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Inside Information: 1954
... six people Yep, it's 1954. Time travel So many railroads, so few airlines. Graveyard Listings There are at least 25 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/30/2014 - 11:30am -

        So how does the account exec know what the prices are? 1954. "Merrill Lynch account executive chalks up current stock prices on quotation board in firm's new mobile office." One of the earlier mobile apps. View full size. Buy low, sell highI wish I'd bought Shorpy when it was $40 - I'd be a virtual millionaire now. Smoke! Smoke! Buy!Looks like Shorpy is hot mover. Also, what is code for ashtrays? I.e., how many are required per linear foot of shelving? This LOOKS almost sufficient, but I am not sure. Three ash trays, six peopleYep, it's 1954. Time travel So many railroads, so few airlines. Graveyard ListingsThere are at least 25 defunct companies on the boards. This also has my vote for best Shorpy placement ever. Smoke 'emI'd forgotten about those beanbag-filled ashtrays. I was a deckhand on a private yacht in the early 1970s and remember the disgusting job of cleaning identical ashtrays after weekend sailing expeditions. They were perfect for use on moving conveyances like sailboats and mobile homes. And private railroad cars, it seems. WindowslessDefinitely not a Windows mobile app. Radio-Telephone connected!From the Chicago Tribune, March 31, 1954: Caption on above photo: Merrill's New Mobile Boardroom Center compartment, or boardroom, of bus which the investment firm of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane will use as mobile branch office in Chicago suburbs beginning next month. Text of article: Firm to Put Buses in Use Next Month. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane, the country's largest investment house and the author of such innovations as evening office hours for securities firms, will put part of its business on wheels. The company has ordered three specially designed buses to operate as mobile branch offices in 15 suburban communities around Chicago, Boston, and Newark, N. J. Homer P. Hargrave, managing partner in Chicago, said the Chicago unit will arrive in town between April 5 and April 10. It will be on exhibit in the Lydy parking lot on La Salle St. across from the Board of Trade building for several days before it starts on its scheduled runs. Once it begins to travel its regular route the bus will be in Hammond on Mondays, Gary on Tuesdays, Indiana Harbor on Wednesdays, Waukegan on Thursdays, and Evanston on Fridays, Hargrave said. Arrangements have been made for the bus to be parked in the same location in each town each week. Each bus will contain a boardroom where stock prices are posted and two private offices where investors or potential investors may talk with Merrill Lynch account executives. The buses will be equipped with radio-telephones tied in directly with the firm's private wire system, making market quotations available on an up to the minute basis. The interiors will be decorated in silver and blue. Windows, fashioned of glass resistant to glare and heat, will be equipped with venetian blinds. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses)
Ghosts of State Street: 1908
... place for the old photo. If this had been the "Indiana Railroads Bull Session" forum, this photo would have been prime for a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/12/2013 - 12:27pm -

Circa 1908. "State Street -- Springfield, Massachusetts." The long-departed denizens of this leafy enclave can be seen going about their blurry business with ectoplasmic flair in this exposure lasting perhaps two or three seconds. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Hydrants clueSanborn Fire Insurance Maps contain a lot of details like hydrants and street names and easements. Find out which Springfield library has the Sanborn maps to help identify this location. Wide sidewalksYou know your neighborhood is upscale when your sidewalks have curbs. Telephoto TricksIn the distance above the carriage on the left side of the street is the gated entrance to the armory at Byers Street. http://goo.gl/maps/bjo7h If you look around you can see some of the other houses. On the extreme left there's two columns and a bay window. That would appear to be the house at the corner of Elliot Street (note the fence line running perpendicular to State). That's right next to St. Michael's Cathedral, maybe the rectory? http://goo.gl/maps/ZSfK0 On the right is a house with a porch that has three columns at each corner. In the current view there's still some of that funky curb along the edge of the sidewalk. It also shows that the already excessively wide street was widened even further at some point, removing the planting strip that supported the stately elm trees. http://goo.gl/maps/loL4V So the photographer had to be back almost to Chestnut Street, some three or four blocks from Byers. The curve in the street and the change in grade is nearly imperceptible on the wide angle Google street view images. As for the street sign? Maybe an alley or small street that has since been abandoned and absorbed into the parking lot to the right of the house with the three columned porch. I wishThere is something about the beauty of this street under these trees next to these gracious homes that makes me so want to transport myself there, if only for a brief moment. Has life ever been as peaceful and serene since? I wonder whereI grew up in Springfield in the 50s and early 60s and I sure can't fathom where on State Street that may have been taken. I can't think of any part of State Street where such an idyllic scene could have existed 50 years earlier. We have lost so much in the past century... HydrantsIf anyone comes up with a general location of this photo, the fire hydrants may help in nailing down the specific spot. Hydrants are rarely relocated or removed once installed. Mystery locationI'm puzzled. This view appears to contain a slight downhill grade and a slight bend to the right, which is a clue to its location. A better clue is the street sign near the car on the right (magnified and contrast-enhanced below) - it appears to be (something) Place, where (something) looks an awful lot like "Maple." Problem is, I've looked at maps of Springfield from 1870 through 1940 (and 1908-1909 in particular), and can find only one street crossing State that is designated "Place" - Hunter Place, which doesn't look right at all. (There may also have once been a "Courthouse Place" near the river, but if that even existed, it also looks completely wrong.) I've found a few stretches of State Street that have roughly the right topography, but I have yet to find any other corroborating clues. It's a head scratcher... Location Wild GuessEmphasis on the "wild", but here goes. We all know that the affluent areas in most towns 100 years ago were on a main boulevard not too far from the city center as you left town. Based on that, the tree shadows showing we are looking NE, and the rightward bend in State St just beyond, I suspect this is near the current location of Springfield Technical Community College. Today, the college would dominate the left side of the photo, just prior to the rightward bend of State St. Elm TunnelMany cities had lovely elm trees with the distinctive vase shape creating leafy canopies over streets. The late 1920's saw the spreading of elm disease that sadly all but wiped out these beautiful trees. Those beautiful elm trees.Mostly gone now, thanks to Durtch elm disease. I can remember when the streets here in Milwaukee were lined with them, just like in the picture. Nice Detective Work, Jeffrey!Kudos to Jeffrey Jakucyk! I was looking at topo maps and Google Maps trying to figure it out and I couldn't. So much has changed that the street now has hardly any curvature or slope. I did find the house with the pillars, but everything else was so different that I just didn't believe I was in the right place. There was a discussion about Maple Place. I couldn't find that, but I did find that between the time of the topo map and Google Maps, Maple street had been extended. But it didn't seem to intersect State Street in the right place for the old photo. If this had been the "Indiana Railroads Bull Session" forum, this photo would have been prime for a "Wherezitat?" post... More on LocationTo build some more on what I suggested earlier and what Jeffery elaborated on, I think I have found something that may be proof of the location in the distance on the left as the Armory, which is next to the college today that I mentioned. I think we were only a block or so apart in our guesses. The two stone gate posts at the entrance to the armory can be found at 394 State St. on the left side of a Google street image today. There is only the right stone pillar in existance today, the left apparently demolished at some time. Their shape and appearance is the same. There is also clear evidence that the grade and width of State St. was modified considerably since the Shorpy photo. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC)
River Cruise: 1906
... causing steamboat companies to run extra boats, and railroads to add cars and extra trains to handle the crowds. These yearly ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:20pm -

