Monday, August 9, 2010

Vacationland Postcards

Here's a few more vintage postcards from Vacationland.

This (below) is the original 1929 two-lane Sandusky Bay Bridge (which was later replaced by the Thomas Edison Memorial Bridge that we all know so well). You can still drive on part of it today, since it is still in service as two separate fishing piers. A better blog than mine tells the whole story of this bridge with some great pictures, if you click here. But be sure to come back!

Here's a vintage postcard of downtown Huron. I picked up this postcard at the Wileswood Country Store (remember it?) back in the 1980's. I was going to try and do a 'then and now' treatment, but I believe that most, if not all of this is gone now. I've driven up and down the street here and have been unable to do a positive I. D. on any of the buildings. If I'm ever in a library out there, I'll get the address of that Food Center from an old city directory and see if any of the buildings are still there.

Here's a postcard of a place that is on the way to Prehistoric Forest (which I mentioned a few days ago.) It's Fort Firelands. I've driven by here several times each summer, wondering what it is. Its website reveals that it is actually an RV resort that just happens to have a full-scale replica of a frontier fort as part of the complex. This page of the website has some great vintage photos of the fort as it looked through the years.

Lastly, here's one from downtown Port Clinton of the Island House. According to the 'history' page on its website, it was built in 1886. It's now a condo-tel, with 38 rooms that are individually owned. I love its long-gone triangular sign!

6 comments:

Dorene from Ohio said...

I am really enjoying your blog! I grew up in Vacationland!

Dan Brady said...

Thanks, Dorene! Although I live in Sheffield Lake, we end up out in Vacationland almost every weekend – especially at Toft's!

Dorene from Ohio said...

My Hungarian ancestors worked at the old Medusa
cement factory in Bay Bridge.

-Alan D Hopewell said...

Speaking of Firelands, did you ever get to go to Firelands as a Scout? Our Cub Scout pack, 341, camped there.

Dan Brady said...

I wonder if I was in that pack... the number sounds familiar. Unfortunately, I never made it past being a Wolf! (I still have my bobcat badge!)

-Alan D Hopewell said...

Tom Teaman was Scoutmaster.