This postcard documents the Mormon Island State Wayside Area, situated near Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska, along Interstate 80. The postcard’s photographic image depicts the entrance to the wayside area, capturing a segment of paved roadway curving towards the site. Lush green trees border the road and extend into the wayside area, creating a verdant frame for the scene. Grassy areas flank the roadway, suggesting a well-maintained and inviting roadside rest stop. A prominent wooden sign, positioned near the entrance, clearly identifies the location as “Mormon Island State Wayside Area.” The caption “Traveling on Beautiful I-80,” printed in red and black at the top of the postcard, reinforces the theme of roadside travel. The image’s vibrant color saturation and glossy finish are consistent with lithographic printing techniques commonly employed in chrome postcard production during the mid-20th century. The clear focus and depth of field suggest the source photograph was taken on a bright, sunny day. The postcard's reverse side features the divided back format characteristic of the mid-20th century. The left portion designates the space for correspondence, while the right side provides a pre-printed box for affixing a postage stamp and includes the standard "Post Card" designation. Beneath this is a brief historical caption: "Covered wagon trains of the pioneer Mormons used this island for winter camping. The island afforded them extra protection from hostile attacks.” This concise text situates the location within the context of westward migration and the challenges faced by early Mormon pioneers in Nebraska. The postcard identifies the publisher as "Donahue Post Card Co., Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska 68114," along with the color credit "Color by Ilmars Didrichsons" and the printer, “Dexter Press, Inc., West Nyack, Rockland County, New York.” This information further reinforces the postcard's production within the mid-20th century, as Dexter Press was a prominent postcard publisher during this period and Ilmars Didrichsons was known for his vibrant color work. The presence of Interstate 80 in the image provides a chronological anchor. The Interstate Highway System's development began in the mid-1950s, placing the postcard's production after this period. The style and printing technique, combined with the publisher and artist information, further support a manufacturing date between the 1950s and possibly as late as the early 1970s. This postcard is unposted, lacking any postal markings or cancellations, which prevents a more precise dating. This absence of postal markings, however, preserves the postcard's pristine condition. The postcard can be categorized thematically as Americana, travel, roadsides, and history. It functions as a material record of both the development of the American Interstate Highway System and the commemoration of historical sites along these routes. This example illustrates how commercial postcards served not only as personal communication tools but also as a means of disseminating historical information and promoting tourism to specific locales. The postcard’s focus on a wayside area emphasizes the growing importance of automobile travel and the development of roadside infrastructure designed to accommodate this burgeoning form of transportation in mid-20th century America.