Circa 1906. "Steamer New York on the Hudson. Boat landing at Kingston Point." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Rhyme, no; reason, yes.The sparse crowds on shore in their jackets, and the clear decks of the New York indicate this is off season. All summer long the crush of humanity would escape to the Catskills, causing steamboat companies to run extra boats, and railroads to add cars and extra trains to handle the crowds. These yearly summer-long events wouldn't begin to ease off until about the time of the Great War. You need to see some photos of Kingston Landing or Catskill from the same era in summertime. Those benches were very much needed. Steamboat New York 1887This steamboat was one of more than 3,000 painted by the famous steamboat (and sailing ship) artist James Bard in 1887. Born in 1815, he died in 1897. Albany?I'm curious as to why the roof over the platform on the right has "Albany" painted on it. [The Day Line operated the steamers New York and Albany between New York and Albany.] New York and the PointThe Hudson River Day Line boat "New York", while laid up for repairs, burned to the hull in Newburgh, NY in 1908. New York's machinery was recycled for use in her replacement, the "Robert Fulton". Hiding on the other side of the covered platform is a train of the Ulster and Delaware RR. The train will make a broad turn to the right in the distance and run across the long fill to Rondout and on to Kingston and the Catskill Mountains. We are much more civilized today...hop in the family Studebaker and take off. DisarrayThere really is no rhyme nor reason to those benches, is there? NY explainedHank adds this to the mix: Another great picture. From Don Ringwalds book on the Day Line: SS New York: Reg #130373; Built 1887, Harlan & Hollingsworth, Wilmington DE. 301 ft long, 40.2 beam, 11' draft; 1552.52 grors tons cost abot $242,000 Lengthened 1897-98, 335' x 40.4' x 11.2', 1974 gross, 1261 net tons. Fletcher beam engine; 1 cyl 75" bore, 12 ft stroke. 3850 hp Caught fire during layup at Marvel yard, Newburgh, Oct 20, 1908, burned completely. Day Line needed a new boat for the 1909 season, with the Hudson-Fulton celebration. They had been considering another big boat like the Hendrik Hudson, but cost was high. Now they had an urgent need for some kind of a new boat. It was found that engine and boilers from SS N.Y. could be reusedd, thus saving considerable time. These were built into the SS Robert Fulton: SS Robert Fulton: Reg #203424, Built 1909. New York Ship Building Co, Camden NJ. 337' x 42' x 11.5' 2168, 1344 net tons. Same engine cost about $500,000 Operated 1909-1954. Sold 1956. I have ridden on the Fulton at least twice. ________________________________________ (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Old Coal King: 1940
... LC&N leased its railroad properties to other railroads and concentrated on anthracite mining. In 1940 though, Lansford ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/10/2020 - 4:49pm -

August 1940. "Carbon County, Pennsylvania. Houses and colliery from a street in Lansford." More specifically, the Old Company's Lehigh Navigation Coal Co. Lansford Colliery. Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The NavigationThe Lehigh Coal Mine Company (1793) was leased to the Lehigh Coal Company in 1818 and merged with the Lehigh Navigation Company in 1820, being formally incorporated as Lehigh Coal and Navigation in 1822. LC&N built a canal along the Lehigh River from White Haven to Easton, finishing it in 1829. By 1871 LC&N owned a railroad along the same route. Gradually, LC&N leased its railroad properties to other railroads and concentrated on anthracite mining. In 1940 though, Lansford Colliery was served by LC&N-owned Lehigh & New England Railroad. In the early 1970's, LC&N sold its last colliery, the nearby Greenwood breaker, to Bethlehem Steel and went out of business. Not what you'd call a fly-by-night outfit. Utilitarian equals ugly? Not back then, obviously. I have seen photos of much uglier (which were also newer) collieries. I am just wondering. Is that a shaft head or a breaker? But fancy having to clean all those windows. Not to mention with all that coal dust around. Dark ModeAn early example. Thanks for coming out, Jack Delano I was born in Lansford. I had moved away by the age of 7 or so, but in many ways never left. It's fallen on hard times, but people hardly notice. As a coal patch town, its aspirations were always somewhat limited. On the other hand, they barely noticed the Great Depression, basically for the same reason. By the late '60s this thing was derelict and you could climb all over it. When visiting my grandparents I sometimes did. Lansford is home to the Hauto train tunnel, also derelict, and with some interesting stories attached to it. No nothin' about coalWhy is that building so big? What went on in there? Don't mine the messThis is not a mine -- the mines were scattered in the hills around here. LC&N had a network of 42-inch-gauge tramways that delivered the coal to this breaker. The shelf on the rear hillside is where the tramways delivered the raw anthracite, being hoisted up the ramps partly visible behind the top of the breaker. Using a "sand flotation" method, the raw coal was mixed with sand in a cone shaped vessel, causing the heavier stone and slate debris to sink to the bottom, and allowing the coal to rise to the top of the cone and over the sides. The coal was then washed and graded and loaded into railcars for the trip to market, while the stone waste was removed and hauled to the dump. Photos in "Lehigh & New England" by Ed Crist and John Krause (1980) show what appears to be the same breaker in the 1950s from the hillside at the rear, except they say it is LC&N's largest breaker, No. 6. (Mr. Krause should know, as he took the photos.) This also is where I got my information. Sure is CleanMy impressions are that almost anything having to do with coal production is dirty and dusty. This building sure looks clean and tidy. Actually quite attractive. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Mining)
A Dark Chapter, in Color
... Hall, and it sat right up against the main line of the railroads. Years of steam and southern humidity would have made the ... 
 
