Description

by Randy Winland

Published 2003, Softcover, Illustrated, 128 pp.

Most people have received a postcard at some point, but few may realize that in the early 1900s postcards were the primary means of communicating other than talking! In the early 1900s, more than 677 million postcards were mailed in just one year in the United States alone. That averages to approximately seven postcards for every man, woman, and child in the nation!

Local author and historian Randy Winland has used more than 200 postcard images from his collection, as well as those of several other Marion area collectors, to compile an interesting and unique overview of the history of the city of Marion as seen through postcards. Using views taken from Marion postcards, Winland begins with a history of the development of postcards and then covers a range of topics including downtown and businesses, manufacturing, transportation, churches and cemeteries, schools, and entertainment.

Many of the views are real-photo postcards which are actually pictures printed on a special postcard stock. These views may literally have been “one-of-a-kind” as they show people, houses, and businesses among other topics. One example is a view of a WWI era cannon coming out of the Marion Steam Shovel plant on Davids Street.

Winland is also available to give presentations on Marion’s history as seen through postcards. He can be contacted at windyknoll54@yahoo.com.