Group of people standing near a tent in front of the Geneva Beach Hotel. The name C R Johnson appears on the back. In 1896, J.L. Dickinson acquired the Alexandria Hotel at Geneva Beach from Mr. Letson, an early resort builder, and changed the name to the Geneva Beach Hotel. The hotel burned down on September 2, 1911.
View of a stairway, dock and boats tied to the dock. There are people in the boats, a man sitting on the dock and a man sitting on the stairs. (On back: No. 3. Printed in Germany).
View of the Hans Holm family fishing on the Roseau Lake. Mike Holm, former Secretary of the State of Minnesota is in the white shirt with the vest and bow tie. The fish were sold to the stores in Grand Forks.
Two boats, four women in one boat, one man in second boat, on Lake Alice. View of carriage and homes in the background. Lake Alice is located in the heart of Fergus Falls.
This often created card shows a fisherman with a hypothetical catch of many fish, including Northern, Walleye and Bass. This card is labeled Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, postmarked 1909.
Wooden boats are pulled ashore and picnic baskets appear in this generic beach scene, with a black and white inset photo labeled Steamer Excelsior, Minnetonka. The writer mentions the large number of advertisements in the paper for fine horses for sale. The Bureau of Engraving's logos is printed on back, color added, postmarked 1910.
Entrance to Big Island Park shows the path through the grove of trees. Message says this pleasure park is 18 miles out by trolley, and that the tower, peristyle, etc., are all concrete, dated and postmarked 1909.
Visitors enjoy the shade in a grove of trees at Big Island Park, color added. Card is addressed to Hoke Smith, United States Senate, Washington, D.C., postmarked 1913. Message reads: Lithography is the working man's art. Don???t destroy American Art! Help us develop American art! Why not lithograph these in Amerika? More of these cards than ever are being lithographed abroad! I receive 25 dolls per week as a lithographer. Please don't cut this down. German lithographers get only one third of the wages Americans do.
Visitors to Big Island Park arrive and depart on steamboats such as the Saint Paul. Message describes white water lilies and mosquitoes, color added, postmarked 1909.
This generic photo advertises the good old summer time on Lake Minnetonka. The colorized, wooded scene includes tents, a woman sitting on a hammock, and a fellow fishing from shore, postmarked 1910.
Collage of Minneapolis photographs includes Regatta Day on Lake Minnetonka, Court House and City Hall, Boulevard at Lake Calhoun, Loring Park, St. Louis Bay on Lake Minnetonka, Library at State University, Flour Mill District, Minnehaha Falls, and St. Anthony Falls and Exposition Building, dated 1906.
This photo of the convention grounds on the Burton Estate in Deephaven on Lake Minnetonka in encircled by an oval with the saying "Minneapolis Makes Good." The message, postmarked 1908, tells of the purchase of a swell hat with a great big plume for $8.00.
Charming boathouse in the foreground of this photo of the Hotel St. Louis in the distance, on a hill overlooking Lake Minnetonka, postmarked and dated 1905.
This popular postcard depicts a fisherman on shore hooking a mythical giant fish, the epitome of the fish that got away, called the freak fish design. This card advertises Spring Park, Minnesota. The message, dated 1912, mentions a picnic held by the Maccabee Lodge of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which included 26 athletic stunts for which the winners received prizes.
Music Director Albert Franko Demkier's music program for the Hotel Del Otero lists musical selections and composers: Summertime by H. Von Tilzer, How would you like to try a honeymoon with me? by O. Wade, Dear old East side, by Gus. Edwards, Merry-go round by Gus. Edwards, Bye-Bye, Dear Old Broadway by Gus. Edwards, Pandora by Victor Maurice, Love-Land by Holzman, Over the hills and far away by Schwartz for luncheon from 12:30 to 1, and The Chorus Lady by Kingsbury, Ev'rybody loves me, but the one I love by G. Edwards, Hermosillo by Schuh, Up in my balloon by Wenrich, Lady! Lady! by Leighton, The Grand Mogul by Luders, See Saw by Gus. Edwards, Consolation by Line and Sympathy by Kendis for dinner 6:30 to 8; card writer from Louisiana talks about wearing coats all the time because it is so cool, postmarked August 12, 1910.
The Neighborhood Club house has a stone foundation, walls of windows on the first floor, and wooden shakes on the second floor. Writer mentions picking raspberries before breakfast, postmarked July 1912.
The Old Orchard estate was in Tonka Bay on Crescent Beach facing west on the Upper Lake. The large house has an adjacent three-story tower for viewing the lake. Its adjacent peristyle includes vine-covered columns and benches, color added for the border, postmarked and dated 1908.
According to the card's caption, boaters are negotiating the channel between Lower Lake and Crystal Bay on Lake Minnetonka, color added, postmarked and dated 1908. This photo does not match the actual geography at the described location.
Ladies relaxing on the lawn and the steps of the pergola, viewed from vine-covered walkway, at the Hotel Del Otero on Lake Minnetonka, color added, postmarked 1909. The printed message reads: Minnetonka is a Sioux word for "big waters;" here was the scene of Hiawatha's wooing, and out of the lake flows the stream on which is located the beautiful falls of Minnehaha--"laughing water"--made famous by Longfellow.
