is a reputable institution, with all the requirements of a first class hospital and the cheerful comforts of a home." Many of my ancestors spent time in such places in the early years of the last century being treated for TB. All the comforts of a home included, apparently, pictures of Indians on the walls. A Different PerspectiveNotice the small plaque in the entrance on the right: https://www.shorpy.com/node/12303 What color is the wall paper?That's what I've been wondering about the last several minutes I've been studying this picture. I imagine a white and light golden yellow theme. Of course, that's probably completely wrong. Google tells me that the building was given to the local Masonic home after their own building burned to the ground. Seems it housed the Masonic Home until new buildings were built around 1930. I can't find anything that actually says when it was demolished. I assume the new buildings were completed before the sanitarium building was torn down. And it might be safe to assume it remained in various use for some time. Or maybe not. History of the SanitariumI found this link describing what happened to the building over the years and it's eventual dismantling. (The Gallery, DPC, Medicine)
From Scratch: 1901
Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company. Moulding room." By the time we're ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2012 - 10:52am -

Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company. Moulding room." By the time we're done with this series, each of you will be fully qualified to make your own stoves. 8x10 dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Oh the memoriesI worked in a cast iron foundry back in the 80's HOT HOT HOT. Those are full iron molds in front and the glow on top is the 2,700 degree iron that was just poured in them. The molds are made of sand and you remove the casting by breaking the sand mold. The sand is then re-used for new molds. Remember those men are standing just feet away from something that is at least 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit so if you slip and fall on a mold the sand will break and you will likely die from the burns that would completely dissolve any body part touching it. We had a man fall into a molten vat once and no trace of his body was ever recovered. Dan. I'll build a stove,but someone else can cook dinner and clean up. You know the old saying"Give a man a stove, and he'll cook until the stove breaks. Teach a man to make a stove, and he'll cook for the rest of his life, as long as he has a fish, which was either given to him, in which case he'll eat for just a day (or maybe two if there are leftovers) or which he caught himself, in which case he'll eat for the rest of his life. Or maybe he'll just go into business selling stoves." If you can't stand the heatStay out of the stove foundry. (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works)
Stoves to Go: 1901
Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company tramway." Much as the swallows ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/20/2012 - 10:53am -

Chelsea, Michigan, circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company tramway." Much as the swallows have their Capistrano, so do Shorpyites eventually find themselves back at the Glazier Stove Works. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Steam whistleI love the steam whistle over top of the building on the left. A favorite at lunch time or the end of the day. Hello in thereAnother open window with another person looking out. It's almost like being a Peeping Tom, a century after all the action has taken place. Wheelbarrow rides the rails.Neat idea, just don't miss stepping on each RR Tie. Buffalo Scale CompanyI really love all the neat things in this picture like the Buffalo Scales under and beside the tracks. It appears that a rail went along side the scale so you could unload things, weigh them and then re-load them. I am sure there is a scale mechanism beneath that wooden platform. (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works, Railroads)
That Light in the Tunnel: 1900
Circa 1900. "St. Clair River tunnel. Port Huron, Michigan." Time to move the camera! 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2015 - 12:32pm -

Circa 1900. "St. Clair River tunnel. Port Huron, Michigan." Time to move the camera! 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. ProhibitionThe sign was written by the Canadian side, "public" taking a Canadian plural verb rather than the American singular. [Just to be utterly clear, however, the photo was taken from the U.S. side. The new tunnel was built in 1994 to the north of the original. -tterrace] 0-10-0This is a pre-electrification view. St. Clair Tunnel Co. #1304 was an 0-10-0 steam locomotive. In 1907, catenary was hung in the tunnel and electric locomotives were used until dieselization in the late 1950s. Prohibited" ... blah blah blah, thereto." Regarding The Plural PublicThe original owner, Grand Trunk Railway (predecessor to Grand Trunk and Western), was Canadian company. St Clair Tunnel Company steam locoIn the photo the engine is running tender first. They weren't turned, hence the position of the cab. (The Gallery, DPC, Railroads)
One Era Ends, One Begins: 1960
... for being the last steam engine to run in Port Huron, Michigan as well as pulling the last steam train there. 6327 was among the last ... 
 
