Grinnell In Vintage Postcards

From an abolitionist hotbed to the home of a prestigious liberal arts college, Grinnell, Iowa, is known across the country as a "jewel of the prairie." Originally conceived as a Congregationalist utopia, Grinnell developed a reputation as a highly-educated community with a wealth of incredible architecture. It was also a turn-of-the-century industrial hub, despite a population of less than 5,000, where buggies, early automobiles, and gloves were made. The historic postcards in this book recall a community on the verge of transition, from a small agriculture-based town on the prairie to a thriving center of commerce and higher education. They provide a remarkable glimpse of the buildings that make up what is now a "Historic Commercial District" on the National Register of Historic Places. Still others are visual reminders of great buildings-both in the community and on the Grinnell College campus-that now exist only in memory.

As a student of local history, I find Daves stories of old Grinnell very fascinating. We who lived in this era of the 40s, 50s, and 60s have some interesting things to share with others about our town and its people. His broad knowledge continues to amaze me. How he remembers so much from 50-70 years ago and is able to record it for the rest of us to enjoy is wonderful. If he wants to expand on a topic of which he is unfamiliar, he knows the right person to contact. Yes, he lives in Texas, but he contacts friends all over to help expand on his topics. Daves knowledge and expertise in basketball continued from his first book A Journey in Overseas Basketballwritten in 1997 through the first edition of Home Town Memories of Grinnell, Iowa in 2012 and now into the sequel ofMore Hometown Memories of Grinnell, Iowa.

Throughout its history, the Bay City area has been a fascinating place to explore. Its early 20th century role as a lumber and shipping center helped it develop into a charming place to live, work, and raise a family. While thriving industry contributed to the development of Bay City itself, neighboring communities like Auburn, Essexville, Kawkawlin, Linwood, and Pinconning were developing into smaller agricultural and residential villages. This book, a companion to Bay City: 1900-1940 in Vintage Postcards, uses archival postcards to document the progress and growth that have taken place in Bay City and its surroundings. Bay City and Beyond takes readers on a captivating tour of the streets, businesses, schools, homes, people, and events that have shaped the Bay City area as it is known today.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Bay City was the third biggest city in Michigan, after Detroit and Grand Rapids. Lumber and sawmills were a big part of that success. The wealth amassed by its lumber barons built a vibrant downtown and mansions along its main streets. Add industry, shipping, sugar beets, schools, and churches to the mix, and you have the pictures in this book. These postcards show you how Bay City looked at its peak in the very early 1900s until about 1940-a time when people were glad they had reached their destinations and happy to send a postcard when they arrived.

Louis H. Sullivan (1856?1924) was a prominent practitioner in the Chicago school of architecture. Recognized as the ?father of the American skyscraper, ? Sullivan believed that ornamentation should arise naturally (or ?organically, ? as Frank Lloyd Wright, who worked for and revered Sullivan, would later say) from the larger design. After creating a number of high-profile big-city structures, Sullivan turned his skills toward small midwestern towns, where he designed several ?jewel box? banks, so called for their compact size, simplicity, and use of stained-glass windows. One of these, Merchants National Bank in Grinnell, Iowa, serves as a shining example of the organic ornamentation characterizing Sullivan's exquisite and functional style.

From an abolitionist hotbed to the home of a prestigious liberal arts college, Grinnell, Iowa, is known across the country as a "jewel of the prairie." Originally conceived as a Congregationalist utopia, Grinnell developed a reputation as a highly-educated community with a wealth of incredible architecture. It was also a turn-of-the-century industrial hub, despite a population of less than 5,000, where buggies, early automobiles, and gloves were made. The historic postcards in this book recall a community on the verge of transition, from a small agriculture-based town on the prairie to a thriving center of commerce and higher education. They provide a remarkable glimpse of the buildings that make up what is now a "Historic Commercial District" on the National Register of Historic Places. Still others are visual reminders of great buildings-both in the community and on the Grinnell College campus-that now exist only in memory.