Giant Coffee Pots

One of my favorite postcard collecting topics is ""Big Things" or "Giant Roadside Attractions." Here are some postcards showing big and VERY BIG coffee pots. The first postcard above is circa 1959 and shows The Big Coffee Pot in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that was already more than 100 years old. It was originally erected as the sign of a tinsmith and is now a city landmark. It is 7 feet 3 inches tall with a volume of 740 gallons.

Several towns have water towers decorated to look like coffee pots. The one on the next postcard is in Stanton, Iowa and was erected in 1971. This 120-ft. "Swedish-style" pot is painted with decorative hearts and flowers. The pot is 35-ft. high and is on top of a 90 ft. tower. It holds 40,000 gallons. Stanton is also the home of similarly decorated coffee cup water tower holding 150,000 gallons that was erected in 2000.

The next postcard shows an information booth on Washington Island, Door County, Wisconsin.  This giant coffee pot was made of galvanized steel in 1941 and is painted with a Norwegian Rosemaling design. It has a door and two windows. It was originally used as a store and then as a tourist information booth, but now is just a local landmark.

 

The next two images are modern postcards (published about 20-30 years ago). The yellow (colorized and undated) building is now painted differently and known as Bob's Java Jive. There is a Lite Beer sign visible in one of the windows. This building is in Tacoma, Washington and was built in 1927 as the Coffee Pot Restaurant. (postcard photograph by Roger Lantaff, Island Photo-Graphics)

The last postcard is titled EAT and is a 1939 photograph by Frank Navara (postcard by Fotofolio). This building is no longer standing. It was the Coffee Pot Restaurant in Bremen, Indiana. The building was a wooden silo that was turned into the 18-foot-diameter restaurant in 1932. (information source quoted by several sites from Bremen and North Central Indiana by Acadia Publishing, 2001).

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Paul Bunyan's Playground -- Bemidji, Minnesota

The following description is on the back of this postcard:

The lake front at Bemidji offers tourists a wide variety of activities. Seaplanes and speed boat rides, a trip on the Dixie Belle, a replica of an old time Mississippi River paddle wheel steamboat, and a view of the famous Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox statues which stand 18 feet high. These statues are one of the six most widely photographed objects in America.

Largest Viking in the World - Alexandria, Minnesota

The "Largest Viking in the World" is in Alexandria, Minnesota, "The Birthplace of America." The statue stands 28 feet tall and weighs more than 12,000 pounds. It accompanied the famed Kensington Runestone to the New York World's Fair in 1965 and was then brought to Alexandria. Alexandria calls itself "The Birthplace of America" because it is claimed that the Runestone was brought there by the Vikings in 1362.

On this postcard (published in 1967), the statue is standing at the north end of Main St. and calls attention to the Runestone Museum. The statue was moved to a park nearby in 2002. Over the years, the statue became known as "Big Ole," changed its hair color, and lost its horns. It is now believed that the Vikings did not have helmets with horns.

Chief Bemidji

The postcard above is Shaynowishkung, commonly called Chief Bemidji . The following information is from the back of the postcard.

He was the leader of about 50 Indians who had settled along the south shores of Lake Bemidji, Minn. Actually, he was the 'chief Indian' or spokesman for the group and he was not a chief and his name was not Bemidji. In Ojibway, his name was Shaynowishkung--a word which means 'rattler.' When the first white men arrived in this area, they were met by him and upon asking his name, were given instead the name of the lake, which sounded to them like Bemidji. Thus, he was called Chief Bemidji.

The next postcard is the first statue of Chief Bemidji, carved in 1901.

The last postcard is the second (and current) statue of Chief Bemidji made in 1952. There are currently efforts to create a third statue in bronze. Critics of the current statue feel that it is not artistic or respectful.

The following information is from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database and was taken from a plaque by the statue donated in 1993.

