1915 Business in Perry Iowa Part 1

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Perry Iowa is in Dallas County Iowa on the Raccoon River. Perry began in 1869 when the railroad came through the area and by 1870 the population was 70 and grew to 999 in the next 10 years. The 1910 census shows 4,630 people and the 2000 census came in at 7,633. The postcard for today was produced in 1915 by the Curteich Company and shows the C. D. Marckres & Company which dealt in lumber and coal according to their signage. You can see a horse drawn wagon in the front loaded with lumber and more horses at 3 o'clock. The auto was added by the publisher to give a progressive look to the town but the horse is larger than the automobile. This post card is available in my Iowa listings along with 10,000 more postcards on my website at Moody's Postcards.

Weed Park Club House in Muscatine Iowa

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Today's post card features the Club House in Weed Park in Muscatine Iowa. This is a circa 1908 view which highlights the wrap around porch and two unusual dormers that are shaped differently and include porches that would give a great view of the park. Weed Park still exists today and covers 72 acres including a 3 acre lagoon but there was no mention of this club house. This postcard is available in my Iowa listings along with 10,000 more postcards on my website at Moody's Postcards.

Elephants in Sioux City Iowa

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Everybody loves a circus and Sioux City Iowa was no exception circa 1912. This postcard was mailed in February 1913 and even I know it wasn't February when this photo was made so I am just guessing 1912. I can see three elephants enjoying the water at Riverside Park with most of Sioux City's population looking on. This post card was published by The Simplicity Company in Chicago Illinois and is available in my Iowa listings along with 10,000 more postcards on my website Moody's Postcards.

1908 Main Street in Pella Iowa

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Today's place of interest is the town of Pella Iowa as it appeared around 1908. Pella was a small town of 3,021 according to the 1910 census, was still around 3,300 by the 1930s and today has approximately 10,000 inhabitants. This early view shows the main business section on the left and the town square on the right as you look South along Main Street. Pella was founded in 1847 when 800 Dutch immigrants led by Dominee Henry Scholte settled the area. One of their claims to fame is being the childhood home of Wyatt Earp and another is the fully functional 1850s style windmill that is 134 feet high. The Vermeer Mill grinds wheat into flow using only wind power and is the tallest working windmill in the US. Pella has a three day Tulip Time festival the first weekend of May and the current excitement is the planned Earthpark, North America's largest indoor rainforest. This postcard is available in my Iowa listings along with 10,000 more post cards on my website at Moody's Postcards.

Fireman Parade Day Muscatine Iowa

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We all run across postcards that beg more questions about what, where or when so today I want to show an example of one that answers where and when but not the "what is it" question. The back of the post card is a divided back postmarked 25 Oct 1907 so we know the image is prior to that date. The front of the postcard tells us it is a street scene in Muscatine Iowa and we can tell it is a parade of some sort with the participants all in a uniform that is not military. Each row of marchers in the foreground are holding on to a rope and this leaves us to guess what the occasion is.

I have an advantage since I have a similar post card which not only tells us what the occasion is but also helps to narrow down the approximate date of the parade. If you compare the postcard below, you will see the same people and same flag placements even though a different part of the parade is shown. This Curt Teich undivided back postcard is postmarked November 1906 and provides more information which tells us that it is a Firemen's parade and we are looking at East Second Street. Now we know "what" the parade is and we are a year closer to the actual date. Both of the postcards and 10,000 more can be found in my Iowa listings on my website at Moody's Postcards.

St. Joseph"s College Gymnasium Rensselaer Indiana

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I have seen a lot of gymnasiums in person and on postcards during my life but today's postcard certainly breaks the mold of the usual look. This circa 1912 E. C. Kropp post card shows the St. Joseph's College Gymnasium in Rensselaer Indiana which appears to have a basement and maybe classrooms or a dormitory on the back. In fact, if it weren't for the caption, it could pass for an armory. This postcard and 10,000 more can be seen on my website Moody's Postcards in the Indiana listings.

Puyallup and Western Washington Fairgrounds

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Today I wanted to share a couple of circa 1950 real photo postcards of the Puyallup and Western Washington Fairgrounds. The first real photo postcard is an aerial view with the fairgrounds and the race track in the foreground and the city of Puyallup in the distance but this photo was not made during the fair.

The second real photo postcard was taken down in the middle of the action and excitement of the fair and shows the Ferris Wheel, roller coaster, Tilt-A-Whirl and numerous other rides and a very large crowd. These post cards can be seen in my Washington listings on my website at Moody's Postcards.