Historic Photo Puzzle of the Day
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Posted by MilesCity.com Webmaster (+10019) 5 years ago
Through the magic of Ancestry DNA, a previously unknown cousin found me and shared a couple old photos of my McFarland relatives.

From what I've been able to put together, the following should have been taken in Miles City, probably around the early to mid 1950's type timespan (?) -- but for the life of me, I can't quite figure out where this photo would have been taken in MC.

Any ideas???

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Posted by Tom Masa (+2202) 5 years ago
Maybe Washington Street east of North 7th Street?
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Posted by Randy Anderson (+171) 5 years ago
House sure looks familiar, I'd have to go look but think it's the intersection of 9th and Washington. The big lumber yard building on left (UBC, ProBuild, Builders 1st Source) isn't there anymore. But Findlater's Feed and Seed should be visible across the track on the right (far side of the house)? The car/ couple would be in front of the old Flanze Apts.
Pretty sure the car is a 58 Cadillac.

[Edited by Randy Anderson (5/10/2018 10:31:37 PM)]
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Posted by MilesCity.com Webmaster (+10019) 5 years ago
Reply to Randy Anderson (#376116)
Here's a better picture of that car. Taken roughly the same time.

This one, I know was taken at the Lynn McFarland Ranch, just south of town.

The guy on the left was Tom McFarland (my great grandfather) and the guy on the right was Bob McFarland (his brother). Tom died March 1st, 1958.

You're the second person to identify the car as a Cadillac.

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Posted by MilesCity.com Webmaster (+10019) 5 years ago
Reply to Randy Anderson (#376116)
Damn Randy, you're awesome! Here's the view from Google Maps. Looks like you nailed it!

https://goo.gl/maps/PeK6GGhFveq

THEN:



NOW:



https://goo.gl/maps/PeK6GGhFveq
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Posted by MilesCity.com Webmaster (+10019) 5 years ago
Now the only question is, when were the photos taken?

The car above is a hint, since they had to have been taken after it was made.

Also, Tom died March 1st, 1958. And the dog in the photo, Tippy, also appeared with my mom years earlier (in this one below) - about 1946 (?).



I assume at that point, each were about a couple years old.

So we have a maximum timespan of about 1946 to 1958, but the photo with "Bob & Tom" has to be after the car was made, and before that dog died of old age.

So it all comes down to the year of that car. Any ideas?
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Posted by Fred South (+161) 5 years ago
The building in the background that says "Yards" is the old Thompson Yards lumber yard. Vern South was a building contractor and did business with them.
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Posted by David Schott (+18747) 5 years ago
The car looks like a 1958 Cadillac De Ville:



Photo: Lars-Göran Lindgren, Sweden

https://commons.wikimedia...e_1958.jpg
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Posted by David Schott (+18747) 5 years ago
The 1958 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan DeVille sold for $5,497. Adjusted for inflation, $5,497 in January 1958 is worth $48,155.64 in April 2018.
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Posted by MilesCity.com Webmaster (+10019) 5 years ago
Very cool. Thanks! I knew you guys would come through! I wonder when they first started selling the 1958 models?
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Posted by David Schott (+18747) 5 years ago
Reply to MilesCity.com Webmaster (#376124)
I tried to find that out but didn't have much luck. I did see something that said (at least some model of) the 1958 Chevrolet went on sale in 1957.
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Posted by Randy Anderson (+171) 5 years ago
New year models start August of the previous year "most" of the time. So the car could have been bought as early as August 1957.
Other photo is a 42 Nash.

[Edited by Randy Anderson (5/11/2018 6:54:59 PM)]
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Posted by Sunny (+377) 5 years ago
Wasn't August, she is wearing a fur-collared coat. Could have been late fall or early spring; there's no snow, but she definitely felt she had to ward off the chill.
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Posted by Bruce Ingraham (+199) 5 years ago
I agree with Sunny. There are no leaves on the trees.
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