Many Glacier Hotel Glacier National Park 1935 Old Antique Vintage Postcard

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With all of this talk about global warming and glaciers melting, I'm thinking I need to make a return visit to Glacier National Park in Montana before the glaciers are all gone. With that in mind, I want to feature a couple of postcards on the park since they are not common and I sell them just about as fast as I can find them and add them to my website. The first view is a 1935 Curt Teich postcard showing the front of the Many Glacier Hotel with over 20 horses tied up out front waiting for guests to go on a riding trip.

The second post card is a circa 1920 E. C. Kropp view of the back porch of the Many Glacier Hotel showing the beautiful view of the lake and Grinnell Mountain. Keep your eyes open for postcards on this great National Park and put it on your places to see list before the glaciers are gone. Both of these postcards are available in my Montana listings along with an additional 10,000 postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! You will enjoy the view.

Memphis Texas 1910 Old Antique Vintage Postcard

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Today we are moving due east across the Texas panhandle from Herford to Memphis Texas and we have a great circa 1910 C. U. Williams postcard #8291. Memphis is the county seat of Hall County and had its beginning in 1889 when the land was purchased by J. C. Montgomery. Homes and stores began to appear in 1890, the post office was established in September 1890 and a railroad depot was built on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad which ran through the town. The town was incorporated in 1906, had a population of 1,936 in 1910, 3,352 by 1980 but was down to 2,479 by 2000 and has remained a farming town since 1890 with cotton playing an important role in the town's economy. This postcard shows the Union Cotton Compress and Yard full of cotton bales. This postcard is available in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! Discover America.

Herford Texas 1910 Old Antique Vintage Postcard

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Small Texas towns are the focus again today and this one is Herford Texas on a circa 1910 C. U. Williams postcard #7774. First I want to repeat what I have said before about this publisher. C. U. Williams postcards are not common, the views shown on them are limited to this publisher in all of the examples I have seen and the subject matter is carefully chosen. These post cards are easy to recognize by the hand written titles and also contain a number which will help you keep track of his postcards that you have.

Herford Texas is located in the panhandle of Texas near the New Mexico border and is the county seat and largest town in Deaf Smith County. Originally named Blue Water in the late 1890s for the color of Tierra Blanca Creek, the name had to be changed when the post office discovered a town by that name already existed in Texas. The locals decided on the name Herford because that was the breed of cattle stocked on the local ranches. When the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway completed the railroad track from Amarillo to Farwell which passed through Herford in 1899, county residents decided to move the county seat from La Plata to Herford. They even moved the courthouse by wagon to the new location and by 1900 the population was 532. By 1902, there were five churches and Herford College opened that year. By 1904, the town had hundreds of windmills and had acquired the nickname of "The Windmill City". The city incorporated in February 1903 and reincorporated in 1906 after the first incorporation vote was annuled.

The period from 1906 through 1910 saw many changes as the town experienced dramatic growth and by 1910 the population reached 1,750. During this time, the town suffered two major fires so a fire department was established. Also, electric power and telephone service began, a new railroad depot was built, a library was established, a new courthouse was completed and the first irrigation well tapped into the Ogallala Aquifer which increased farming activities for many years to come. The original courthouse was remodeled into St. Anthony's Church and was moved again later.

The town survived the dust bowl, had a prisoner of war camp for Italian soldiers during World War II and continued to grow with a population of 2,500 in 1940, 5,200 in 1950, peaked at almost 16,000 in 1980 and had 14,597 according to the 2000 census. In the late 1940s, local dentist Dr. F. M. Butler claimed the unusual low cavity rate in the town was due to natural fluoride in the local water and this was eventually verified by the Texas Department of Health making the town famous as the "Town without a toothache".

The circa 1910 C. U. Williams postcard below is a testament to the growth spurt from 1906 to 1910 mentioned above since it shows lots of ditch diggers laying the water main just in front of the buildings on the left. The only sign readable is "Dr. Bisco, Dentist" on the building in the left foreground. This postcard is available in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! Interesting history awaits you.

