Old photograph where do you think they are?

[Inix]

Found these photos with some other photos that I have recently posted. Thanks for all of your help with those. The last two pictures are from Traverse City, Michigan. I don't know where the first four pictures were taken. I do know that there were two families that communicated by mail around the turn of the century. One family lived in the Traverse City and one in Porcupine Ontario. Any insight you may have is appreciated!

 

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[DCMatt]

They look like sportsmen on a Spring camping trip. That's a lot of gear they are hauling but no long guns are visible so I assume it isn't a hunting trip.

The photo is dated April 17 '09. I guess the river is still frozen... I couldn't find "Spider River" in either Michigan or Ontario. Found one in Quebec and one in Arkansas...

Interesting in photo #2 the guy on the left appears to be holding a photo plate. I assume he owns the camera. Is that the one with the writing on the back? He names the photographer as Tredway. The young guy in the center with the sidearm seems to be striking his best 'gunslinger' pose. Pretty entertaining.

 

[Plug N Play]

The one picture says it is their "freight train". Easy going once you hit a frozen lake.

There is a Spider Lake by Traverse City. I'm guessing it may have been referred to as Spider River in the past.

 

[Inix]

The fourth picture of them with the sleds has the writing on the back. Thanks!

 

[DCMatt]

The one picture says it is their "freight train". Easy going once you hit a frozen lake.

There is a Spider Lake by Traverse City. I'm guessing it may have been referred to as Spider River in the past.

Good catch. Maybe the river was dammed up to make the lake? I couldn't find any reference to a Spider lake Dam, but I didn't look very hard...

BTW - April 17, 1909 was a Saturday. I say this is just a small group of men doing what men did in 1909 - being 'manly' for the weekend.

 

[DCMatt]

The fourth picture of them with the sleds has the writing on the back. Thanks!

That's the only photo with only 4 men. 4 men and 5 sleds. And it's taken from a longer distance than the other two pics. Did they have self-timers on camera's in 1909?

Note the capital letters M L are crossed on the back of the photo. Maybe he started to write M. L. Tredway? Check the 1910 census for Grand Traverse County.

 

[Plug N Play]

The h ? looks like the h in "mouth" above it ... maybe M_ch ... (Mich) ?

 

[rufus]

Traverse City, Michigan