Treasure Box Thursday: Photo Postcards, Alpena People

Since there is a plethora of Alpena-related items available for purchase online, I have decided to share new finds every Thursday for "Treasure Box Thursday." This week, several new photo cards featuring Alpena people are available on eBay.

1.  Girl Mowing Grass Postcard

This postcard features the beautiful smiling Pearl Chapman "mowing the grass on the campus."  I believe this woman is Pearl (maiden name Male) Chapman who was born in 1902 to George A Male and Amelia Soper in Long Rapids Twp.  She married John L Chapman on Mackinac Island on September 21, 1921, son of A.C. Chapman and Sophie Belanger. In 1930 she is shown on the census living in Alpena with her parents and her two children Betty L, born in about 1923, and John M, born in about 1924.

Also on the postcard are Majis Skeen and Byron Broadbooks in the background with the depot? further back.  Unfortunately I cannot locate information on these two.

2.  "The Brothers" Postcard

There is no name on this photo, but perhaps someone will recognize these two very handsome brothers from Alpena.  They were cute enough to get their own postcard!


3. Alpena Baseball Team 1920s-30s Postcard

There are no names on this photo of an Alpena baseball team circa 1920s-30s. If you click on the picture you'll get a supersize image - see if you recognize anyone!


4. Moslem Temple Fraternal Card - David Hanover

This was an 1890s "calling card" of David D. Hanover, who belonged to the Moslem Temple in Detroit.  The Moslem Temple i housed within the Masonic Temple in Detroit, which is a spectacular gothic structure and the largest Masonic Temple in the world. The fraternity seems to be an early version of the Shriners.

 David was the very first owner of  what is now the Center Building on 2nd Ave in 1903.

David is quite an intriguing character, so I decided to do some research and give him his own post here.

5. 1920s "Sun Bath" at Long Lake Postcard

This fun postcard features children with their mothers sunbathing at Long Lake.  Do you recognize anyone?

Hope you all enjoyed the latest batch of fun things for your treasure box!

The Resort Days

Our area is well-known as a tourist destination, and many of our outlying areas and lakes were exclusively resort areas long before permanent, year-round, settlement. Here are some postcards of the early resorts of our area. Some of them are long gone and forgotten, and some are still around.

ADRIAN RESORT HOTEL - Long Lake



Doesn't this place look grand? I can find no mention of this place in any of my books or online. There are no Adrian property owners along Long Lake in the 1903 Plat Book. Since this photo was taken in summer 1908, I can only guess that Mr. Adrian dumped his life savings and months of back breaking labor on this beautiful place, just in time for it to be destroyed by the Metz Fire a few months later in October.


BIRCH HILL HOTEL - Grand Lake



This hotel was built in the late 1890s and opened in 1901, owned and built by Joe Kauffman, brother of George F Kauffman who built the Fireside Inn. It was in operation until the 1960s. I'm not sure of the exact location on Birch Hill though I would assume it's on the site of the current Birch Hill Resort.


FIRESIDE INN - Grand Lake



This resort was built by George F Kauffman in 1908, at the pleading of his wife who had saved up $350 to build it. He was at first reluctant because his brother Joe already owned the Birch Hill Hotel and he did not want to compete with him, but eventually he caved in. They used their $350 along with the unlimited free timber around them and their own labor to complete the hotel. This resort is still in operation today, and I worked there every summer during my high school years.


PRESQUE ISLE LODGE - Grand Lake



This hotel was built in 1920 by Newell A Eddy, Jr - partially as a place to showcase the family's handmade furniture which fills the Lodge today. It was the 4th resort to be erected at Grand Lake. Despite being closed for a number of years, the resort re-opened several years ago and is a very popular inn for tourists and event venue for locals.


Two other resorts I can't find much information or any photos on are the Grand Lake Hotel and the Colony Bar. The Grand Lake Hotel was owned by Bliss Stebbins, and was eventually split up, then converted into a private residence. I know nothing of the Colony Bar other than it was one of the 4 original resorts on Grand Lake.