Posted by beal99 - 03/07/2011 - 10:22am -

This was shot by my father, Richard Beal, at Milwaukee Junction in downtown Detroit in early 1960. The end of Grand Truck Western steam is happening soon as these new EMD F units have made their first appearance on the property. As a book title about the GTW once read, this truly was the "evening before the diesel." All the railroad structures in this shot are now gone, yet Amtrak still passes through on its way to its stop in Detroit. View full size. What a wonderful shotSteam rising from the older machine on the left and the new guy on the block is waiting to get into action. Truly the end for #63276327 is known for being the last steam engine to run in Port Huron, Michigan as well as pulling the last steam train there. 6327 was among the last of GTW's steam engines still operating when the railroad dieselized in 1960 and it was scrapped that year. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Railroads)
Bancroft House: 1907
... miles away to see it. 2. First incandescent bulb in Michigan lit the Bancroft Hotel. [ Link ] New life The Bancroft is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/25/2011 - 5:08pm -

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. InterestingDepth of field. Relief CrewsBelow 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. Two interesting facts1. 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] New lifeThe Bancroft is getting a new life after being vacant for years. There is a restaurant in the floor and refurbished apartments throughout. (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars)
Flowerpot Pavilion: 1905
Alma, Michigan, circa 1905. "Alma Sanitarium, part of the sun parlor." 8x10 inch dry ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 6:59pm -

Alma, Michigan, circa 1905. "Alma Sanitarium, part of the sun parlor." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The rocker moved!At first I thought a breeze had moved the first rocker on the left, then I spotted the shoe and just the top of someone's head in that chair! Solitude. Where's Johnny?Sorry, long hallways always remind me of The Shining. SimplicityThat's a very simple, yet effective way to design a radiant heat system. CSI: ShorpyThe viewers of Shorpy should be hired by criminal investigators to peruse crime photo scenes for discovering previously undetected clues. (The Gallery, DPC, Medicine)
A Boy and His Dog: 1900
Continuing our visit to Grosse Ile, Michigan, circa 1900. "Rio Vista." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2011 - 5:33pm -

Continuing our visit to Grosse Ile, Michigan, circa 1900. "Rio Vista." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. EnvyWhat an idyllic scene; I'm so envious of the boy. Once again Shorpy makes me want to time travel. Ralph Lauren-likeThe boy, viewed in full size, could be in a contemporary catalog. (The Gallery, Dogs, DPC, Grosse Ile, Kids)
The Sherman: 1899
Mount Clemens, Michigan, circa 1899. "Sherman House." And its Sample Room. 8x10 inch glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2018 - 5:38pm -

Mount Clemens, Michigan, circa 1899. "Sherman House." And its Sample Room. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. 119 Years LaterNorthwest corner of Cass and Gratiot where the Sherman House used to stand. Now a Macomb County office building housing, among other things, the offices of the Friend of the Court. The Object across the streetWith the Round Globe and appears it would be colorful. Is It a fancy Barber Pole? Streetcar tracks and---dirt roads, I didn't know they coexisted. Stone TabletsThe stone tablets standing on edge in the gutters were to prevent the utility poles from being struck by wagon wheel hubs. Often you will also see many spirally wound wraps of steel wire around pole bases, or steel sheet, to similarly protect poles from damage. It must have been a real problem. Obsolete CommunicationsTwo types of obsolete communication in this picture struck me. The paperboy and Western Union bike messengers. What the heck would they be sampling? [Booze. - Dave] From the Encyclopedia of Chicago: A second type of drinking place evolved from grocers and provisioners who began to sell hard liquor in wholesale quantities. At first, their sample rooms were places where customers could taste-test the stock; long afterward, "sample room" became simply another name for saloon. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars)
Silk Railroad: 1900
... Lehigh Valley predominate, with one from Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, another from Delaware & Hudson, and the light-colored ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2017 - 10:53pm -

Circa 1900. "Sauquoit silk mill on Susquehanna River at Scranton, Pennsylvania." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Not the SusquehannaPretty sure DPC mislabeled the image. This mill seems to have been along the Lackawanna (the Susquehanna doesn't go by Scranton). The mill was at the end of Fig Street in Scranton. The mill can seen in 1992 aerial photographs but is gone a few years later. https://goo.gl/maps/riQqYnEDjV52 string of boxcarsDelaware Lackawanna & Western, Central Railroad of NJ and Lehigh Valley predominate, with one from Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, another from Delaware & Hudson, and the light-colored one whose identity I can't make out (possibly New York Central & Hudson River, they had light grey cars.) Note how the cars have a variety of heights, even those from the same railroad. (The 3 CNJ cars are easy to spot with their 'bullseye' herald.) And if I'm not mistaken, the left-most car is pushed up onto the mound of dirt that is the end-of-track bumper. My, How You Have Grown!What a difference a few years can make! Article from The Scranton Republican Tuesday, December 8, 1891. Silk trainsThis is the first photo I've seen for a destination for silk trains. The boxcars shown would be for finished silk. Incoming raw material from the Orient was shipped in baggage cars, with guards. Raw silk, and silk cocoons, was prime business for railroads from the turn of the century into the '30's when airlines stole the business. The product was somewhat perishable, which by itself made it time sensitive, but was also extremely valuable and shipped at very high insurance premiums. The less time on any particular railroad, the more profitable it was because of lower insurance cost. EVERYTING, including each railroads "crack" passenger trains got out of the way of a silk train. Section crews would "spike" switches ahead of a silk train to make the track more secure. Crews were handpicked. A ship coming into a west coast port would immediately trans load into baggage cars, and the doors nailed shut. All of the northern transcontinental railroads, and Canadian railroads vied for this business. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Railroads, Scranton)
A Hot Mess: 1901
... 1901. "Glazier Stove Company, brass foundry, Chelsea, Michigan." Our umpteenth look at these slightly untidy premises. 8x10 inch dry ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2014 - 12:38pm -