Posted by Fredric Falcon - 09/20/2011 - 1:22pm -

Maybe seeing a scene from the slavery era in color will remind us of how very real those times were. Here's my concept of how this scene might have looked. Up above...I love the trompe l'oeil. Great WorkIt's amazing how the fact that all Civil War photography was black and white makes the era seem less real. I have seen CW pictures which were hand-painted in the 19th century, and they still have that unreal look, not at all like modern colorization. May I have permission to use this image in our local Civil War Roundtable newsletter? Beautiful work!Seems very real; especially the stained and moldy wood and brick sidings; North facing I suspect. Having lived in Atlanta for many years, I think the dirt streets might be a touch more orange in color due the red clay so ever present in Georgia. Great job! Amazing!I agree completely. When you look at old black and white photographs it's hard to believe we are seeing scenes from the past that were once completely real and colorful and full of life. It's like seeing an old movie; one tends to believe that "old timers" lived in black and white only, or that their presence is in some level unreal, as false and fictitious as the strange grayscale we see on the scene. But things change dramatically when you see the same scene in full color! Suddenly the old, impersonal buildings and streets come to life, speaking to the viewer of a circumstance and a period of time that, its antiqueness notwhistanding, is as real as our current cotidianity. The bizarre, Kafkaesque scene becomes human again; the buildings stop being props or mere silhouettes and become the work of men; and the ads and messages painted on their walls speak again of the reality current when the photo was taken. We are transported in time; our eyes are privileged to see a scene that had not been truly seen by anyone in over 140 years. You see the scene and wonder: how different will things be 140 years from now? How our great-grandchildren react when they see a plain, two-dimensional image of our era? will they be awed by the simple little facts of daily life captured in that image, will they have the same sentiment of longing we experience at seeing this old relics of a bygone past? What more to say? An excellent job, definitely blends artistic ability with technological improvements. Thank you very much for sharing it with us! Seems so immediateExceptional work again, Fredric. The well chosen colors make the past seem so much more immediate, to color-accustomed eyes. (Before photography, did anyone dream in black and white?) You know what they say --"Those who do not remember the pastel are condemned to repeat it." ThanksPalm Springs John, I never considered that the street dirt should be clay-colored. I've changed it and replace the photo with the upgraded version. Is this more accurate? Too much red? I don't live in the South, so let me know if it's accurate yet. Mike Brown, sure you can use this photo in your newsletter, if it's OK with Dave. I'd like to see it when it's published. Is there any way I can? Thanks for your comments. Newsletter> Mike Brown, sure you can use this photo in your > newsletter, if it's OK with Dave. I'd like to > see it when it's published. Is there any way I can? Most of our members get it in PDF form, so it'll be easy. E-mail your address to wb2jwd@htva.net, and I'll be happy to send it along. A marvelous job with a tough image.Nicely done. Georgia dirt is nearly impossible to colorize (at least for me). It comes in all sorts of shades from bright red to orange to brown – and it changes color based on moisture and heat. At times – like in the dry fall months when this was taken – it dries to a very light –almost white - brown (like baked clay). In reality, the signs and wood would have been nearly devoid of pigment. By the summer of 1864 the south – poor in the best of times – had been existing under the most severe privation and these buildings had been neither painted nor whitewashed in many years. The wood would have been a dark, weathered grey. The brick building at the far right is the Concert Hall, and it sat right up against the main line of the railroads. Years of steam and southern humidity would have made the 365-days-a-year of heavy smoke and pine soot penetrate every crevice of the masonry. The mildew is a nice touch. (I really don’t mean to be critical at all; you’ve done a marvelous job with a tough image.) (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Colorized Photos)
City of Alpena: 1899
... Detroit and Saginaw in the years before completion of railroads and highways to the communities of booming Northeast Michigan. ... the lumbering industry had moved to the West Coast and railroads connected most of the towns in the region. She operated afterward on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2016 - 3:41pm -

Circa 1899. "Sidewheeler City of Alpena." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.         The CITY OF ALPENA, launched from the Detroit Dry Dock Co. in Wyandotte in 1893, was one of several elegant paddlewheel steamboats operated by the Detroit & Cleveland Line out of Detroit. The line dated to 1849 and eventually included 10 large vessels, serving ports all over Lake Erie and Lake Huron.         The impressive CITY OF ALPENA and sister ship CITY OF MACKINAC were 285 feet long and driven by 2,000-horsepower steam engines. They carried as many as 400 passengers along with significant cargoes of package freight, merchandise and foodstuffs. They provided a critical link to big cities like Toledo, Detroit and Saginaw in the years before completion of railroads and highways to the communities of booming Northeast Michigan.         The CITY OF ALPENA was taken off the "Coast Line to Mackinac" in 1921 when the lumbering industry had moved to the West Coast and railroads connected most of the towns in the region. She operated afterward on Lake Michigan as the CITY OF SAUGATUCK, and ended up in the late 1930s as a barge, carrying pulpwood and later petroleum products. The once-proud ship was broken up for scrap in 1957. -- C. Patrick Labadie, Historian Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Crate and Barrel: 1906
... quite a transportation empire primarily based on Southern railroads, but of which the steamship company was a prime component. His heirs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 2:01pm -

Circa 1906. "Dock conveyors, New Orleans." On the waterfront along the Mississippi. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. I'm just dying to knowWhat's in those crates and barrels! Any guesses? Machine Age at the docksWas impressed to note the labor saving conveyor belt moving those hand trucks efficiently along. Comparing the motion blur of people versus belt, that thing offered very little opportunity to rest one's back. Pretty nifty hoist assembly up above as well. Wonder how that worked? Gotta love those gears. Those barrels do look provocative, don't they? DetailsI noticed the conveyor also, I wonder what powers it? It appears that they are offloading the ship and the conveyor must be capable of running either direction. The man walking parallel to the conveyor (away from ship) has something stuck in his belt. It's not a radio and too large to be the butt of a pistol? [It's the handle of a longshoreman's hook. - Dave] Re: I'm just dying to knowIf this were an episode of The Simpsons, all those crates and barrels would be filled to the brim with hot pants. Fancy ApronThe hoist mentioned below, with all the pulleys, is not for handling cargo. The boom on the ship, with its base on the deck-house and its attendant lines rigged to the mast is doing that. Ships of this era were fully capable of loading and unloading themselves in even the most undeveloped port. The hoist raises and lowers the outboard ends of two aprons fixed to the pier. Thus the aprons (ramps) could be adjusted to any deck height or tidal condition. Only the apron with the moving belt is in use, and the power seems to be a mystery. A giant hamster-wheel out of view, perhaps. The belt does seem to be valuable enough to justify a long canvas cover to protect it from the weather when not in use. The vessel shownhere is the New York, built of iron in 1875 at Wilmington, Delaware, by Harlan & Hollingsworth for Charles Morgan's Morgan Steamship Company. She measured 283 feet in length, powered by the typical triple-expansion steam engine of the day. She was broken up in 1923. Charles Morgan instituted the first steamship line on the American East Coast in 1834. By the time of Morgan's death in 1877, he had amassed quite a transportation empire primarily based on Southern railroads, but of which the steamship company was a prime component. His heirs sold their holdings to C. P. Huntington, who merged them into the Southern Pacific in 1888, but the steamship operation remained known as the Morgan Line until wound up in 1941. Since Morgan operated a service between Havana and New Orleans at the time this photograph was taken, I suspect the contents of the barrels are either molasses or its potent by-product, rum. Nifty HoistThat's called a gantry, I'm sure it is used to lift the end of the bridge the conveyor is on. This allows for the transition of heights of decks of different ships and tidal changes, too. It hinges on the dock end. Not a walkie-talkieSign of the times. I did a double take on that hook handle, it looks so much like a walkie-talkie! *Click* "Hey Joe, tell the boys to stay off the conveyor if they wanna keep their shoes polished. There's a nasty surprise at the far end!" And let's hope there's nothing in those barrels that would offend Temperance. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, New Orleans)
S.S. Utica: 1910
... citing the 1912 Panama Canal Act, ruled that American railroads could not also engage in marine transportation, and the NYC (as well ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 8:50pm -

