Friday, October 15, 2010

Newhouse Hotel - Salt Lake City, Utah

What...you're tired of Utah posts!  I hope not. Anyway, this is the last one. Here is the Newhouse Hotel. I find varying reports that the hotel was built in 1912 or in 1915, but that seems unlikely since this card was clearly sent in 1911 - unless it was entirely an artist's rendition. The people are certainly drawn in. The flag doesn't seem real.  The hotel may also have been partially finished at this time. The Utah Historical Society told me that the hotel was built between 1909 and 1915. Hmm, oh well.


In the early boom days, this was the place important people met and deals were made.  Samuel Newhouse, a mining magnate, was trying to create a business area akin to Wall Street in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, his money started running right about the time he was building this hotel. Although it was elegant, it never quite met his expectations.

The card was sent to Miss L. Kleikbrink (Kleinbrink?)  on August 7, 1911
It reads:

Milford, Utah  Aug. 7 -11
Dear Friend
received your letter a few days ago and I was sure glad to hear from you and to know that you wear well and that you had a nice time when you wear on the farm. Well I will let go this time hopbing to hear from you again your friend G. Welsh (?)

The Newhouse Hotel remained for many decades until it was declared unsafe and too costly to rehabilitate in the 1980s. It was demolished with explosives in 1983 and was replaced by a surface parking lot.

Troy Snow was there and took this amazing photo, which he graciously allowed me to use.

You can see more of his photos on Flickr.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Soaking in the Salt Lake

At the turn of the century and for decades to follow, Saltair was the place to go for good wholesome recreation near Salt Lake City. It was a great place to escape from the city heat, and the high salt content of the water allowed swimmers to float effortlessly. There was also a lot of oversight by the Mormon church, so young singles could go there without endangering their reputations. In addition to  swimming, there was a huge dance floor and live music.


The Saltair Pavilion shown on this postcard is the second one. The first one was built in 1893 and burned down in 1925. A second pavilion was built, but it also suffered fire damage in 1931. That was just the beginning of more troubles to come. In 1933, the waters receded, leaving Saltair on dry ground. This postcard was printed in 1933, but seems to show a photo from earlier times.

Saltair also had new competition, including movie theaters, automobiles, and then television, which presented people with additional entertainment and travel options. The Great Depression and World War II also drew people away. The Saltair Pavilion finally closed during World War II. In the meantime it was used as a set for the horror flick, A Carnival of Souls. The second Saltair shown above burned to the ground from an arson fire in 1970.

Hope springs eternal, and a third Saltair Pavilion was built in 1981. This one was also plagued by problems including flooding and then receding waters. Today, Saltair Pavilion III is used as a venue for rock concerts.

Here's an earlier postcard from Salt Lake, during the era of Saltair I.

And here are the backs of the postcards in the same order:

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Zion and Bryce

This is a continuation of the exotic Utah post from yesterday.  Utah truly has some of the most breathtaking landscapes I have ever seen.  I have a few linen postcards that show Bryce Canyon. Generally, linen postcards add color and make the scenes more appealing. In the case of Bryce Canyon, the opposite is true. Here's a postcard view:
In reality, the colors are much more brilliant. Here's a photo of Bryce Canyon from last week:
Bryce, Zion, and the other parks in Utah are all amazing in their own ways. There are some incredible views and amazing hiking opportunities for all levels. Here's a picture of me with my mother during a hike in Cedar Breaks last week:
And here's a view of a trail that the architect who steals my covers went on without us. My mother and I stayed in because it was raining heavily. I would have been terrified if I had known what this trail looked like, especially considering the slippery conditions. There was a sign at the beginning of the trail that urged caution and stated that people had died from falling off the edge. Arghhh! I feel sick just looking at this, especially knowing that it is a two-way trail and people coming from the opposite direction may need to pass by you somehow.

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