Reception parlor, filled with rocking chairs in rattan and wood and rugs with Native American designs, welcomes Hotel Del Otero guests for their stay at Lake Minnetonka, color added. The message says it was too cool to swim in the evening, postmarked July 2, 1913.
View of Spring Park Bay from the porch of the Hotel Del Otero on Lake Minnetonka shows islands in the distance and boats moored near shore, hand colored work. The message includes a hand-drawn tent, postmarked 1906.
In this view from the lake, the two-story casino in Spring Park has second-floor screened porches facing the lake and a walk way through an arbor, shaded by climbing vines, to the dock, dated and postmarked 1911.
Drawing of the globe with St. Paul, the Saintly City, at the center of the continent advertises attractions: Lake Minnetonka, Como Park, Minnehaha Falls, White Bear Lake, Auditorium, Indian Mounds Park, Capitol, and Mississippi River, history of Minnesota and St. Paul printed on back of card, message and postmark dated 1910.
View of Hotel Del Otero from Lake Minnetonka shows the bathhouse and casino on the shoreline with boats pulled up on the beach, G.F. Hopkins and Company, Proprietors, postmarked 1906.
Many people are sitting around picnic tables at lake Hendricks for summer enjoyment dressed up with the women in long dresses. A coaster wagon was used to carry the food to the tables.
Jens Forseth and Andrew Hinsverk are visiting with each other, taking a break. One of the men has been cutting up firewood and the other man is carrying a rifle and has probably been hunting.
The Avoca baseball team in the early 1900's. Pictured in the back row, Otto Rakness, Jim Crowely, Jim Fitzpatrick, John Farrell, Joe Crowley and Adolph Peterson. Front row, George Rakness, Louis Westby, Axel Frisk, Dave Johnston and Ted Mahoney.
11 men and two women pose with many empty beer and wine bottles and kegs, and several mugs of beer. They mood seems very jubliant and they are perhaps intoxicated. There is a picnic table in the background with provisions placed on it and a tree with a coffee pot and skillet hanging from it and several other camp necessities.
Grandstand at the Cottonwood County Fairgrounds in Windom prior to it being painted white and taken from the inside looking at the crowd. Flags fly at both ends of the bulding.
This view from the porch of the Excelsior casino shows patrons in hats, both female and male. The message describes the view of Lake Minnetonka as "simply fine."
Color added to this view of Swift Point in Cottagewood (Deephaven) from Katahdin Point. This could be the Lucian Swift home, owner or the old Minneapolis Journal.
Postcard of the boat, "The Dorothea" on the Minnesota River at Belle Plaine. The boat includes a canopy, a flag, and a spotlight. The boaters are identified as: Francis Albrecht, Kitty Baily, Z. Whirley, Neal McDermott, and a third unidentified women.
Divided driveway curves toward entrance of the Lafayette Club is lined with flowering gardens and flowering trees, color added; publishing company logos is printed on the back.
This young man is holding a box camera, sitting on a fallen tree. Perhaps he arrived across the reedy bay by the canoe that is drawn upon the shore. Message says friends waved their kerchiefs as the train passed by.
Colorized postcard showing the boat house at the Grainwood Hotel in Prior Lake. Seen is the building with a dock and boat resting on the shore. A small portion of the hotel is visible in the background. Printed in black at the upper right corner of the image is "Boat House, Grainwood, Prior Lake, Minn." The card is used and is addressed to Miss. Minnie Kintzie of Shakopee. The message reads "From Joe O'Brien."
Elephants perform at the Fargo Fairgrounds. A large crowd watches from the grandstand and a nearby gazebo. Children stand around the stage that the three elephants are performing on. A man stands on the back of the central elephant.
Roller skating rink at Tonka Bay is a two-story wooden building on the shore of Lake Minnetonka. This postcard was printed as an advertisement; the hotel and park manager, P.J. Metzdorf, of the Twin City Lines, invites visitors to spend a day, a week, a month, or the entire summer at Tonka Bay Hotel on Lake Minnetonka.
The information on this post card says Crowd leaving bridge; The Aerial Bridge; Miniature Train, White City. Joyland White City was the name of the amusement park at the end of Minnesota Point at Oatka Park. It was named White City based upon the buildings constructed at the recently experienced World's Fair where buildings were constructed using "white" building materials. There were rides and a pavilion for performances, dances and music. White City was short lived, about 1905-1911. The pavilion remained and the location reverted to the prior name of Oatka Park. The small train was moved to the Duluth zoo when the last features of the amusement park were dismantled in the 1950s. This post card was mailed in July 1907.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections
Portrait of eighteen Carleton women. This appears to be the same group of women depicted on a postcard labeled "Cecilia Glee Club 1907." The women shown are: Irene Ehresman, Martha Oathout, Mamie Cheney, Bess Dougherty, Harriet Buckley, Lulu Townsend, Lucretia Woodard, Clara Boxrud, Lucia Warner, Laura Sherman, Helen Cooper, Vera Erickson, Florence Rice, Ruth Buswell, Hazel Reeves, Miss Crawford, Julia Parker, Nell McKenzie.