Scenic Milwaukee
Comments: 5
I haven’t been to scenic Milwaukee, but these postcards from “Along the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Old Line” make me feel as if I have. I found a packet of 10 Pictorial Postcards (of which seven remained: the three that were sent must have been breathtaking) in a second-hand bookstore today.
In the old days, postcards like these served as in-flight entertainment. Today they stir a wistful longing to be more easily amused.
Above is the mighty Olympian on the Short Line Bridge between St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Sturgeon Rock of the Dells of the Wisconsin River, where many a riverboat was sent to her watery grave.
The Wisconsin River, which floweth to the sea and yet the sea is not full.
Witches’ Gulch. Quite spooky (note apostrophe: there is more than one witch involved here).
The Apollo “Entering the Jaws of the Dalles.” Beware the roiling waters.
The Power Plant. No trip to Kilbourn was complete without a visit to the Power Plant.
McKinley Bathing Beach, Milwaukee. Relaxing on the beach while the city apparently burns in the background. What care-free times they were.
The packet of 10 postcards cost 25¢. On the outside of the packet it says “”Postage without message 2 cents” but each postcard informs us
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Posted to Oh, the Humanity • 2005.06.19 (Sun) • 23:06
Comments
Posted by Narayan 2005.06.20, 02:31
These areas fall into the zone of North America most coastal residents refer to as “flyover”. I’ve spent a lot of time in these areas, growing up outside Chicago, not too far from Milwaukee, and remember well the glaciated countryside of the upper Mississippi River valley and the rolling hills and rock formations dotted about the Wisconsin landscape. Beautiful country.
Do those cards have a date on them anywhere?
Posted by Chas Porter 2005.06.20, 23:38
That beautiful country was turned into a penny arcade freak show. Check out The Wisconsin Dells as it is today.
Posted by Jonah 2005.06.21, 14:16
I never thought I’d hear my hometown of Milwaukee mentioned here. It’s not a bad city, though a little drab and not that exciting. I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon. I always went down to Chicago for excitement, but Summerfest and Oktoberfest are two things not to be missed. Wisconsin definately does have lots of beautiful areas, especially in the northern part of the state, but after living there for so many years I’ve had enough.
Posted by Mistie 2005.06.21, 15:54
Haha, I don’t think that Milwaukee and scenic should be put together. The only good thing is summer. Ahhh, there’s nothing like a whole herd of Wisconsinites coming up with hundreds of different festivals just to drink beer. And as long as we’re talking about Wiscosnin’s largest city, I must mention Water Street. It’s a college student dream when it comes to barhopping! I’m so glad I joined the military and got the heck out of there.
Posted by Nicholas Aw 2005.06.25, 01:56
Excessively nostalgic! The way I like it. These postcards are wonderful. If I’m not mistaken, they are hand-painted B&W photographs like in the early 20th-century National Geographic pics?
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