1908 Haskell Texas Old Antique Vintage Postcard

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Today we visit another small Texas town so I can show you some of the details you should be searching for as you examine old vintage postcards. Our destination is Haskell Texas, which is North of Abilene Texas, and is the county seat of Haskell County. The area was originally called Willow Pond Springs in the early 1800s and served as a watering hole for Indians and buffalo hunters. The first settlers arrived around 1879 and Haskell County was created in 1885. The post office was established that year and the town was named Haskell. Being the county seat attracted more settlers and soon the "Road to Ruin" saloon opened, the Haskell "Free Press" began publication in 1886 and the town was finally incorporated in 1907 and reached a population of 2,436 according to the 1910 census. The population grew to 2,611 by 1930, 33,051 in 1940 and 3,832 by 1950. Discovery of an oilfield just outside of town around 1940 helped the town but the population peaked in 1970 at 4,166 and by the 2000 census, the population was reported at 3,106.

With this history in mind, we are ready to examine a circa 1908 A. M. Simon post card of the town. The caption gives us the basic information that this shows the North side of town, the photo used was made from the court house and the title misspelled the town name by using only one "l". Fortunately, this is a very good printing job from a very good quality photo so many of the business names are available which provides valuable historical information about Haskell. I should mention that many postcards had business names deleted intentionally since the local publisher who had the card printed would want to draw attention to his business, might not want to help a competitor or would expect something in return for leaving another store's name. Reading from left to right on the buildings in the foreground, there is Dellis Brothers, a building without a sign, an alley to the two long buildings which are a lumber yard, the Racket Store with W. H. Wyman as the proprietor, Foster & Neal Groceries & Racket Goods and a drug store on the corner. Going North away from the court house on the right is the City Meat Market, Haskell Real Estate Co., a large two story building that looks like a hotel and just beyond that is Guest & Abbott Lumber. Just behind the two long lumber yard buildings in the center of the picture is the Grist Mill & Feed Store. Several blocks further back among the residences is a three story brick building which I assume is the local school house. Two other items of interst are an automobile in the street at an odd angle which is something added by the postcard printer or publisher and there is a windmill in the lot behind the store without a name.

So there you have it. An unusually large amount of detail on one postcard on a very small town. This is a truly exceptional postcard and would be a goldmine for the town historian. Here is one last parting thought. Did the photographer also take a South, East and West view from this vantage point in the top of the Haskell County Court House? I think the chances are very good he did so now the town historian has something to look forward to. Also,from now on, when you look at any history books, carefully check the images and you will find that many are taken from old vintage postcards. This postcard is available in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website at Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! A great way to research you home town.

Ovalo Texas School House 1911 Old Antique Vintage Postcard

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Today I want to visit a small Texas town similar to the one I grew up in in an effort to highlight the characteristics that make these great old postcards so attractive. Our destination is Ovalo Texas with the Public School Building shown on this circa 1911 post card. Ovalo is located in Taylor County and is near Abilene Texas in the middle of the state. The town is located in an oval shaped valley and was named for the Spanish word meaning oval. In 1909, the Abilene and Southern Railway Company ran tracks near Ovalo and lots went on sale in the same year. A year later, there were forty six businesses and two churches in Ovalo which will give you an idea of the impact of railroads on town locations and health. Ovalo children attended the one room Bald Eagle School until 1910 when a new school was constructed and named Ovalo School. NOTE: This postcard was mailed in 1911 so this should be the Ovalo School since the Bald Eagle School was a "one room school". Ovalo added the First State Bank in 1914 and the population grew to 300 by 1920 and 600 by 1930. In 1988, the town was back down to 200 people and only had a post office, Baptist Church and a combination grocery store and gas station. The 2000 census listed the population as 225. This has always been a small town and as such, postcards on this town are going to be very hard to find. Do your research on potential purchases to help you determine the potential supply available so you can get a feel for the value. This postcard is available in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! Your ticket to interesting out of the way places.

New Orleans Louisiana Old Antique Vintage Postcards

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It has been a long time since I have been to New Orleans Louisiana so I decided to revisit them with a couple of old postcards of areas there I enjoyed. The first view is on a 1931 Curt Teich postcard and shows the bridge across Lake Pontchartrain which was the world's longest continuous concrete highway bridge at the time.

The second postcard is also a Curt Teich post card and is a 1909 multi view of four mansions in the Garden District. I have walked through this area and it is truly amazing. I would recommend that if you are ever in New Orleans to be sure and just do a walk through of this neighborhood and you can get there on one of the trolleys from downtown on Canal Street. Until then, enjoy this great old postcard view. Both of these post cards are available in my Louisiana listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! A great way to visit the Big Easy.

