Most postcards were written as quick messages to let a friend or family know that "I arrived OK" or someone was "thinking of you." Now the vintage cards in this book are carrying another message, giving readers a glimpse of what small-town life was like early in the 20th century, when the majority of these cards were produced. During the first half of the 20th century in Genesee County, the communities outside of Flint were small, but visitors and residents still wanted postcards depicting scenes from Davison, Fenton, Flushing, Grand Blanc, and even the smaller settlements such as Otterburn and Atlas. Railroad stations, churches, and town halls were common subjects, but some surprises were found too in the search for postcard images of Genesee County.