Lumber
In the late nineteenth century, Michigan was the leading lumber state in the country, and logging continued in the north into the early twentieth century. Lumber camps, crews, big wheels for hauling logs, log drives, sawmills and lumber towns such as Saginaw, Muskegon, Cadillac and Manistee appear on cards. Real photos of camps and crews are among the most sought-after Michigan cards.
The auto industry
Detroit, Flint, Lansing and Pontiac became the center of the automobile industry. Early postcards show Ford's Highland Park plant, the assembly line, factory workers, and the plants of Buick, Cadillac, Olds, Dodge and many short-lived makers. Real photos of factories and early cars are popular with automotive collectors. See occupational postcards.
The Great Lakes
Michigan touches four of the five Great Lakes. Freighters carrying ore, grain and coal, passenger steamers, car ferries across Lake Michigan, the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie and many lighthouses appear on cards. Real photos of ships, wrecks and harbors are popular with maritime collectors.
Copper and iron
The Keweenaw Peninsula's copper mines, at Calumet, Houghton, Hancock and elsewhere, were among the richest in the world. The Marquette, Menominee and Gogebic iron ranges supplied ore for steel. Real photos of mines, shafthouses, miners and mining towns are collected, and the Italian Hall disaster at Calumet in 1913 is a historically significant subject.
Resorts
Mackinac Island, with its Grand Hotel and horse-drawn carriages, was a famous resort. Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Bay View and many lakeshore towns drew summer visitors by steamer and train. Early views of resorts and steamers are collected.
Fruit and farms
Western Michigan's fruit belt, with cherries around Traverse City and peaches, apples and grapes elsewhere, and the sugar beet and bean country of the Thumb and Saginaw Valley appear on cards. Real photos of harvests and packing are collected.
Places and subjects to look for
- Detroit: early auto plants, streets, the riverfront and Belle Isle.
- The lumber towns: Saginaw, Muskegon, Cadillac, Manistee and Alpena.
- The Upper Peninsula: copper country, iron ranges and the Soo Locks.
- Resort country: Mackinac Island, Petoskey, Charlevoix and Traverse City.
- The fruit belt: orchards and lakeshore towns in western Michigan.
- Small towns: main streets, depots and courthouses across the Lower Peninsula.
Interurbans
Michigan had interurban lines radiating from Detroit and Grand Rapids. Postcards of interurban cars, stations and lines are collected by transportation enthusiasts.
Real photos versus printed views
Detroit landmarks, Mackinac Island and resort towns were printed heavily. Real photos of lumber camps, mining towns, factories, ships and small towns carry most of the value in a Michigan collection.
What is common
Printed views of Detroit buildings, Belle Isle, Mackinac Island and later chrome lake and resort cards are plentiful.
Why Upper Peninsula cards are prized
The Upper Peninsula was thinly populated, and its mining and lumber towns rose and fell quickly. Many towns that were busy around 1910 are much smaller now or gone. Real photos made by local photographers in those places are often the only images that remain, and families with roots in the copper country and the iron ranges seek them, along with collectors of mining history.
Disasters and events
Michigan real photographers recorded forest fires, such as those that burned through the Thumb and the north, shipwrecks on the lakes, the great storm of 1913, which sank many ships, floods, tornadoes and the strikes in the copper country. They also photographed parades, homecomings, county fairs and celebrations. Event real photos from identified Michigan towns are prized by collectors.
Questions about Michigan postcards
Are early Detroit auto factory postcards valuable? Real photos of plants and early cars are collected by automotive enthusiasts.
Are Michigan lumber camp postcards collectible? Yes, real photos of camps and crews are among the most wanted.
Are Great Lakes ship postcards worth anything? Real photos of named ships and wrecks are popular with maritime collectors.
Do you buy Michigan collections? Yes, complete collections from anywhere in the state, by mail.