Shaynowishkung known as "Chief Bemidji" 1824-1904. In the 1800s, Shaynowishkung and a band of Ojibwe Indians lived on the south shore of a lake known to fur traders as Lac Traverse. The Ojibwe word for traverse is bemidgegumaug, and it means 'the river (route) flowing crosswise.' As time passed, the lake was called "Bemidji." The first white settlers, George E. and Merian E. Carson came in 1888. Shaynowishkung housed and fed them and others. Although he was not a tribal chief, those early homesteaders respectfully called him “Chief Bemidji." When his daughter, Bahgahmaushequay, married Marian Carson, Bemidji's first postmaster, the relationship was cemented between the original inhabitants and the white settlers. In 1896, the northernmost town of the Mississippi River was incorporated and it was named Bemidji. Lumberjack Gustaf Hinche carved the first Chief Bemidji statue in 1901, honoring a living Shaynowishkung. In 1904, the town mourned Shaynowishkung's death and erected a monument in his name at the Greenwood Cemetery. In 1927 Bemidji's park commission placed Hinche's 'Chief Bemidji' statue in Library Park to overlook the flowage of the Mississippi River through Lake Bemidji. Years and weather took its toll on the original statue and it was replaced in 1952 by a replica carved by retired lumberjack Eric Boe. Coated with fiberglass to protect it from the elements, it remains a symbol of esteem for the Ojibwe Indian Shaynowishkung, known honorably as 'Chief Bemidji.' Plaque donated by Joyce Bedeson Skelton, Oct. 1993.

More history of Chief Bemidji can be found here.

Ranch Store, Kadoka, South Dakota

I chose this postcard of the Ranch Store for Sepia Saturday 89 because of the "groceries" sign in the window. It is one of my favorite roadside cards. It is a nicely photographed view and has some interesting signs and old 1950s cars. The following description is from the back of the card:

The "Ranch Store," is an unusual building on Highway 16 at Kadoka, South Dakota, Gateway to the Badlands. This is a good place for visitors to see many FREE attractions, a natural prairie dog town, rattlesnakes, a zoo, free cactus and mail service.
Originated, owned and operated by Doris and Emory Herring

This postcard was originally published in 1958. Surprisingly, the store has not changed too much since then. It still has a bull on the roof and a painted prairie dog on the side wall. There are quite a few recent pictures on the web. The location is now listed as Cactus Flats, a small unincorporated area near Kadoka. The store no longer has a "groceries" sign. It is more of a gift shop now, and a giant prairie dog statue seems to be the main attraction. The photo below is from 2005 and is by Brian Butko.

According to a death notice in the Black Hills State University Alumni Magazine Spring 2005 issue, Emory Herring operated this store for 17 summers. Emory Herring died in 2004, and Doris Herring died in 2006.

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California Drive-Thru Trees

Tunnel trees have been popular tourist attractions in California for more than a century and have been pictured on numerous postcards. I started with a postcard of the Pioneer's Cabin tree in Big Tree Grove, Calaveras County, California and then went on to explore other California drive-thru trees.

The Pioneer's Cabin postcard was mailed in 1923 and has a R.P.O. (Railway Post Office) cancellation. It was sent to Eva Anfinson in Valley City, North Dakota with the following message:

Lodi Calif July 25
We spent Sunday at the Big Trees. Drove 84 miles on Sat and camped out all night. We are having a wonderful trip. Leave tomorrow a.m. for Sacramento. Will reach Medford Ore on Sat. I am sitting on the porch. The porch is shaded by two magnolia trees. There are still some blossoms on them.
Mrs Walker

The Pioneer's Cabin is a 32' diameter tree. A tunnel was carved in it in the 1880s to compete with the Wawona tree in Yosemite National Park. Both the Pioneer's Cabin and Wawona trees were sequoias. The Wawona tree (shown in the next postcard) was tunneled in 1880-81. It was 234' tall and 27.5' in diameter at the base. The Wawona tree fell down in 1969. The Pioneer's Cabin tree is still standing, but it is in poor condition, and it is no longer possible to drive through it.

The Coolidge Tree was named after President Coolidge's father. It was 305' high and had a circumference of 58' . The Coolidge Tree was tunneled between 1910 and 1915. The Coolidge tree was cut down in 1938 when it appeared ready to topple.

