CENTRALIA PA Hotel SALOON REAL PHOTO PC Columbia County

~ Vintage CENTRALIA PA Hotel Mining Town REAL PHOTO PC ~

Always listing interesting historical paper items for folks who love local history and genealogy.

TYPE: Real Photo Postcard, divided back, postally unused
TITLE: "untitled"
CONDITION: Fair warning! This card is being offered for historical interest and use and is not minty. BUT I could not resist buying it to offer for those who are handy with the graphics programs and would work with it to illustrate a website or publication use. It has random marks, age tonings, and stains to front and back sides but is not bent up or tattered. I took this photo at an angle to avoid glare and the photo paper is rectangular. However, this image was originally printed at a slight angle, with part of the negative margin showing at left side. Add together with that the card is lifting up slightly off the background paper I placed it on to take the photo, and it appears warped in my photos.

COMMENTS if you're still reading after my condition report, I hope you'll take another moment to read what I felt were the merits of this historically significant view. This rare view of "A.T. Conway's Hotel" is minutely detailed, so detailed that you can make out all architectural features of the building's construction. At left standing in the doorway are presumably the proprietor Anthony T. Conway, a woman in long dress and apron, and several local men and boys. This is one of my value-added listings, as in addition to this card the lucky winner will receive via email my research, consisting of interesting information about Mr. Conway. Conway was raised in Conyngham, started out in life as a breaker boy, and was listed in Centralia's census as a saloonkeeper with own saloon, as well as hotel keeper. In the 1901 directory of Columbia Co., his establishment was listed as being on Locust Ave. near Railroad St. I've not ever traveled to that area but did use google maps to attempt to view Centralia as it is today due to the permanent mine fire situation (as you know there's not much left standing) but couldn't get too far down Locust Ave. with the virtual "drive-through" and didn't know which cross-street Railroad was. But I did find a photo on line of a now-gone building that looked to me very much like this one but for some exterior "modernizing" differences and part of the lower structure to left taken out, which was the Speed Spot. If you're from Centralia you might recognize which building this was.

I hope someone in Columbia County brings this one back to home! It would make a most welcome contribution to a Pennsylvania historical society or historian. If this guaranteed old and original real photo postcard fits in with your collecting interests, or you know someone who'd appreciate having it, just place that sincere bid to win now, or be back in your chair set to go Wednesday evening November 11! Thank you for your interest and have fun bidding! Satisfaction Guaranteed!