Coming to the end of the road?
Just as this winding road reaches a dead end, so have we in trying to figure out where it is and why this aerial photo was taken.
This image was made from negatives in the Observer-Reporter archives that date to the 1940s and early 1950s. Because many of the houses in this week’s Mystery Photo are of ranch-style construction so popular in the mid-20th century, we think they were quite new.
Although many of them may still exist today, chances are pretty good that the neighborhood has changed in a big way. We’re hoping, however, that some of our readers might recognize their street and help us figure out what might have been of interest to the newspaper photographer.
There are no cities or recognizable landmarks in the background. The road winds to what appears to be a large farm building and silo, or perhaps a factory and storage tank.
Just beyond and to the left of that silo or tank is a white rectangle, which under magnification can be seen as a screen at a drive-in theater.
If you think you recognize the scene or can tell us when and why the picture was taken, email Park Burroughs, retired executive editor, at pburroughs@observer-reporter.com, or call and leave a message for him at 724-222-2200, extension 2400.
With a little luck and some help from our readers, we may be able to solve this puzzle and publish our findings next Monday.