The next postcard has a view of the Chandelier Tree attached to a piece of redwood. Information about redwood is printed on the wooden back. This card was sent in the 1960s by a tourist who added this note: "This is where we were today. We saw the Pacific Ocean too."

The Chandelier Tree is 315' tall and 21' in diameter. It was tunneled in the late 1930s to replace the nearby Coolidge tree when that tree was cut down. The opening is 6' (1.83 m) wide by 6'9"(2.06 m) high. The Chandelier Tree was named for its shape which resembles a candelabra or inverted chandelier. Large branches, beginning about a hundred feet up, are balanced on the sides of the trunk. The Chandelier Tree is one of the two old redwood tunnel trees that it is still possible to drive through. It is in Drive-Thru Tree (Underwood) Park.

The Shrine Tree is the other old tunnel tree that still can be driven through. The Shrine Tree is 275' tall and 21' in diameter. The car in the old postcard below has a 1935 New York license plate.

The video below shows a recent drive-thru of the Shrine Tree.

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World's Largest Ball of Twine, Darwin, Minnesota

The World's Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, Minnesota is really the Largest Twine Ball In The World Made By One Man. The title needs to be qualified because there is a larger one in Cawker City, Kansas. The twine ball in Kansas was not the largest when its creator died many years ago, but additions to the ball have continued to be made.

Here is information on the Darwin ball from the Darwin Twine Ball Museum website:

Darwin, Minnesota is the home of a the largest Twine Ball in the World made by one man, Francis A. Johnson. The Twine Ball is 4 meters (13 ft) in diameter, 40 ft in circumfrance, and weighs 17,400 pounds (7,900 kg).

Francis A. Johnson started his obsession in March of 1950 and wrapped for 4 hours every day for 23 weeks. Francis lifted it with a crane to continue proper wrapping as he went along. For 39 years, this magnificent sphere evolved at Johnson's farm. Eventually the ball was moved to a circular open air shed on his front lawn.

When Francis died in 1989, the city of Darwin moved the ball onto a special city lot across from the park on Main Street. The gazebo that shelters it today allows viewing from all sides through Plexiglas panels.

Giant Shell Factory Sign - Fort Myers, Florida

These are 1960s views of the Shell Factory sign at Fort Myers, Florida. Both postcards have the same description on the back:

Florida's newest landmark, this 52 foot spectacular, directs thousands of visitors to The Shell Factory. Located on U.S. 41, this famous attraction features sea shells and corals from all corners of the world.

The Shell Factory dates back to the early 1950s. It was almost defunct when it was acquired by new owners in 1997. Since then the Shell Factory has been enlarged and had many attractions added. It is now the Shell Factory and Nature Park. An article from the Ft. Myers & Southwest Florida Magazine describes how it is now A Lot More Than Just Shells. The Shell Factory sign still appears to be basically the same.

In the past, there were billboards every few miles that gave the mileage to the Shell Factory. The billboards and sign were immortalized in a 1980 song recorded by Gary Link, Shell Factory Billboard Blues. The song was about a man running from a gambling debt who kept on seeing The Shell Factory sign. Don't miss this video!

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Hackensack, MN - Home of Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart

Hackensack, Minnesota is the home of Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart, Lucette Diana Kensack, located on the shore of Birch Lake. It is in the heart of Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes and is known as a "fisherman's paradise." According to the Hackensack Chamber of commerce website, there are 127 lakes in a 10-mile radius from Hackensack.

The Hackensack large letter postcard is postmarked July 5, 1955. The message reads:

Hi- Got here last night. Haven't done much fishing. It rains off and on. W_ is out now. Plan to stay a week. See you then.

The statue of Lucette Diana Kensack was originally built in 1952. The older postcards describe it as 20 feet tall, but current descriptions say it is 17 feet tall. She was rebuilt after being severely damaged by the weather in 1991. Her color scheme is the same, but her top half looks quite different now.

Hacksensack is midway between Brainerd and Bemidji, the homes of two Paul Bunyan statues. Lucette Diana Kensack's new look is shown on the "Paul Bunyan Country" postcard.

