 
Microfish7
Member
Username: Microfish7
Post Number: 6
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 1:20 pm: |    |
Good Morning and Happy Memorial Day! In the 1950s and up to 1964 I lived at 12666 Monte Vista, at the Fullerton End (Buena Vista was the other end of my block)
We had Rumanian, Latvian and other interesting neighbors. I attended Monnier and Mackenzie.
Al in Iowa |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3182
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 4:59 pm: | |
Hey, Fish. I lived at 12316 Sorrento and later 13960 Steel; also attended Monnier and Mackenzie -- both of which have been abandoned by the DPS. Most of my fun at the Sorrento address was watching the trains of the DTRR on the tracks along fullerton on the south side of Grand River. Good days long gone. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6537
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 7:11 pm: | |
Neighbors, Northlawn and Schoolcraft. Noble, Tappan, Cass Tech. Wrigley's on Davison and Greenlawn. Eagle Dairy on Wyoming. Johnson's Milk Depot on Davison. Romanians, Lithuanians, Croats, Lebanese, Italians, Polish, French, Canadians, Jews, Bohemians, Ukrainians, Armenians. St Brigid Parish.
jjaba, Proudly Westside. |
Pffft
Member
Username: Pffft
Post Number: 1526
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 8:35 pm: | |
Anyone live near 9418 Steel? |
Birwood
Member
Username: Birwood
Post Number: 96
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 10:56 pm: | |
Microfish7, I attended Monnier for K and 1st grade.
I had Miss Moriarity for K and Miss McCaffery for 1st grade. Then my folks put me in St Brigids at Indiana & Schoolcraft. Graduated Mackenzie June 1968, Then 4 yrs USAF....parents moved while I wads away...I think they were trying to tell me something
Mr McHenry the Gym teacher, he lived 4 houses down the street from me on Birwood.
My cousins lived on Monte Vista just south of Davison. The jefferies Fwy took their home when I came thru.
Did you ever know the Seigals or Schoenfelds ? They lived between Davison and Buena Vista.
I delivered papers from the Detroit News sub-station at Sorrento and Grand River and the Free Press from the sub sation at the Drug Store on the corner of Meyers & Grand River & Fullerton across from the bank |
Dannyv
Member
Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 218
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Monday, May 26, 2008 - 11:56 pm: | |
I was in the 'hood, just not the same 'hood. Lived at 12719 Greenlawn, went to Noble Elementary '57-'60. Spent summers at Butzel Pools, trying to mouth-melt my Holloway chocolate sucker on the way home. Saturday afternoons at the Beverly Theater catching the latest war, monster, sci-fi. Put pennies on the railroad tracks behind the houses across the street. Waking up at night from the click-clack of the train passing through. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6540
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 12:13 am: | |
Good one Dannyv. jjaba sold Sat. night Sunday Bulldog Detroit Times off the back door of Sears-Oakman, 1953-56. People would buy them on the way to the parking lot. Store was open to 9pm.
Then, jjaba biked home up Northlawn.
jjaba, Westsider. |
Dannyv
Member
Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 219
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 12:38 pm: | |
jjaba, on my way to the Beverly, I would see a legless man on a makeshift skateboard selling pencils. it freaked me as a kid. Perhaps you recall him. If nothing was showing at the Beverly, then we went to the Tower Theater, but that required a car ride. It was next to an auto repair shop and they had a cool large tire that kids could fit within or climb atop. On Sundays, went to St. Brigid's where there was a cool mural behind the altar of Jesus busting out of his tomb, the stone slabs crushing the Roman soldiers guarding it.
jjaba, I was in your newspaper while I lived on Greenlawn. My older brother didn't realize, until my birth, that his lifelong ambition was to be an only child. At six months on the 4th of July, 1952, I was rescued from an "accidental" housefire by a passing milkman. A picture of me and my parents scolding my brother appeared in the Times or Freep
(Message edited by dannyv on May 27, 2008) |
Chuckjav
Member
Username: Chuckjav
Post Number: 576
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 2:23 pm: | |
Microfish7....13042 Foley (Ward & Foley) checking in; lived there from '69 through '76.
Are you going to the Mackenzie All-Years Reunion on June 29th? |
Jgavrile
Member
Username: Jgavrile
Post Number: 105
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 4:44 pm: | |
Used to live in a two family flat on Appoline in the late 60's,before they put in I-96. Right near Schoolcraft. Don't remember the address?? |
Birwood
Member
Username: Birwood
Post Number: 97
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 6:14 pm: | |
Dannyv, what years did you go to St. B's
I went there from 57 to 64.
I had 2 older siblings and 2 younger
Was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Troop 408
Played CYO Football and Basketball for Mr Strunk |
Birwood
Member
Username: Birwood
Post Number: 98
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 6:22 pm: | |
Pffft had a classmate at Mackenzie class of 68 that I hung with that lived on Steel around your area.
His last name was Scibilia, first name was Litterio or Larry, had a younger brother Gene |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6543
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 6:26 pm: | |
The new St. Brigids Catholic Church was built in 1950. Carrado Parduci did the masonary sculptures. His works is all over Detroit in much older buildings.
Two religions in the neighborhood; Catholics and Publics.
jjaba came up in a two-flat also. The renters paid $52.50/month rent and Dad complained about his $55/mo. payment. Exactly, how were we going to get that $2.50 a month to live there?