Circa 1910. "Freighter S.S. Utica, New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Line." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 1904-1949Constructed by the Detroit Ship Building Co., this 325-foot package freighter was launched April 28, 1904, at Wyandotte for the Western Transit Company, the marine operation of the New York Central on the Great Lakes. In 1915 the Interstate Commerce Commission, citing the 1912 Panama Canal Act, ruled that American railroads could not also engage in marine transportation, and the NYC (as well as Erie, Pennsylvania, and Lehigh Valley) sold their steamship operations on the Great Lakes. Many of the vessels were consolidated under a new firm, Great Lakes Transit Corporation, for which the Utica ran from 1916 until 1945. That year, GLTC sold her to Chilean interests who renamed her Quintay. She was towed down the Chicago River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Illinois River, and eventually the Mississippi to New Orleans. The Quintay stranded and became a total loss on Penguin Island in the Messier Channel, Chile, on April 28, 1949, on a voyage from Callao to Punta Arenas while carrying general cargo and drums of oil. Steamship Utica Beeson's Marine Directory of the Northwestern Lakes, 1908 Steamship Utica, built in 1904 for the Western Transit Co. of Buffalo, N.Y. Gross tonnage: 3533, length: 325 ft., beam: 44 ft. HmmmmI wonder what the three planks on the side of the hull are. [Docking fenders. - Dave] Rounding the Eastern Continent?I was not aware a vessel of this size could move South out of Lake Michigan and down thru to New Orleans in the canal/river system. [As noted below, the Utica was a Great Lakes freighter. - Dave] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Home, James: 1910
... of War. In his spare time, he made a fortune in lumber and railroads. No longer there Lost to development in the 1960s. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2020 - 2:12pm -

Grosse Pointe, Michigan, circa 1910. "F.M. Alger residence." The home of banker-industrialist Frederick Moulton Alger. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A story of three Freds (and a Frances)To the right of Fred, and between the two pooches, are Miss Francis Alger and Master Fred Alger Jr.. Fred Jr., like his father, would enter politics, ultimately serving as an Ambassador to Belgium during the Eisenhower Administration. His two sons - Fred Alger and David Dewey Alger - were the first and second CEOs of Fred Alger Management, a fund investment firm with principal offices on the 93rd floor of the World Trade Center. The September 11 attacks killed David and most of the firm's analysts, but Fred (who had moved to Switzerland) returned to rebuild the company. https://www.alger.com/AlgerDocuments/Money_ReincarnationofFredAlger.pdf The oldest Fred served in the Army in the Spanish-American War and World War I. In World War II, Frances served in the Red Cross and Fred Jr. served in the Navy. His son Fred served in the Marines. Before the Three FredsThe father of Fred the First was Russell Alexander Alger (1836–1907). Orphaned at 13, he worked on a farm to support his younger siblings. From those humble origins, he rose to become a Brevet Major General, Governor of Michigan, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of War. In his spare time, he made a fortune in lumber and railroads. No longer thereLost to development in the 1960s. https://www.higbiemaxon.com/blog/historical-architecture-of-grosse-point... Fred's ChauffeurAs the title suggests, I don't think that's the elder Fred at the left of the photo. The gentleman is wearing the proper attire of a professional driver, and perhaps he's getting ready to take the car out of the garage for a trip (but first taking a few moments to play with the dogs/kids and pose for the photographer). Are these really the Alger children?Frances would have been about six (born 1904) while Frederick (born 1907) would have been about three. The children in the photo are almost exactly opposites of what I expected. [We're not sure who they are or when the photo was taken. But probably 1910 or earlier based on the license plates. - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, Dogs, DPC, Kids)
Bedded Wheat: 1906
... be packed more efficiently on the barges. Eventually railroads replaced the canal and the milling centers moved farther west. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 11:06am -

Niagara Falls, New York, circa 1906. "Natural Food Conservatory. The whole wheat cleaned and ready for use." Incipient Shredded Wheat. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. MeowKitty's dream come true! Shredded FarkFarked again! The Wheat Stops HereAs I recall from my school days in suburban Buffalo, it was milling that made Buffalo a "big" city. Grain could easily be transported on large ships from the upper Midwest to the Buffalo/Niagara area on large freighters, but to get to the Eastern Seaboard communities it had to go by Erie Canal barge. It made sense to mill it in Buffalo so it could be packed more efficiently on the barges. Eventually railroads replaced the canal and the milling centers moved farther west. (The Gallery, DPC, Factories, Farked)
Double Truck: 1941
... of 385 rigs, but by 1964 this was reduced to 50 as the railroads became a more efficient means to transport new vehicles. The firm ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/12/2017 - 2:07pm -

October 1941. "Car transport filling up with gas at Little Falls, New York." Medium format negative by John Collier. View full size. What make ?Is this a GMC cab over? [Dodge. -tterrace] There's one hidingI've never seen one like this either but I found a pic of a similar setup with open sides. Chevy hidden insideToo much Dodge on the outside for it to handle. The Sticker on the TruckI remember seeing trucks with that sticker having an "M" inside the shape of the US. Does anyone know what that signifies? "M" Is For MarkelThe sticker on the truck that "Vonderbees" asked about is from Markel Service, Inc. Markel insured buses and trucks starting in 1930, and it was also involved in promoting safety and standards for drivers. The firm also helped to pass the National Motor Carrier Act of 1935. The firm exists today as Markel Corporation, and it is a Fortune 500 company. As a part of their program to promote safety, drivers were given safety awards for each year that they did not have an accident. A variety of these awards and award certificates is shown below. The pin with number "1" in the red diamond is believed to be an early award as few of these are known to exist. Awards in the style of the 4-year pin shown seems to have followed, but these were likely awarded for only a short period of time as these are also very hard to find. Pins in the style of the 15-year award shown were issued into the 1950s, and the 20-year award was the last style issued. The other side of the Dodge truck is seen in the photo below. The truck is from 1940, and this was the first year that the Dodge cab-over truck body was entirely designed, engineered, and built in-house. The previous three years the body was manufactured by Montpelier Company of Montpelier, Ohio. The 1940 models are easily identified by the lack of cowl lights which were on the 1941 and 1942 models. In this initial year of production 1 1/2 ton and 2 ton models were available. The cab could seat three, and it was up high enough that the floor of the cab was flat. The directional (turn) signal lights are mounted on the fender tops, and a Dodge ram hood ornament is visible. Eastern Auto Forwarding of Buffalo, New York had orange trucks with green lettering. Their motto was "Dependable As The Rising Sun." They once had a fleet of 385 rigs, but by 1964 this was reduced to 50 as the railroads became a more efficient means to transport new vehicles. The firm was bought out by Buffalo based M&G Convoy in 1964. Markel SpottingThere's at least one more truck with the Markel symbol on Shorpy. See it here. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, John Collier)
C&O Allegheny Locomotive: 1941
... right in time for the surge of war traffic on America's railroads. RR shop Hey, thanks for a terrific shot of the designers ... 
 
Posted by Lost World - 12/13/2007 - 10:35pm -

Lima, Ohio. December 1941. The brilliant C&O/Lima Locomotive design team poses for a photograph in front of their latest creation--a 2-6-6-6 Allegheny. Despite years of claims to the contrary, this first series of Alleghenies were indeed the heaviest steam locomotives ever built. This photo was taken by the Lima company photographer mere days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and for C&O the first ten Alleghenies came right in time for the surge of war traffic on America's railroads. RR shopHey, thanks for a terrific shot of the designers that helped build this beautiful loco, I believe that there's an Allegheny at the Ford museum in Dearborn Mich, one hell of an impressive loco standing next to it. Sure would love to see it running. They don't make 'em likeThey don't make 'em like THAT anymore! Modern loco's are so soul-less. That loco is a giant. I can imagine the feeling of awe standing nearby when it was in full steam. What a sight it would have been under full load in the mountains! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Brand New Steamer: 1935
... loco, 4-8-4, was commonly called a Northern. But not on railroads running into Southern states such as Virginia, in this case. I've ... 
 
