by Rarely seen Real Photo Postcards offer a striking look into Dundee Michigan history during the early 20th century. These images document everything from street parades to spring floods on the River Raisin. Taken between 1890 and 1940, they show how a small town balanced industry, disaster, and everyday life.
Dundee, Michigan: A Town on the River and the Rails
The village of Dundee, located in Monroe County, Michigan, grew up around the River Raisin and the intersecting rail lines that stitched together southeastern Michigan. From the late 19th century into the early 20th, Dundee played host to transportation, commerce, and agricultural activity, reflected vividly in dozens of preserved RPPC (Real Photo Postcard) images.
Video – Dundee, Michigan: A Town on the River and the Rails
Life by the River: Industry and Disaster
Images from the early 1900s show the river as both Dundee’s blessing and its threat. Multiple photographs capture the historic floods of March 1908 and March 1918. These disasters inundated streets like Toledo Street, where residents had to navigate by rowboat.
Another postcard, titled “The Brave Five,” shows a group of young men poling a wooden skiff through floodwaters. These scenes underscore how the River Raisin, while central to Dundee’s development, repeatedly challenged the community.
Dundee Michigan History – The Dam and the Ford Plant
Photos from around 1920 show a dramatic waterfall over the River Raisin dam. Nearby sat the Ford Motor Company Village Industry plant—part of Henry Ford’s rural industrial experiment. The converted grist mill facility provided local employment and linked Dundee to Ford’s network of small-scale plants that relied on hydropower. Other dam views, taken in winter and spring, emphasize the river’s industrial function and natural force.
Railroads and the Union Depot
Dundee’s Union Depot appears in several RPPC images. One shows a steam locomotive at the platform as passengers and staff bustle about.
Another depicts a streamlined Ann Arbor Railroad motor car, hinting at the shift toward modernized rail travel in the 1930s. These images show Dundee’s key role in connecting goods and people between Toledo, Ann Arbor, and points north.
Downtown Business and Social Life
A surprising number of postcards capture Dundee’s vibrant downtown. Photographs show brick commercial blocks along Main Street with shops like Dutton’s City Market, a drug store, and several dry goods retailers. Signs for ice cream, cigars, and phonographs show how small-town life mirrored national trends.
One card highlights the Dundee Candy Kitchen, fully decorated for the holidays with hand-twisted streamers and pyramids of boxed candy. Another image from the early 1900s shows a carnival or parade, with crowds, carriages, and banners. A separate photo shows members of the Raisinville Grange Team performing or marching in front of a packed grandstand along Dundee’s brick-paved street.
Hotels and Hospitality
The National Hotel, prominently featured in several RPPCs, was the center of hospitality in Dundee for decades. One image from around 1900 shows locals in hats and coats posed outside. Later views show the hotel adjacent to a busy gas station and market, illustrating Dundee’s transition into the automobile era.
Barbers, Diners, and Working-Class Commerce
Among the more personal photographs is a shot of a storefront with signs advertising a barbershop and meals “at all hours.” Staff in white uniforms pose proudly—likely the owners. The intimacy of the photo contrasts with the broader civic scenes and reminds us that Dundee’s character was shaped by small, family-run businesses.
Street Scenes and Growth
Progress over time is visible through the transition from horse-drawn wagons and carriages to early automobiles. One photo taken from the town square includes a well-preserved bandstand, road signage for U.S. 23 and M-50, and shops advertising groceries and fruits.
A Michigan Town Remembered
These RPPC images reveal Dundee, Michigan, as a town shaped by its geography and transportation links. From devastating floods to industrial experiments and everyday commerce, the photos offer an unfiltered record of small-town life in the early 20th century.
The history of Dundee is not only in its buildings but in the people who endured rising waters, staffed rail depots, ran candy shops, and gathered to watch parades. Through these real photo postcards, that history remains vivid and relevant.
