Tryon, 1913
Not too long ago we came across this booklet of postcards titled “Tryon, N.C.: ‘Switzerland of America’, Watch Us Grow.” The bird’s eye view of Tryon above is an image taken from the booklet. All the images are printed in black and white on thin paper and are all connected to one another, folding like an accordian. It appears that the booklet was intended to be mailed as a postcard, showing address lines and a spot for a one cent stamp.
The booklet was published in 1913 by E.E. Missildine, and provides a visual documentation of growth and development in the city, including bridges, railroad depot, churches, a mill, library, a pharmacy, and scenes of agricultural labor. The card below shows a crudely constructed wood house dated 1813 and a large, two-story ivy covered brick house with lots of windows dated 1913.
The North Carolina Postcards Website has two other postcards of interested related to Missildine and the city of Tryon. Both are downtown street scenes, with one showing Missildine’s Drug Store and another street view published by Missildine’s Pharmacy in Tryon. These cards were published several decades after the booklet was printed and show the further urbanization of the area.
Based on ads placed in local newspaper, Missildine’s also published postcards of some of the popular hotels in the area, i.e. the Mimosa Inn, the Log Cabin Inn, and the Skyuka Hotel. I’ve searched for a postcard of the Skyuka Hotel for 8 years. Any ideas???
Many thanks.