Posted by Lost World - 12/13/2007 - 10:34pm -

Just days off the erecting floor at Lima Locomotive, Chesapeake and Ohio 4-8-4 Greenbrier type #604 poses for a company publicity photo. The Greenbriers were used in passenger service over the Appalachians from Hinton WV to Charlottesville, Richmond, and Newport News VA. Each of the four original Greenbriers were named after a prominent Virginia statesman. 604 was the Edward Randolph. She's so shiny you could shave in the reflection off the boiler jacket. Unfortunately, she'll never be this clean again! RR photoThanks for a great picture, hope you can find more RR related picts of new equipment Greenbrier typeThe wheel arrangement of this loco, 4-8-4, was commonly called a Northern. But not on railroads running into Southern states such as Virginia, in this case. I've counted at least 17 names used for the one type of steam loco. The Northern name was actually from the Northern Pacific Railroad, who got the first 4-8-4's into service only weeks before the Canadian National Railway. CNR intended to call their 4-8-4's the Confederation class. I wonder if this would have been more acceptable in the old Confederacy? Greenbrier TypeCN officially did call their 4-8-4s Confederation types for a while in conjunction with the passenger train of the same name, one of the transcontinental services introduced at the same time as the locomotives in 1927. The train disappeared during the Great Depression, and the locomotives were renamed Northern -- also quite appropriate. Locomotive names.C&O Greenbriers 4-8-4s are named after the railroad-owned hotel, NYC 4-8-2 Mohawks are named after the New York State indian tribes and Northern Pacific 2-8-8-4 Yellowstones are named for the national park served by NP. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Delta County: 1940
... the depression era and post WWII than the wagon trains and railroads. Cars And they've done nothing but befoul our atmosphere and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/27/2009 - 7:30am -

1940. Delta County, Colorado. "Hay stack and automobiles of peach pickers." View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee for the FSA. Will RogersWill Rogers once said something like "This is the only country in the world that ever went to the poorhouse in an automobile". The motor car probably had more to do with the westward migration of Americans during the depression era and post WWII than the wagon trains and railroads. CarsAnd they've done nothing but befoul our atmosphere and ruin city planning ever since! They are pretty, though. [They do one other thing: Get you where you want to go. - Dave] CarsNot to mention enabling the greatest wealth and standard of living the world has ever seen. Wonder how many horses would be required to replace those cars??? And the resources required by city planners to support them. Guess we could all go back to walking or bicycling across the country. But then you'd need to give up on fresh fruit and veggies. The world would certainly get much bigger again for the masses. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee)
Morro Castle: 1901
... oceanic transportation, being almost entirely focused on railroads. Cramps Shipyard is long gone This shipyard closed for the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/19/2014 - 1:09pm -

Philadelphia circa 1901. "S.S. Morro Castle, Cramps Shipyards." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Coming to AmericaBuilt by William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilders, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1900. 6004 gross tons; 400 (bp) feet long; 50 feet wide. Steam triple expansion engines, twin screw. Service speed 18 knots. 208 passengers ( 104 first class, 60 second class, 44 third class ). The Ellis Island web site includes the names and details of each of the 38,556 passengers that the SS Morro Castle brought to Ellis Island in 351 trips from January 13th, 1903 to January 20th, 1923. Scrapped 1926Part of the Ward Line. She was the fastest in their line. It was chartered by the US Marine Corps to ferry Marines to Vera Cruz during the Mexican Independence 1914. She was sold for scrap in 1924 and scrapped in Italy in 1926. The Ward Line commissioned another Morro Castle in 1930 which is famous for catching fire and killing 137 crew and passengers before beaching herself in September 1934. Later also sold for scrap. Rivet heaters?The boys in front appear to be heating rivets in a coal forge. I can't see the rivet tosser or catcher. Though the guy hunkered over may have a catching pail on his hip. BTW This is not the infamous SS Morro Castle that burned off New Jersey in 1934 forcing changes in shipboard safety, it is its predecessor- both ships ran from New York to Havana for the Ward Line. Coaling?The open side ports suggest that the ship may be preparing for the backbreaking and filthy job of coaling her bunkers. Cramp was one of the few American yards that actually began to build passenger steamers toward the close of the 19th century. They launched the SS St. Louis and St. Paul in the mid 90's for the American Line. These were the first large American built transatlantic passenger steamers since the demise of the unlucky Collins Line back in the 1850's. Through most of the 19th century the US showed an astonishing disinterest in oceanic transportation, being almost entirely focused on railroads. Cramps Shipyard is long goneThis shipyard closed for the last time shortly after the Second World War and the site is mostly empty scrub between I-95 and the Delaware. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Philadelphia)
War Effort: 1865
... ship). On land, it's draft animals pulling wagons, not railroads, although the latter were common in the time period and actually did ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/18/2014 - 8:22pm -

Circa 1865. "City Point, Virginia. Unloading Federal supplies from transports." Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size. Walking Beam EngineLove the walking beam engine on the Columb(ia?). I have always been impressed with how large they were. Primitive logisticsIn examining this photo, it is useful to remember that the Federal army was operating in enemy territory; that the South's infrastructure had deteriorated; and a line route for the railroad was not available because Richmond had not been taken. I suspect the size of the shipping was dictated by the James River and the decay of the docks. I have not seen a good book on the logistics of the Civil War. Perhaps someone could suggest a title? General George Gordon MeadeI apologize if my English is not very good. I'm from Cádiz (Spain), where General George Gordon Meade was born in 1815. I am very concerned for his involvement in the American Civil War (it was a bit controversial) and especially by his father, Richard Worsam Meade, who died in 1828 in Philadelphia. Richard Worsam Meade had a large fleet of boats in Cádiz, but lost everything in the war against Napoleon for his generosity to the Spanish cause. Was imprisoned in the Castle of Santa Catalina in Cadiz due to debts contracted. When he was released back to the United States. Technology Moves SlowlyAs in previous views of City Point (now Hopewell, VA, it appears from modern maps), one is struck by how primitive the operation was considering it was the main front in one of the biggest wars in US history. Contrary to the impression from history books, most of the logistsics ships are sail rather than steam (and this is some 50 miles up the James River from its mouth -- much more efficiently handled by a steam ship). On land, it's draft animals pulling wagons, not railroads, although the latter were common in the time period and actually did play a role at City Point. Another peculiarity is the ramshackle appearance of the infrastructure -- no neatly organized piers with cranes on them, as we would expect in more recent conflicts, but a maze of pilings separating the berths for the ships from the shore, with no obvious way to get the cargoes across the shoals but lighterage, and what might be the decking of a pier being laid in the foreground. I think the railroad was operatingIt can bee seen in the background of this shot https://www.shorpy.com/node/17027 (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Civil War)
Milwaukee of Buffalo: 1910
... I don't believe any survive in their original form after railroads and trucking took over their target business. Some had their side ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/09/2017 - 1:40pm -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1910. "Washburn-Crosby Co. flour mills." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Coming in or going out?When a freighter is mentioned, horizontal hatches in the main deck come to mind. I was surprised to see what appears to be vertical hatches in the sides. I would assume to make it easier to load/ unload bagged flour? Also interesting to see the secondary steering wheel exposed to the elements. WCCOWashburn-Crosby was of course the precursor of General Mills. The name lives on, in a sense, in the TV and radio stations "WCCO" in Minnesota. Package freighterThese used to be fairly common on the Great Lakes, side loaded by longshoremen/stevedores using gangplanks/ramps. The later ones loaded palletized goods via forklifts but I don't believe any survive in their original form after railroads and trucking took over their target business. Some had their side hatches welded up when converted to other uses, like the still sailing cement carrier Stephen B. Roman. Today, some types of cargo aircraft are referred to as package freighters. This Milwaukee was built in 1902 by the Chicago Ship Building Company. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Buffalo NY, DPC)
Florida Pines: 1905
... in keeping them as passable as possible. Southern railroads had to provide staffed agencies every five miles along their lines, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/06/2015 - 5:26pm -

