By Michael Bushnell
Northeast News
October 17, 2012 

Most of the buildings shown in this Southwest News Company postcard published in 1907 were demolished in the late 1940s to make way for the new 6th Street Expressway that connected the inter-city viaduct with downtown and Independence Avenue. Today that expressway is known as the north portion of the downtown loop.

In the distance, Delaware turns to the left and intersects with Main Street and 9th at Vaughn’s Diamond, otherwise known as The Junction. Delaware Avenue was actually one of the first streets carved out of the rugged, steep bluffs on the south side of the river. Main Street, Wyandotte, Broadway and Grand were the other four streets carved through the bluff from the levee at the same time, between 1855 and 1860, just after the city’s initial chartering in 1850. In some places, cuts for the streets were as much as 80 feet deep.  Streetcar tracks and horse and buggy traffic can be seen along the street.

The hand colored postcard was sent on March 6, 1908, to Mrs. Henry Hollig, 85 Valley Ctr., Orange, N.J.The personal message reads: “K.C. MO, 3/7/08, dear Sister, You have received the letter which I wrote to you last week. I will write in the near future. Our graduating exercises will take place on March 26. We have some work to finish between now and then. Write whenever the time is so that you can spare a moment. J.E.”