Paul Bunyan, Iron Mining, & Hibbing, Minnesota

Paul Bunyan, the American folklore character, is mainly known as a giant lumberjack. This postcard "documents" his role in mining history. the description on the back of the card is as follows:

HIBBING, MINN. - Paul Bunyan was here with his blue ox “Babe.” Here the churning hooves of the great ox, as he pulled the kinks out of the Mesaba Range, gouged out the Hull-rust pit. The filings from the knives and axes at the Bunyan logging camp filled the great pit with a mighty reserve of iron ore which has provided the backbone of the U. S. defense effort in two world wars.

Hibbing Daily News is listed as the publisher of this card. The card was apparently distributed with a souvenir ore sample courtesy of Hibbing Chamber of Commerce.

Hibbing is located on the Mesabi Iron Range in Northern Minnesota. It is the home of the largest open-pit iron ore mine in the world.

SS - Zinn's Modern Diner, Denver, Pennsylvania

Zinn's diner operated from 1950 until 2003. It specialized in Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking. This postcard has a view of Zinn's Diner with the first Amos, an Amish farmer statue, that was in front of the diner from 1960 to 1969. This statue was made of papier-mache. It was damaged and replaced in 1969 with a more durable fiberglass and steel statue. The second Amos statue was there until Zinn's closed in 2003.

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PFF - World's Largest Strawberry Shortcake

This is a postcard of the "World's Largest Shortcake" at the 57th Strawberry Fair at Lebanon, Oregon. This year the 101st Strawberry Festival is being celebrated June 3-6. This year's shortcake will be served on June 5. The cake is baked at a local grocery store baker. It is baked in hundreds of smaller sheet cakes. Then it is assembled, covered with powdered sugar, and dotted with strawberries.

Below is the recipe printed on the back of the postcard. It served over 14,000 people! The recipe has changed quite a bit since then. The ingredients listed on the festival website are 514 cups of sugar, 224 cups of shortening, 192 cups of eggs, 992 cups of flour, 576 teaspoons of salt, 2048 teaspoons of baking powder, 448 cups of milk and 18 cups of vanilla.

PFF - Texas Cowboy Riding a Jack Rabbit

Postcard jack rabbits always look huge. I always knew they weren't THIS big, but I still thought they must be quite large. It turns out that they aren't any bigger than an average cat. The National Geographic website gives their size and weight, and shows their size compared to a 6 foot tall man.

Size: 2 ft (61 cm)
Weight: 3 to 9 lbs (1.4 to 4 kg)

Jack rabbits got their name from their big ears that look like those of a jackass. Jack rabbits actually aren't even rabbits--they are hares. Hares are larger than rabbits, have longer hind legs and longer ears, and are born with a full coat of fur and open eyes.

Despite their small size, jack rabbits are capable of speeds up to 40 miles an hour and leaps of more than ten feet.

PFF - Big Tex - Texas State Fair

This postcard is a Curteich Panoramic Postcard measuring 3-1/2" X 8-1/4". It shows Big Tex, a 52 foot tall cowboy, who has been greeting visitors to the Texas State Fair in Dallas, Texas since 1952. In the postcard photo (circa 1970), Big Tex is wearing a Lee brand shirt, belt, and jeans. Nowadays Big Tex is dressed in Dickies brand apparel.

Big Tex "talks" to visitors--his talk includes saying HOWDY about 60 times a day. His body was rebuilt in 1997, and in 2000 he became able to move and wave to visitors for the first time.

Vital Statistics (from the Big Tex Fact Page):

HEIGHT: 52 Feet
WEIGHT: 6,000 Pounds
HAT: 75 Gallon, measuring 5 feet high
SHIRT: 100 inch neck and 181 inch long sleeves.
BELT: 23 feet long, with a 50 pound buckle
PANTS: Size 284W x 185L.
BOOTS: Size 70, measuring 7 foot 7 inches high

SS - Texas Cowboy Cafe, Dalhart, Texas

Since I am currently focusing on cowboy postcards, I have chosen the Cowboy Cafe of Dalhart, Texas to display this week.

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