1909 Bad Axe Postcard Looking Down Sand Road

Bad Axe Postcard - Sand Road
Misses Skinner Postcard of Bad Axe Sand Road

This old Bad Axe postcard was estimated to be from about 1909 shows the view down Sand Road in Bad Axe Michigan. The Masonic temple on the left is the tallest building and a notable landmark even today.

The front of the postcard shows it was “Pub by The Misses Skinner” which gives its only clue to who might have taken the shot. We found a couple of collectible postcards for sale with the same publishing marks. All the postcard shots were taken along the same street.

Bad Axe Mich. Pesha Postcard
Postcard of Bad Axe in the early 1900s.

Here is another postcard shot that was taken about the same time period. We don’t see a single motorcar but the electrical wire poles are unmistakable signs that the picture was taken in the very early 1900s. Note that Sand Road is unpaved.

Bad Axe 2020 – Courtesy Google Earth

Today the same look is vastly different but some buildings and elements of the early 1900s still are evident.

The Pesha Postcards of Michigan scenery

Many of the postcard views we see today were published by the Pesha Postcard Company in Marine City, Michigan. These postcards and photographs are highly sought by postcard collectors of Great Lake memorabilia.

Louis Pesha was killed in 1912 in a White steam car accident. His wife Lena continued to operate the Pesha Postcard company until the 1920s. Unfortunately, many of the glass negatives of Pesha’s work was destroyed.

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Michael Hardy

Michael Hardy is the owner of Thumbwind Publications LLC. Michael was born in Michigan and grew up near Caseville. In 2009 he started this fun-loving site covering Michigan's Upper Thumb. Since then, he has authored a vast range of content and established a loyal base of 60,000 visitors per month.

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