Hello from the Lake! ROUND TWO
Original postcards from Buckeye Lake, the Playground of Ohio (only the ones with interesting messages on the back)
BUCKEYE LAKE
11/1/20233 min read
ROUND TWO: Fish Stories
As a recap, I’ve been enjoying not just the polished, colorful front of some century-old postcards from Buckeye Lake’s amusement park days but, also, the less polished script on the backs of those cards.
Having studied up on the history of the lake, it’s so fascinating to experience these snippets of a real person’s summer vacation.
Is That Really Him?
Aug. 7, 1908
Addressed to “Brindle” in Newark from “Cherry”
“You will see me down here in the corner fishing. I will invite you down next week to help eat my fish. Cherry.”
Kim’s Note: That is a mass-produced postcard, so we are left to wonder if Cherry is actually a fishing model or just has a dry sense of humor that Brindle would completely have understood. Either way, I like him.
A Real Fish Story
Aug. 24, 1908
Addressed to “Dear Old Mother” in Ashville from ? (unsigned)
“How are you? We are having the time of our life. Having everything good to eat. Our trunk hasn’t come yet. Everything is fine. Tell Pa to watch out - tell him there are fish three miles long and the wind is blowing so hard you can’t lay in bed.”
Kim’s Note: I have the same question you might about this note home on a purchased postcard titled "Fisherman's Home/Buckeye Lake" in the upper left. Why can’t they remain in bed when the wind blows? Are they sleeping in hammocks? And not to be gender reductive, but this unsigned note has to be a young man writing home; he’s clearly more interested in food than whatever he doesn’t have access to that was packed in the delayed trunk.
X Marks the Spot
June 12, 1945
Addressed to Mom in Columbus from Walt
“Dear Mom, I caught a 16 inch catfish off the pier by the X. It is also where I live. Tell Fred that if he is coming out to come before Saturday. I will tell you when I see you why. Tell Fred to come in the morning early and we will fish. Give him this card and he can find the way. I have been fishing the last two nights until 4:00.”
Kim’s Note: This is the WW2-era version of “dropping a pin” in your location so someone else can easily find you. I love it. I also love Walt's passion for fishing. Mostly, I love this postcard. You can see The Dips coaster to the far left. Walt has written "Crystal" on the roof of the Crystal Ballroom and swimming pool (probably so Fred has a landmark). The X where the rental cottage would be is visible across the "little lake" area from the ballroom/swimming pool. Notice Cranberry Bog in the top of the picture (see 10/3 post "Like Red Marbles").