Circa 1901. "Glazier Stove Company, brass foundry, Chelsea, Michigan." Our umpteenth look at these slightly untidy premises. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Balancing ActLove the precarious way the water tower sits -- half on, half off. And Quite NearbyMust be the premises of Stover's Glazing. Anyone have a match?If only there were somewhere we could, I don't know, burn all this scrap wood we have lying around. Any ideas? "Keep your workplace clean & tidy!"In his spare time back in the 1960s, my dad made a couple of safety programs for his employer -- slide shows with polished soundtracks on a tape recorder which were later converted to filmstrips with a vinyl record to be distributed throughout the company, Interstate Bakeries. To play off the company name, and the cultural excitement around the buildout of the national interstate highway system, Dad's programs were called "Interstate 15: Fifteen Rules for Safety". With all the loose lumber and wires and a barrel just lying around waiting to trip someone, this picture shows a clear violation of Rule 12: Keep Your Workplace Clean & Tidy! Safety in railroading Study the end of the flatcar and notice that while it has a Janney coupler rather than link and pin, there is no air brake or any grab irons or stirrup step for the brakeman to use to get to the hand brake. No wonder they killed 2 RR train service employees a day back then. Love that narrow gauge track with mini turntable for getting into the building. (The Gallery, DPC, Glazier Stove Works, Railroads)
Light Industry: 1941
... Revolution. Having been raised in the Motor City (Detroit, Michigan), I am amazed to learn about the history and organized labor of an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2018 - 8:20pm -

January 1941. "Textile mill working all night in Lowell, Massachusetts." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I'm near here all the timeThe Lowell Gas Light office on the corner is an art gallery now and the building on the right houses the streetcar museum, or did. Complete with ghost truckI wonder how long the exposure was? 22 Shattuck StreetEstablished in 1849, the Lowell Gas Light Company supplied piped coal gas that lit the city’s mills, businesses, and street lamps. Designed in the more contemporary and elegant Italianate style, the building contrasted with earlier Federal and Greek Revival structures downtown. Built to house the company’s administrative offices, the original building was added on to several times, the last being a 1920s gable-roofed rear wing containing a gas appliance showroom. - via Richard Howe's Lowell Politics & History Worth a visit todayLowell National Historical Park is a 141-acre urban park comprised of preserved canals, locks, mill buildings, and other historic structures related to textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. Having been raised in the Motor City (Detroit, Michigan), I am amazed to learn about the history and organized labor of an industry other than automobile manufacturing. We visit LNHP every time we visit our son and daughter-in-law in the Boston area, and learn something new every time. It’s definitely worth a visit. One can see the very same view that is shown in the Shorpy photo. https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm Beat streetA view that Beat Generation legend Jack Kerouac, a native of Lowell, undoubtedly saw many times. (The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano)
Scenic Saginaw: 1908
Saginaw, Michigan, circa 1908. "Hoyt Library." With a number of hazards for the unwary ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/27/2014 - 11:58am -

Saginaw, Michigan, circa 1908. "Hoyt Library." With a number of hazards for the unwary pedestrian. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Revised StepsAnd missing a tree or two, but still looks like a temple of knowledge to me: View Larger Map It's Still Going StrongThe library is still going strong and a beautiful structure. It's about 30 minutes from where I live. It's nice to see local pics on this site. Fond memoriesAs a kid in the early 80's I was fascinated with the Titanic, before anyone even knew where it was. I spent hours at the Hoyt Library looking up every book I could find about it. When I ran out of books, one of the employees showed me that I could look up old newspapers with the microfiche reader and I was hooked; most of that Summer was spent in that library. All that quotidian urban activityAnd but a single motor car in evidence. Obviously, internal combustion is but a fad, a poor version of the noble horse and one whose droppings are no less objectionable for being gaseous. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC)
Maumee Deepest: 1899
... for service between Sault Ste. Marie and Cheboygan, Michigan. Sold in November 1905 to a syndicate wishing to stem the influence of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/07/2014 - 8:23pm -