Troy New York Hospitals on Old Antique Vintage Postcards

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Troy New York was formed in 1791, became a village in 1801 and was chartered as a city in 1816. In 1900, the city of Lansinburgh was merged into Troy. Troy had a significant presence in the early American steel industry and was also a manufacturing center for shirts, shirtwaists, collars and cuffs. The iron and steel industry moved to Pennsylvania and other areas and the collar industry slowed and the town began to lose population and prominence. In 1910, the population was over 75,000 but had declined to 49,170 by the year 2000. The first view below is a circa 1910 Souvenir Post Card Company bird's eye view of the new Troy Hospital.

The second view is a 1920s Tichnor postcard which also shows the Troy Hospital. When I first pulled these postcards, I thought they were the same building but after closer examination, I believe they are two different buildings. If I am wrong, someone will let me know and I'll update this post. Both of these postcards are available in my New York listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! The hobby for all ages.

Marlin Texas Hotel Tourist Camp & Inn 1906 & 1920s Old Antique Vintage Postcards

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Last time I covered the the hospitals, clinics and bath houses that the mineral hot springs brought to Marlin Texas. Today I want to branch out a bit to show other businesses created to support the hot springs industry. The first postcard below is a circa 1906 view of the Arlington Hotel which dwarfed the other downtown hotels.

Smaller establishments also sprang up to handle the overflow of tourists and patients drawn to this healing oasis and provided alternative accommodations for the more economically challenged visitors. The next vintage postcard is a 1920s Albertype view of the May Bell Inn and the last one is also a 1920s Albertype roadside view postcard showing the Bartlett Park Tourist Camp. Both of these were published for the Sanitarium Drug Store in Marlin Texas. All of these post cards can be found in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! Your window to the past.

Marlin Texas Hot Wells 1930s Old Antique Vintage Postcards

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Last time we covered the mineral baths in Mineral Wells Texas so today we will move down the road a bit to Marlin Texas, the "Official Mineral Water City of Texas", which is the county seat of Falls County. The post office was established in 1851 and the town was incorporated in 1867. The first railroad into town was the Houston and Texas Central Railway in 1871 followed by the International Great Northern in 1901. In 1892, hot mineral water was found while searching for an artesian well and Dr. J. W. Cook began to promote Marlin as a health center and the Bethesda Bathhouse, Majestic Bathhouse, Imperial Hotel, Torbett Hospital and the pavilion for the flowing hot water fountain were quickly established. Dr. Frank H. Shaw established a crippled children's clinic in 1925 which provided treatment and therapy for handicapped children and victims of polio and arthritis using the hot mineral water in a swimming pool and other muscle building therapy. The first post card is a 1920s Albertype postcard showing the Majestic Hotel, Hotel Imperial and Torbett's Sanitarium in downtown Marlin.

The second view is a 1936 Curt Teich postcard showing the Falls Hotel which had an underground tunnel connecting to the Buie Clinic, Marlin Sanitarium and Bath House which utilized the hot wells. Both of these postcards are available in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! A sure cure for what ails you.

Mineral Wells Texas Mineral Baths 1908 Old Antique Vintage Postcards

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I have talked about the hot springs in Arkansas and Wyoming before so I need to give Texas some recognition too. The first postcard is a circa 1908 Commercial Colortype Company of Chicago view of The Bimini Mineral Baths in Mineral Wells Texas. These bath houses were popular as health cures in the early 1900s and in 1910 Mineral Wells was the largest shipping point for mineral water in the south with over three million bottles shipped to the South and Midwest. One company still bottled Mineral Wells water in 1990.

The second Mineral Wells postcard is also a circa 1908 by the Commercial Colortype Company and shows the Standard Mineral Water Company Pavilion, which was formerly "The Beach". This was a big business and almost the entire town revolved around this industry. Both of the postcards are available in my Texas listings along with over 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! Immerse yourself is a great hobby.

