Old photos - wonder what year?

[eathan]

When my wife and I moved into our house five years ago we found that the previous owners had left some surprising old photos of our house on the counter. I thought you guys would get a kick out of the photos and maybe give me a guess as to the year they were taken by the car pictured in the one.

Another interesting thing I've found, aside from the old Winchester I mentioned in another thread, is a passage in a book on the area that makes me believe that either our house or the house next door in the first picture once belonged to Klondike Kate, a famous woman from the Alaska gold rush. The house next door is no longer standing, so it's hard to tell which of the two was being described as "south of the christian church" in the book.

Anyway, they're fun pictures, especially now that I've scanned them and can zoom in. There are chickens in the second and a woman walking by out on the road in the third. Hope you all enjoy.

 

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[eathan]

Oops! Guess I forgot to mention that the photos were taken just after a fire that took off much of the back half of the house. I've scoured old papers, but haven't found mention of the fire. Any vintage on that car might be a help me narrow my search.

 

[diggemall]

The car looks to be mid-40's

Diggem'

 

[Cynangyl]

What a great old house!! Thanks for posting the before pics....you were right, I definitely got a kick out of them and am really looking forward to seeing the after pics since I know how much work you two have been putting into your home. Thanks so much for sharing them! Will be interesting to find out more of the history of the house and if Klondike Kate did, in fact live there! Tooooo cool!

 

[l.cutler]

I believe the car is about a 1938 maybe a Buick or LaSalle.

 

[eathan]

Thanks all!

I believe the car is about a 1938 maybe a Buick or LaSalle.

I think you're very close with '38 Buick, but the front fender is a bit shorter on the one in the photo. I think they get a little shorter as the '40s approach.

 

[skydiv]

I think the 1938 is right but, I think it's a dodge.

 

[Cynangyl]

Okay....here is a 36 Ford Coupe....a 36 Dodge Coupe and a 38 Dodge coupe....which looks closest??

 

[flyinguy]

'36 dodge, no dought!

 

[warsawdaddy]

Try a '37 Buick

http://www.carnut.com/cgi-bin/03/image.pl?/show/03/okc/nat0212.jpg

 

[eathan]

Okay, we've got some great guesses, but I think the Dodges ('36 and '37) most closely match the photo. Here are a couple of reasons why:

1. The headlights come out of the top of the front fenders, not off the side of the hood/engine compartment.

2. There is a line of trim along the side that curves down under the rear side window. This is missing on the Buicks.

3. The trim line on the '38 curves down much more subtley than the earlier years.

4. There's the correct hump and tail lights at the rear.

Here's a '37: http://users.penn.com/~mweimer/Dodge37.jpg

And a '36: http://www.jonajackson.com/images/36 dodge150.JPG

 

[Cynangyl]

I say '36 and didn't have to wait for Dad to get back from Amsterdam either! lol I thought it looked close to the coupe him and I worked on when I was in high school!

 

[Montana Jim]

Who knows on the photo... might have been taken in the '50s with an old '38 car parked out front.

 

[boogeyman]

Oops! Guess I forgot to mention that the photos were taken just after a fire that took off much of the back half of the house. I've scoured old papers, but haven't found mention of the fire. Any vintage on that car might be a help me narrow my search.

Have you thought about the Historical Society? (I'm sure you have). Might pay a visit to your fire Dept. They might have some call records, or be able to put you in touch with somebody retired that was there when it burned.

 

[Shortstack]

Who knows on the photo... might have been taken in the '50s with an old '38 car parked out front.

This is true. Also, the driver's door handle appears to be drooping a little bit. Those style door handles would droop after years of use because of wear and a weakening return spring. My estimate would be from about 1943 to 1958 time frame.

Did you notice the clothes line in the second photo? Have you detected along that area?