Circa 1905. "In the pine woods, Florida." Who can direct us to I-95? 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Way It WasPeople think dirt roads have always been the way they are today: well-graded and with good drainage. After all, that's how they are depicted in "historical" movies and TV shows, so it must be accurate, right? Wrong. Before the New Deal (at least in the South) there was virtually no state maintenance of roads, and precious little by the counties. There were only a limited number of convicts available for chain gangs. Heavy equipment, to the extant it existed, was too expensive to buy, much less operate. Most of what passed for maintenance was done by landowners, who had a vital interest in keeping them as passable as possible. Southern railroads had to provide staffed agencies every five miles along their lines, because that was the maximum distance rural customers could travel, transact their business, and return within daylight hours. I always laugh when I see farmers in movies and on TV, breezing happily along in their two-horse buckboards at what looks like 20 or 30 mph. Most Southern farmers couldn't afford horses, they owned one mule. And mules don't trot, they walk. Besides, even if you did own horses that could pull a wagon that fast, they'd be exhausted after a quarter mile, although you wouldn't be there to know it, since you'd have been thrown off the wagon almost immediately. Pine Straw RoadYep Pine Straw. The roads in the Florida Panhandle are better today... But not by much. Hurricane MagnetsWith their long skinny trunks and heavier tops, pine trees have a tendency to come crashing down during storms. Hurricane Donna's direct strike in 1960 had this little kid helping Dad clean up the destruction for weeks. Our neighborhood? Pine Shores. (Sarasota, FL). Full circleThis report about an interesting guy and his ambitious plan to restore just this kind of nearly-vanished landscape aired on NPR a few weeks ago. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Sweet Street: 1907
... being 5 feet between the rails, while freight and other railroads used the "standard" gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches. Two trolley ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2016 - 12:03am -

Circa 1907. "Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio." Where the brands vying for your trade include Mullane and Wurlitzer. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Wide Gauge.Cincinnatti was unique in many ways with their streetcar system. Other than the dual poles, it's worth noting how wide the gauge between the rails is. Though it's assumed this was to make it easy for horse drawn carriages also use the tracks as a guide, the truth is less...well interesting. When the trolley lines were under construction, it was feared that freight trains might end up on the street lines. To avoid this, all Cincy trolley tracks were built to a wider gauge, being 5 feet between the rails, while freight and other railroads used the "standard" gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches. Two trolley poles?Cincinnati was one of a handful of cities that forbade their streetcar lines from using the running rails for ground return of electricity. The theory was that stray currents from the rails would follow underground water and gas pipes causing corrosive electrolysis of the pipes. So, a second trolley wire was installed above the track parallel to the positive wire. Hence, two trolley poles on each car. Mullane CandyI had wondered about Mullane Candy and found a video that I think is rather interesting. http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/cincinnati-vintage-candy-... A Florida candy company uses a machine from Mullane's to make candy. Mullane's closed up in the 80's. The North Side of the StreetThis is one of those views of Cincinnati where most of the buildings still stand (at least on the north side of the street). The classical Third National Bank is gone, but most of the rest of what can be seen is still there - the next building down was a TJ Maxx until recently, after that is a Quiznos and Bang and Olufsen now, The "German National Bank" on the corner is now a Starbucks, the tall building in the foreground is the Ingalls Building and still partially occupied by a local Gyro storefront, and the Bartlett Building (tall building in the background) was recently renovated and turned into a rather nice hotel. (The Gallery, Cincinnati Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Poughkeepsie Panorama: 1908
... Highway system, and the woes of the region's freight railroads led to a steady decline in the bridge's freight traffic (passenger ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/21/2013 - 11:12am -

The Hudson River circa 1908. "Steamer landings, Poughkeepsie, New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Boys in the BoatI just finished "The Boys In The Boat" by Daniel James Brown, the story of the 1936 Olympic eight-man rowing U.S. entry from the University of Washington. Was surprised to learn what a huge spectator sport rowing was in the early '30s. And each year the college national championships for varsity, JV, and freshman team took place on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, where up to 50,000-100,000 people often would gather for the event. Excellent book, by the way. Brinckerhoff Ferry The ferryboat was for a time a historic exhibit at Mystic Seaport. Sadly, it was scrapped. Here is a postcard view. The trains have vanishedThe rail bridge in the background, built in the late 1880's, saw its last train almost 40 years ago. It once provided a direct and heavily traveled freight route to the Cedar Hill yards in New Haven. Freights also could access the New York Central's Putnam line, which provided the only high-and-wide clearances to New York City. Starting in the 1950's, economic changes, the development of the Interstate Highway system, and the woes of the region's freight railroads led to a steady decline in the bridge's freight traffic (passenger service had ended decades earlier). A fire heavily damaged the bridge in 1974, and its then-owner Conrail shut it down rather than making repairs. After many years of abandonment, a nonprofit group took ownership of the bridge and restored it as a pedestrian walkway/linear park. It opened for that purpose in October 2009 and is now a popular tourist attraction. The trains, alas, are likely gone forever. With the Poughkeepsie Bridge having seen its last freight, and with freight trains prohibited from going through Penn Station, the Hudson River is a huge barrier to freight traffic. Except for a small amount served by carfloat barges in New York Harbor, almost all rail freight heading east of the Hudson River has to use the bridge at Selkirk, which is just south of Albany and nearly 150 miles upstream from the river's mouth. As it looks NowThe Poughkeepsie Waterfront. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
At Your Call: 1948
... private express companies in WWI and later owned by the railroads, they primarily used the passenger train network of the day to move ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2015 - 11:55pm -