1899. "Toledo Yacht Club. View from Riverside Park on Maumee River." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Previous siteThis is the Presque Isle clubhouse, built in 1898, looking across the Maumee at east Toledo. The club moved back across the river to its current site in 1903 - their wooden clubhouse there burned in 1906. It was replaced in 1908 with a steel reinforced concrete structure that the club still uses today. I bet you posted this photo just to use that clever headline! Across the riverThat's the yard of the Craig Shipbuilding Company across the river, established in East Toledo a decade earlier by Captain John Craig. The vessel on the ways is the Chippewa, a 200-foot passenger steamer launched 23 June 1900 for the Arnold Transit Company for service between Sault Ste. Marie and Cheboygan, Michigan. Sold in November 1905 to a syndicate wishing to stem the influence of the American Ship Building Company trust and renamed Toledo Shipbuilding Company, the yard was eventually purchased by American Ship Building in 1947. As shown below, the Toledo Shipbuilding yard still exists as Irionhead Marine, Inc. The Craig sons moved to Long Beach, California in 1906 and founded a notable shipbuilding enterprise there. The Chippewa and her slightly larger and newer sister Iroquois, also a Craig product, made the trip from the lakes around the Horn to Puget Sound, where the pair ran for Puget Sound Navigation Company of Seattle, which in 1932 converted the Chippewa to a Diesel-powered, double-ended ferry. Sold for intended use as a maritime museum at Stockton, California, the Chippewa burned a total loss there 23 June 1968 and was subsequently scrapped. Much is differentAir is cleaner, much of that industry is upgraded or changed. But the dry docks are still there. The park is now called Jamie Farr Park. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Toledo)
Dead River: 1905
Circa 1905. "Dead River sawmill, Marquette, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/13/2018 - 5:34am -

Circa 1905. "Dead River sawmill, Marquette, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Alternate TitleThe River Sticks. Marquette at 150Mentioned in this document about Marquette's Sesquicentennial are several sawmills. Difficult telling which one is depicted in the photo. https://marquettetownship.org/?wpfb_dl=360 Hiding outSo are the three guys on the roof scared of the lumber or the children? Closer LookWith my eyes I thought the three guys on the roof were some sort of vents or steam pipes until I enlarged the image. Then I spotted the three children who look like they're dressed up for Easter. Strange place for them to be, I'd assume a lot could go wrong during the work that is done there. (The Gallery, DPC, Industry & Public Works)
All a Board: 1899
... to NE Minnesota, the northern half of Wisconsin, and Michigan's UP. River junction towns like Minneapolis, Stillwater, and Winona ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/09/2016 - 5:12pm -

Minnesota circa 1899. "Winona, a sawmill plant." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Warning!Customers are enjoined not to remove boards from the bottom of the stack. Please summon a sales associate for assistance. Not Near the WoodIs that some sort of burning beacon at left? A common industry back thenWhen the woods of the Northeastern US were depleted in the 1880's, loggers turned their attention to NE Minnesota, the northern half of Wisconsin, and Michigan's UP. River junction towns like Minneapolis, Stillwater, and Winona became sawmill towns as White Pine logs were brought down the rivers for milling. This was some of the finest lumber ever cut, and in 1899 the supply still seemed endless. As the loggers moved north, so did the sawmills, especially once steam replaced water for power. Duluth, Ashland, and Virginia MN became sawmill towns. The trees weren't endless. Using the primitive tools of the day loggers managed to all but clean out the White Pine in the northern halves of three states by the early 1920's. Attempts to replant the White Pine using seedlings from Europe were met with failure. These new trees brought White Pine Blister Rust with them and pretty much sealed the fate of the species here. There were also massive forest fires after logging. All of the slash (branches and tops) were left loose on the ground and once dry, burned like gasoline. Only a few small stands and scattered individual White Pine trees remain today, replaced primarily by Aspen, the first growth after logging in these parts. Most of the older homes in the Midwest were built with lumber from these stands, including almost all of the farm houses in the Great Plains that replaced the old sod huts. As the logs ran out the families that owned timber and logged, like the Weyerhausers and Boeings (yes, that Boeing, and that's a story in itself), moved to either the Pacific Northwest or to the southern states to continue the family businesses. We still occasionally see a huge White Pine stump, a deadhead log poking up out of a lake, or a logging railroad grade from the logging days in the woods here. (The Gallery, DPC, Industry & Public Works, Railroads)
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