Another Postcard Friendship Friday!

The Million Dollar Pier, St. Petersburg, FL

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Happy Postcard Friendship Friday! I have added this to my collection of what is now two vintage postcards! The picture is an airplane view of what was then called the Million Dollar Pier in St. Petersburg Florida. The world famous Million Dollar Pier opened in 1926. The Mediterranean-revival casino style building featured a central atrium, an open-air ballroom with terrazzo floors on the rooftop and an observation deck costing $998,279.18. Trolley tracks ran right up to the casino. Notice the battleships docked at the pier!

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A succession of piers at this location included

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• the privately owned Railroad Pier in 1889,
• the privately owned Electric Pier in 1906, with wonderful night lighting
• The Municipal pier in 1914 (seriously damaged by the hurricane of 1921)
• The Million Dollar Pier in 1926
• The Pier in 1973 to present
  

The postcard is postmarked February 12, 1934, and the message reads:

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Dear Dad,

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Howard and I visited the battleships you see in the picture. Mr Bates took Howard's picture on one of the cannon seats and was he tickled. Weather has been perfectly lovely and warm. We go bathing every day. You will be surprised to hear that I can float and is it fun. Heard you had a very bad cold spell up north. Well we didn't get any of it down here. Will write letter later on.

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Mother.

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The mailing address is Bogata NJ - which by the way is pronounced Buh-GO-ta. The "Bog" recalls the Bogarts and the "ta" is for the Bantas, two families that used to own all of what is now Bogota which is on the east shore of the Hackensack River. The population was 7,341 in 1930, and the industry was paperboard mills. Their products included baseball cards.
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My take on the people involved here is:

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Henrietta Peters has taken little Howard (aged 10 1/2) to visit friends in Florida - Mr. and Mrs. Bates (who offhandedly suggested they stop in and see them if they are ever in Florida - never expecting for one moment that they would actually show up on their doorstep - for 3 weeks no less.) Henrietta's husband, Lawrence, who she calls "Dad" manages one of the mill offices. He prefers to take his 2 week holiday at Coney Island in the summer so he has packed Henrietta and young Howard off for a few weeks of frolic in St. Petersburg, FL.

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Their daughter, nineteen year old Audry, has also stayed home. She is recently engaged to Albert Blogmeister III - quite a catch according to the bridge club - and she is completing her studies at Windmere College and Finishing School For Women. Mother Peters is staying with Audrey and Lawrence to see to their needs and provide meals that are much more nutritious than those her daughter-in-law Henrietta manages to throw together. Henrietta buys store bought bread - can you imagine!

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Meanwhile, in Florida, Mr. Bates is taking great pains to entertain the precocious young Howard and has brought him to see the battleships docked at the Million Dollar Pier. He has been cowed into convincing the ship's Captain to let Howard sit in the cannon seat for a picture. Howard promised not to touch a thing, but just as Mr.Bates expected, Howard did just the opposite, and has fired two cannon shots directly at Tampa, hitting the bell tower on the Sacred Heart Cathedral. The Coast Guard, on full alert, is speeding towards them across Tampa Bay while Henrietta, oblivious as always is busy writing yet another postcard to her husband whom she insists on calling "Dad" which just sets Mr. Bates teeth on edge to the point that his wife is having to give him a powder each night before bed.

The Pier as it looks today.

For more Postcard Friendship Friday Fun visit Marie at Voila! Vintage Postcards!