New York circa 1948. "WCBS broadcast studios, 49 East 52nd Street." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John M. Fox, whom we get to see on both sides of the lens in this unusual and presumably accidental selfie. View full size. A very confusing photoThe reflection of his face suggests it was shot through a window that was inches away at most. The reflections in the car looks like it was shot in the open. It even looks like the outline of spectacles can be seen in the car door. Maybe those are just swirls in the paint? And yet, there are reflections of window signs clearly visible. His reflection in the wing window conflicts with my sense of perspective vs. his reflection in the body. Perhaps it was all coordinated by a guy named Escher. The close-up selfielooks like an unintentional double exposure made before the main image. Easy to do when you're setting up the camera and checking the shutter. A Rugged-Looking Cab-Over_Engine TruckCan any of the Shorpy Sleuths pin down the make and year of the REA truck? Cool comfortThe Oldsmobile is fitted with after-market seat covers, a big automotive item in that era, advertised to be a cool alternate to the wool or mohair upholstery that showed wear all too quickly. What can Green do for You?Railway Express Agency (REA) was the UPS of the day. Their green trucks with red wheel rims were everywhere. Set up by the US government by merging private express companies in WWI and later owned by the railroads, they primarily used the passenger train network of the day to move small packages around the country in "head end" cars. Unfortunately as the passenger train network dwindled, so did they, going out of business in 1975. By that time UPS and others had taken over the function quite well. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John M. Fox, NYC)
The Trees' Knees: 1897
... H-S constituted a big step in safety and utility to the railroads, along with the other steel cars that began showing up around the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/23/2017 - 4:22pm -

"A cypress swamp," somewhere in Mississippi circa 1897. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. The cars -- the cars.Those cars certainly are not Harriman Standard ones. They didn't exist until 1906, and were all steel cars. H-S constituted a big step in safety and utility to the railroads, along with the other steel cars that began showing up around the same time. Some steel cars retained the clerestory roof. I don't know if this is Jackson's train (or even photo), but it isn't likely to be the one linked to in another post. Fishing Gentleman, Hidden DragonNote the passenger train hiding in the background. At a guess, a 4-4-0 pulling a rake of Harriman cars. Photo Special?The train in the background could well be Jackson's Special that brought him to the location as seen in this image. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Landscapes, W.H. Jackson)
Cane: 1938
... - at least in Hawaii - had their own narrow gauge railroads to carry the cut cane from the fields to the processing plants. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/06/2019 - 11:34am -

January 1938. "Train loaded with cane on a sugar plantation near Ponce, Puerto Rico." Nitrate negative by Edwin Rosskam. View full size. Flag Cars?I think you mean flat cars. A lot of sugar plantations - at least in Hawaii - had their own narrow gauge railroads to carry the cut cane from the fields to the processing plants. [The L.O.C. record of the photographer's caption for this image says "flag cars," two words. - Dave] (The Gallery, Agriculture, Edwin Rosskam, Puerto Rico)
Merchants of Manchester: 1910
... consulting engineer 936 Elm Room 13 {Steam and Electric Railroads, Water Works, Sewerage, Highways, Etc., Located and Construction ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/09/2020 - 4:01pm -

Manchester, New Hampshire, circa 1910. "Elm Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Elm Street TodayFrom Google Maps https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9914005,-71.4630468,3a,88.6y,8.35h,86.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOuCcXVEUf8SW67_YRzR3kA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 The corner business on Spring and Elm is now a Ben and Jerry's. The building is the same. It has lost a bit of its charm, though. [This might be a good time to learn how to embed a Google Street View! - Dave] Then and NowWith the assistance of the ever-so-helpful Sampson & Murdock city directory for 1906, found at the ever-so-helpful Internet Archive, I was able to work out that we’re looking at the 900 block of Elm facing north; the photographer is standing in front of City Hall (908-920 Elm). On the west side of the street and walking away from the photographer, we find: Citizen Shoe Co. (L A and H M D Trull) boots and shoes 930 Elm Manchester Hardware Co. hardware, iron, steel, bicycles & agri implements 932-940 Elm Magoon Charles S. auctioneer appraiser 936 Elm room 10 {C. S. Magoon Real Estate and Loans, Auctioneer and Appraiser; Short loans made on Real Estate, Furniture and Pianos, Special Terms for Selling Property at Auction; Mileage Books and Trip Tickets to Boston ... Notary Public - Telephone Connection} Robie Consolidated Concrete Co. 936 Elm, room 5 {Concrete and Asphalt Pavers - Street Work a Specialty - Manufacturers of Robie’s Concrete Pavements - Dealers in Coal Tar, Pitch and Cementing Gravel} Dudley Arthur W. civil hydraulic consulting engineer 936 Elm Room 13 {Steam and Electric Railroads, Water Works, Sewerage, Highways, Etc., Located and Construction Superintended, Examinations and Reports, Plans and Specifications at Short Notice - Municipal Water Supply and Water Power Development a Specialty - N. E. Telephone Connection} Brown & Burpee (Geo H Brown, W.E. Burpee) consulting opticians 940 Elm cor. Stark {Ten thousand satisfied patrons recommend our glasses, also 30 North Main St., Concord, N. H.} Chamberlin Susan A Mrs boarding house 944 Elm Goodwin Elmer D. mortician 946 Elm and 4 and 5 Stark Moving over to the right (east) side of the street, again moving away from the phographer: Rosenblum Samuel clothing 917 Elm [presumably women’s clothing; nine women listed as milliners work at this address] Manchester Tea Co provisions 923 Elm Barton William H baker 925 Elm Dodge George W Shoe Co boots and shoes 931 Elm Bee Hive, Clark Bros props millinery fancy goods etc 937 and 941 Elm Clark Bros (George M and Charles C) fancy goods 937 and 941 Elm Wingate Charles B boots and shoes 947 Elm Wathen A T clothing 951 Elm corner Amherst {Custom Clothing, Full Dress Suits to Let, Repairing and Pressing Neatly Done, Mileage Books to Let, Corner Elm and Amherst Streets Telephone 251-4} Most of the buildings are still there and relatively undisturbed today. To the northwest, Manchester Hardware is now Pearson’s Jewelry; upstairs offices have been converted to apartments. Someone slathered a tedious stucco façade over the original brick front. The optician’s has become a Ben & Jerry’s. Mrs. Chamberlin’s boarding house rooms are walk-up offices. Goodwin’s undertakers is now a pizza joint. Looking northeast, it’s observable that the tea company has turned into a copy shop; Dodge’s Shoes is a bar, Clark Brothers has morphed into a board-game pub and bar, with a perfectly hideous façade cover-up that all right-thinking people should assault with pitchforks and billhooks. Wathen’s Clothing (which I believe to be the source of the “Everything Must Go” sign barely visible) has decided it likes being an Indian restaurant. Manchester is thirstier today.Citizen Shoe -- I think that's a bar now. Manchester Hardware Co., probably a bar. Magoon, Charles S. -- if it's not a bar, Magoon's is a pretty good name for one. You get my drift. Better than it was in 1996 when I moved there, when everything was "For Rent." (The Gallery, DPC, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Terminal Lunch (Colorized): 1943
... Traction Terminal that was served by several interurban railroads that consolidated into the Indiana Railroad in the early 1930's. The ... 
 
Posted by Avzam - 01/28/2012 - 3:39pm -

Seams to me this was a nice sunny day in Indianapolis, so I tried to make this as sunny as possible. View full size. Very nice colorzation ....However, the green part of the Greyhound bus should be blue and the yellow around the tires should be white. This location is the Indianapolis Traction Terminal that was served by several interurban railroads that consolidated into the Indiana Railroad in the early 1930's. The IRR only lasted until 1939 and the bus lines became the only tenants oof the depot. I produced a video documentary on the IRR several years ago and had color film footage of both the interurban cars and their replacement buses at this terminal. (Colorized Photos)
Elmer and the Union Pacific
... family is genetically tied to transportation, especially railroads, so this shot of my Uncle getting back into the car is quite atypical ... 
 