State National Bank of Denison Texas 1907 Old Antique Vintage Postcard

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Last time I discussed the Yoakum Texas State Bank and mentioned the difference between State Banks and National Banks being who authorized and regulated them. Today I want to show you a couple of postcards on a Texas bank that caught my eye. The first is a circa 1915 E. C. Kropp postcard showing the State National Bank in Denison Texas and the second one is a 1907 Curt Teich view of the same bank. I could not find any information on how this name came about for this bank however I did find some information on the Big Spring State National Bank which said that it began as a state bank and then converted to a national bank so that may have been the case of the Denison State National Bank. Both of these postcards are available in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! An investment you will not regret.

Yoakum Texas State Bank 1913 Old Antique Vintage TX Postcard

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I have published several articles on the popularity of National Banks on post cards so today I want to highlight a state bank. State banks were chartered and regulated by the individual states while National banks were federally controlled. The post card below is a 1913 Curt Teich postcard showing the Yoakum State Bank in Yoakum Texas. Yoakum began in 1835 and served as gathering point for cattle to be driven up the Chisholm Trail. The town didn't really take off until the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway arrived in 1887 and railroad shops were built in 1888 which provided good jobs for hundreds of people. The town was incorporated in 1889 and had grown to 3,000 people by 1896 and 7,500 by 1914 which would explain the need for the Yoakum State Bank. The information at the top of the building identifies this as the Green & Welhausen Building and I believe the construction date is 1912. Note to postcard collectors. As I have mentioned before, a postmark is only good for establishing that a postcard's production date is NOT LATER THAN the postmark. Since this is a Curt Teich postcard, it has a production number on the back, #39928. We know from the Curt Teich archives that the post card was actually produced in 1913 and the postmark is 1944, 31 years later. It must have been a slow seller or they ordered way too many.

This postcard can be found in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! It is fun and educational.

Palacios Texas TX Pavilion 1920s & 1936 Old Antique Vintage Postcards

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Palacios Texas was surveyed into lots in 1902 and since there was a post office nearby named Tres Palacios, the town took the name of Palacios and a post office was opened in 1903. The development company for the town paid Southern Pacific Railroad to extend the tracks to Palacios, train excursions began to the town on Tres Palacios Bay and a hotel was built to accommodate the visitors. A Pavilion and bath houses for swimming, dancing, fishing, picnicking, skating, dominoes and other entertainment were constructed in 1904 on a pier in the bay near the hotel. The first postcard below is a 1920s view, based on the automobiles shown, of the pavilion and bath house.

This second view of the pavilion on Tres Palacios Bay is a 1936 Curteich which shows a very different pavilion. Either there were two pavilions there or the first one was taken out by a hurricane or just replaced. Both of these post cards are available in my Texas listings along with 10,000 additional postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! Come on in, the collecting is fun.

New York City Upper West Side Old Antique Vintage Postcards

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Arcadia Publishing will release their latest book in the Postcard History Series on 2 Feb 2009 which features the old vintage postcards of the Upper West Side of New York City New York. This great book by Michael V. Susi has over 200 vintage postcards shown full size with extensive information of the view shown on each postcard. Michael is not stranger to the area having lived there for many years and he graduated from Columbia College. Each north-south avenue of the Upper West Side is featured in its own chapter, from Central Park West to Riverside Drive including Broadway, West End Avenue, Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue. One thing I really like about the descriptions is they tell you which buildings or area are still there or tell you what they were replaced with. This is a well done book that showcases a stunning postcard collection and reveals the author's knowledge and love for the area.

This book will be available on 2 February 2009 at area bookstores, independent retailers, online retailers or from Arcadia Publishing, who have already published over 500 titles in the Postcard History Series. The three postcards below will give you an idea of the range of subject matter you can find in this remarkable collection. This is "The Ansonia", a combination apartment and hotel, which "was a haven for theatrical personalities, opera singers, composers, musicians, writers and sports legends".

The next view is a great view of fruiterer T. Martin and Company at 534 Columbus Avenue off West 86th Street which specialized in steamer baskets which were delivered to steamship passengers prior to their voyage.

The final view is a great interior view of Baltzley's Pharmacy which rented space to the post office for a neighborhood drop-off station for the local branch. "This made it lucrative for Baltzley to publish and sell postcards." And speaking of postcards, Arcadia also has published a set of 15 great postcards with images from this book which are also available for sale.

CATCH POSTCARD FEVER!! Discover your hometown history.

Be sure to visit my website Moody's Postcards where you can find over 10,000 vintage postcards for sale or just stop in for a trip down memory lane.

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