Postcard Talk Is the Forerunner of the Cloverleaf Bridge in Hastings Minnesota

Spiral Bridge ~ Hastings, Minnesota

Postcard Talk
Is the Forerunner of the Cloverleaf Bridge in Hastings Minnesota???

This article written by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

I generally don't add unused postcards to my collection.  On one of last week's searches for Minnesota and surrounding states postcards (a.k.a. the Mid-Midwest), however, this postcard caught my attention.  It wasn't only the intense colors, but also the shape of the bridge.

This bridge is NOT a cloverleaf interchange, though that was the first thought that came to me.  I looked it up. The Spiral Bridge pictured on this postcard was erected in 1894.  The first cloverleaf bridge interchanges came along about twenty years later.  Did someone see a photograph or image of the bridge in Hastings?  Without knowing for certain, speculation is always an option.  Maybe an engineer saw it and thought, "Hey! Why don't I just take this loop, loop four times and...Well, by golly! It's a cloverleaf!

Even without the message there is a lot of history to be learned from this postcard. Most of what I could tell you, however, has been told quite well on other sites.  I have made an executive decision about it, and this time am giving the short synopsis version with links.

Spiral Bridge, Hastings, Minnesota
There are quite a few sites that offer information about this unique bridge--why it was built, the impact it had on Hastings as a point of interest, how long the bridge was used and its current status.

History of the Spiral Bridge
Hastings is a great place for its many historic buildings and sites, including the Spiral Bridge.
A replica of the bridge can be viewed at Little Log House Pioneer Village near Hastings. 
Minneapolis StarTribune article about the new bridge that replaced the Spiral Bridge.

Meloy Park ~ Hastings, Minnesota

Meloy Park
John C. Meloy, born in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, settled in Hastings, Minnesota in 1856, before Minnesota entered the Union (1858).  The river port in Hastings was one of the stopping points before traveling north to Fort Snelling.  In the lower right area of the postcard, there is an arched entry into the park named for Mr. Meloy, whose location is below the Spiral Bridge.

The Beginnings of Hastings, Minnesota History: First Hand Accounts
In my years of study, I have always found that learning about the past is at its most fascinating when reading first hand accounts.

Though the back of this postcard is blank except for a brief comment written with  fountain pen, there is still historic information of interest.  On the left edge of the card, we read that this postcard was Made in Germany. This tells us that it was printed before World War I. Studying the affects war has on all aspects of life is a good lesson learned for both the present and the future.

In the same area is stated that this card was published by J. G. Sieben, Hastings, Minnesota. Who was J. G. Sieben?  What did he do in Hastings?  What role did Mr. Sieben's family play in Minnesota?  These are all good questions with application to learning about how history impacts the future.  As it turns out, J. G. Sieben, who went by the name George, and other members of his family did impact both Hastings and Minnesota history.  For instance, they served their city and state by taking active roles in political and relevant social projects and issues.  J.G. was a druggist, photographer, mayor of hastings three times, husband and father, and active in his church.

Also on the postcard back is a Litho-Chrome logo.  If you do much research with old documents, you will understand how knowing about printing and paper helps in identification depending upon the era or century. 


This postcard was printed using a process called Litho-Chrome (scroll down the page).  MetroPostcard.com, site for the Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City, is an impressive excellent reference and learning site. The page link describes litho-chrome printing (and other printing processes): A German made card printed in blue collotype over red and yellow spatter. It explains the color, too. So I cropped out a part of the postcard image to look for the spatter.  Can you see the spatter?



There isn't much more to see that is obvious except for one last detail, which is the stamp box.  It is an advantage with unused postcards because of being able to see the stamp box with printing.  This one states: Postage United States and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Insular_Affairs, Cuba, Canada, and Mexico ONE CENT. For all other Countries TWO CENTS.

A few hours looking around, asking obvious questions, has been not only entertaining but educational. I have been to Hastings a few times, not too far south of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.  It just may be time for another, more in-depth visit!

July 1910 Excursion to Osseo and Robbinsdale Minnesota

City Hall and Park
Osseo, Minnesota
July 1910

Presented by Mary Katherine May (amateur history detective)
of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

Osseo, Minnesota City Hall and Park

There is something so delightful in finding a postcard written over 100 years ago not far from where we live.  A girl or young lady named Esther wrote the postcard, but beyond that she will at this time remain anonymous.

So many interesting points can be found on this one little card! The illustrated side of the postcard show the Osseo, Minnesota, City Hall and Park. In the back ground is what looks like a large residential building, and on the park ground I can see a wood platform.  Since the postcard was written on July 25, perhaps the platform was used for a program in relation to independence day.

Esther gives us bits of news that tempt my imagination.  There was a storm with strong winds and Sadie Ward's tree blew down. Was it Sadie's tree, or was it the Ward family's tree?  Since Esther mentions both Osseo and Robbinsdale, in which town did Sadie live?

July 25, 1910(?)
Robbinsdale Minn.

Dear Ruth
We are having so much fun.  We were to Osseo Sat. with Mr. B-. and we had a ice cream cornet.  Sun. morning we went to Robinsdale to meet some people.  Mr. Benells nieces and his son Hilmar.  We had our pictures taken.
Goodbye. Esther.

P.S. Twelve people came besides us. We had a swell dinner with spring chickens. Write soon.

We may assume that Esther was part of a group of young people with perhaps a teacher as a chaperone on an excursion, maybe from South Minneapolis since the card mailing address is there.  The novelty in Osseo was to have an ice cream cornet, which would be the same or similar to what we call a waffle cone today.  Though ice cream was sometimes served in cones for many yearsin Europe already, it may still have been a novelty in Minnesota at that time since the first big splash of attention the cone, or cornet, received was just a few years previous in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair.

The next morning the group left Osseo for Robbinsdale, which would have been on the way back to Minneapolis. To drive from Osseo to Robbinsdale now takes a15 to 20 minutes traveling between 40 to 50 miles per hour.  I wonder how long it would have taken in 1910.  They were joined by their chaperone, Mr. Benell's son Hilmar in Robbinsdale, where there was a large group who had a "swell" dinner of spring chickens.

The house we live in wasn't built in 1910, but if it were this group on a holiday would have passed our home on their way south to Robbinsdale.  I wonder if they went by horse driven wagon, buggy, or an early motor car?  Or, they may have taken the train--the tracks just a couple blocks from our home still carry trains, and maybe the trip out and back was accomplished in good time, all traveled on the Iron Horse.

I can imagine that Esther was very happy for some time after such a delightful trip, and had a lot of news to tell her friends and family when she returned home.

Should someone familiar with any of the people mentioned on this postcard see this blog post, it would be wonderful to be able to add an image of the  photograph here that was taken on that Sunday in July as mentioned by Esther.  Also, if a viewer could verify the year, which I am reading as 1910, I would appreciate the information.  I can be emailed through this blog site or through our webstore, QualityMusicandBooks.com.

Osseo City Hall, 1910

Postcard Talk Windows to the Past Minnesota Early 1900s

Postcard Talk: Windows to the Past

Minnesota Early 1900s

Produced by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com

for The House United

complete credits at TheHouseUnited.blogspot.com