These 9 Candid Photos Show What Life Was Like In Michigan In the 1950s
When we think of the 1950s certain things come to mind like jukeboxes, poodle skirts, and savory dinners made in Jell-O molds. But what exactly did The Golden Age look like in the Great Lake State? Take a look at these candid photos of 1950s Michigan to see what the lives of average Michiganders looked like.
1. Classic 1950s cars are lined up at Sleeping Bear Dunes where Michiganders would climb up the massive dunes.
2. Pile the kids into your bucket seats to take a road trip over the Detroit River to Canada. This is a great shot of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel that many families and truckers would pass through every day.
4. Families and friends enjoying gorgeous Lake Michigan in Pentwater. If it wasn’t for the 1950s fashion and the beach chair, you could mistake this as a photo taken today.
5. Building snow sculptures is still a popular pastime for Michiganders. Here is a photo of folks building an adorable snow bunny in the middle of winter.
6. Children in Benzie County are playing on old-fashioned metal playground equipment that is being phased out today. Having fun on molten hot metal baking in the summer sun was a rite of passage back in the day.
8. Tulip Time was first introduced in Holland in 1927 and is still going strong. Rows and rows of tulips were on display in the 1950s and millions of tulip bulbs are planted today.
9. While there may not be a jukebox or poodle skirts in this photo, we can only imagine the delightful music the dancers in Gaylord were listening to in the 1950s.
Emily Tieman is a lifelong Michigander and has a love for locally owned small businesses. She is a freelance writer for Only In Your State and has her own vintage content creator business.