Posted by notycoon22 - 05/21/2007 - 10:31pm -

In 1953, my Mom and Dad, my grandparents, and my Uncle Elmer hooked up the trailer, piled in the Ford and headed east. Our family is genetically tied to transportation, especially railroads, so this shot of my Uncle getting back into the car is quite atypical - normally he'd have been staring the train down. Fun shot, nonetheless. I think it is along the Columbia River, but I'm not sure. Photo: Don Hall, Sr. Don Hall Yreka, CA Columbia River GorgeThe tender says Union Pacific, I think, and the background looks like the eastern Columbia River Gorge, east of The Dalles, Oregon, out toward Rufus and Biggs Junction and possibly a little beyond (east). Union Pacific tracks then and now are on the south, Oregon, side of the Columbia. The highway has changed since 1953, of course, and the old two-lane Columbia River Highway has been replaced in most places by Interstate 84. In this photo, the tracks are on the south side of the road, as they were at that time in that area, or part of it, anyway. Today, a freeway beidge takes the road from south of the tracks to north of them in that area. Fun photo, indeed. WestboundThank you for posting this photo, exceptionally nice composition. Agree this is along the Columbia River and the train and car are headed west. In my mind your uncle had to take his gaze off the train in preparation to give chase. UP Mikado #2207 was built in 1915 and retired in 1955. My dad and myself were chasing trains in this area in his 1963 chev around 1967. The interstate was still under construction in places. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Nash Flier: 1919
... to a full realization of the dangerous tactics of the railroads in stifling the greatest advance in transportation methods that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/02/2015 - 12:23pm -

October 1919. "Nash Flier -- California Highway Motor Train in San Francisco." A publicity stunt showcasing the nascent field of long-distance trucking as facilitated by the "giant pneumatic tire." The cargo here being Sperry's Drifted Snow Flour. 6½ x 8½ glass negative from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Nash placeWe're at the Civic Auditorium at Polk and Grove Sts., kitty-corner from City Hall. Though not on the fair grounds, it was built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and afterward given to the city. It was renamed the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in 1991. "Ship by Truck Week"The California Highway Motor Train event took place during the first "Ship by Truck Week" which took place during the last week of September and first two weeks of September in 1919. Yes, it was more than one week long. The slogan originated with Harvey S. Firestone, president of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio. The governors of 32 states issued official proclamations in honor of the week in their states. There were also truck parades in over 100 cities. The largest of these parades was the one in Brooklyn, New York where 3,051 trucks participated. The slogan was adopted in 1920 by the National Association of Motor Truck Sales Managers. Part of the reason for having such a week was that the railroad industry was giving the trucking industry a hard time about using the public roads - despite the fact that individuals and companies that owned trucks were already paying higher road taxes. A trade ad in the Oakland Tribune on October 12, 1919 (Section O, Page 13) stated the following. "When America went to war the motor truck gave the element of speed so vitally needed. By the thousands these land transports saved time, money, and lives and figured conspicuously in destroying the enemy of humanity. "When the rail systems of America were over-burdened and sought assistance in the expeditious movement of foodstuffs and freight, it was the motor truck that quickly and efficiently answered the call. "Yet a most bitter fight, sponsored by powerful railway interests, is being waged against the existence and growth of transportation of freight and passengers by automobile and motor truck in California. They would deny this superior transportation service the use of the public highway. Railroad attorneys have made it a point to attend Railroad Commission and [San Francisco] Board of Supervisor hearings wherein franchise matters were being discussed to prevent an increase in this means of [truck] transportation. "The public must be awakened to a full realization of the dangerous tactics of the railroads in stifling the greatest advance in transportation methods that recent generations have known." The article below from page 88 of the January 1920 issue of the magazine "Power Wagon" gives further details of the California Highway Motor Train. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Fallen Arch, Cheshire, CT - 1967
... the bridge was replaced with a modern banality. Numerous railroads have owned the old line over the years and all rail traffic on this ... 
 
Posted by ctyankeeinma - 08/01/2018 - 4:56pm -

The "Canal Line" railroad, so-called, was constructed in 1847-8 from New Haven, Connecticut to Northampton, Massachusetts to replace the failed Farmington (later New Haven - Northampton) Canal, running over roughly the same course as the canal. The brownstone arch spans the Tenmile River in Cheshire, Connecticut. In 1987 Interstate 691 was built though this site and the bridge was replaced with a modern banality. Numerous railroads have owned the old line over the years and all rail traffic on this part of the line ceased very soon after its replacement. A rail-trail extension through this area is expected. I took this picture on June 4, 1967 when I was 16. Kodachrome, of course! View full size. MoreI heve recently read that, about 1900, many of the original Canal Line bridges were replaced in order to support heavier trains. It is entirely likely that this was one of the new bridges. The heavy brownstone blocks come from quarries in Portland, Conn., alongside the Connecticut River about 14 miles to the east, from where they can be barged down-stream to Brooklyn, Boston and beyond, for its popular use in the facades of 19th Century town-houses. It would have been (relatively) easy to bring them to New Haven, and straight up the existing rails. About 17,000 years ago, as the glaciers melted back, the Tenmile being a tributary of the larger Quinnipiac River, which at some point had become naturally dammed, in neighboring Meriden, leaving this whole area long under the waters of large Glacial Lake Southington, into which very great quantities of sand and clay were deposited. The presence of rather yielding materials necessitated the use of many driven pilings underneath the supporting structures of area bridges over these rivers. This would have been a LOT easier to do in 1900 than in 1848. I also suspect that considerable track re-grading may have been done along here, to raise the track above occasional contemporary flooding, as the area is rather flat, and an original Farmington Canal culvert over the Tenmile (1828, also a stone arch bridge) acts as an impediment to rapid draining in the area, as does a 1931 concrete arch bridge below that, three arches in a little more than a mile! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Union Pacific 4709: 1920
... and grandfather were both civil engineers who worked for railroads and on other engineering projects such as large chimneys. ... 
 
Posted by Bruin - 06/10/2019 - 9:36am -

Probably around 1920 in the St. Louis area. My dad J. Douglas Martin Jr. in the 10-12 year old range. His dad and grandfather were both civil engineers who worked for railroads and on other engineering projects such as large chimneys. I'm no UPRR guy, but...Engine 4709 belongs to UP subsidiary Oregon Short Line, as indicated by the "OSL" stencil on the lower left of the cab side. I have no idea if UP was in the habit of moving such a locomotive so far from its home rails (although I'm sure someone on here could know). Bruin, did your dad's kin do any work in the Pacific Northwest? (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Hart-Parr: 1910
... of the first farm tractor. The plant was serviced by two railroads, the Illinois Central and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. ... 
 
Posted by jps56 - 05/18/2020 - 10:59am -

Circa 1910 construction at the Hart-Parr Tractor plant in Charles City, Iowa the home of the first farm tractor. The plant was serviced by two railroads, the Illinois Central and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. Taken from a recently discovered collection of glass negatives. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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