Dannyv, great story about the fire and your excape.
Detroit Times were distributed from Grand River and Washburn, around the corner, substation.
jjaba and Ray1936 worked our routes from there.
jjaba, Westsider. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6544
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 6:27 pm: | |
Who remembers the Northlawn bus, always waiting for us at Cunningham's, Grand River and Oakman?
When do you think it stopped running?
jjaba. |
Birwood
Member
Username: Birwood
Post Number: 99
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 7:21 pm: | |
Used to catch the Northlawn bus infront of Safer Drug, Wyoming & Schoolcraft to get to sears Federals, the Beverly and to Barrys War Surplus or Barrys Gyp Joint as us kids all called it |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3189
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 8:08 pm: | |
The building that Safer Drug was in is no longer. It was demolished and replaced with this structure. View is on Wyoming looking east, with St. Brigid's Church in the background (Google Maps Street View).
|
9936sussex
Member
Username: 9936sussex
Post Number: 123
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 8:57 pm: | |
My grandmother used to live in an apartment building on Meyers,very close to Grand River and the railroad tracks. We used to take the Greenfield bus to GRand River and transfer to the Grand River bus to Meyers. Anyone have a recollection of that area? I was a little girl at the time and I remember sitting outside waiting for the trains to pass. |
Dannyv
Member
Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 220
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 12:04 am: | |
Birwood, I didn't go to St. Brigid's elementary school, only there for catechism and Sunday mass. I'm not sure what Cub scouts troop I was in but it didn't work out for me. The den mother was abusive so I hung out at the drug store reading comics rather than go to den meetings. I really wanted to be a Cub scout too tho'. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6546
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 1:20 am: | |
jjaba was in Scouts. Cubs and Scout Troop, 428, Noble School. We went to Charles Howell Scout Reservation for two-week periods for several summers way out in Brighton. The land is now occupied by $million home estates, but the hills and familiar lake is still the same.
Ray1936, great photo of the Wyoming/Schoolcraft intersection. Others are encouraged. That corner had CF Smiths, A&P, Eagle Dairy, a 5&Dime store, gas station, etc.
jjaba, Westside memories. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6547
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 1:41 am: | |
St. Brigid School and Parish existed from 1924 to 1989. In 1989, 31 Detroit Catholic parishes were closed for reasons of population movement. 1989 was a pretty bad year, eh.
jjaba. |
The_rock
Member
Username: The_rock
Post Number: 2378
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 8:40 am: | |
Gotta admit, Mr. jjaba--You are a true Westsider.
Seems to me, and I am really going back, there used to be a large lumber yard, maybe out on Wyoming Avenue somewhere in your neck of the woods. Ring a bell?
Not sure why after all these years I recall a lumber yard,and the Varsity theater , but those two stick in my mind. |
Birwood
Member
Username: Birwood
Post Number: 100
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 10:16 am: | |
hey Rock.....that was Restrick Lumber at Wyoming and Lyndon. It burned, 5 Alarm Fire, in like October of 61 or 62 right around Halloween. I remember it was next to D & W oil. whick almost went up that night. Anyone else remember that fire |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3190
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 1:00 pm: | |
I remember it, Birwood, but can't pin down the year for the life of me. I thought it was a little earlier than 61 or 62, but my grey cells just don't boot up like they used to.
There was another big lumber yard fire around Meyers and Lyndon in 1955. It threatened the gas company storage tank over on Schaefer at first. Can't recall the name of that one. I took photos of it, but the prints have long wandered away. |
Birwood
Member
Username: Birwood
Post Number: 101
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 4:35 pm: | |
Ray, I also remember Northwest Plumbing & Heating on the corner of Meyers & Lyndon it burned somewhere in the mid 60's. I was on my way to Monnier Branch Library to get books for a science project and was at the corner of Meyers & Schoolcraft in front of Al Pisa when DFD Engine 49 went by, needless to say I followed on my bike and never made it to the library. I was late for dinner too, my Mom was really pissed |
Pffft
Member
Username: Pffft
Post Number: 1528
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 4:39 pm: | |
Birwood, thanks -- I didn't live there but was looking to find folks who did...
You reminded me, I have a friend who graduated from Mackenzie class of '70, have to check with her .. |
Eastside61
Member
Username: Eastside61
Post Number: 1515
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 4:54 pm: | |
TO all Stags: What was the one reason that the neighborhood changed so dramatically after the mid 60's ??? We on the eastside wonder if the same influences came into play on the eastside too.... Denby is still open but barely ......
(Message edited by eastside61 on May 28, 2008) |
Whithorn11446
Member
Username: Whithorn11446
Post Number: 233
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 5:21 pm: | |
"We on the eastside wonder if the same influences came into play on the eastside too."
Speak for yourself Eastside61. Sorry had to get that dig in. I know what largely happened over there and it was this thing called "blockbusting". The blockbusting in Northwest Detroit made what happened on the east side like a day in the park. Many Neighborhoods between Livernois and Greenfield in Northwest Detroit changed rapidly(3-4 years). |
Mackenzie68
Member
Username: Mackenzie68
Post Number: 16
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 5:25 pm: | |
The excuse was the riots, but lots of folks were already moving out. White folks I mean. I loved Mackenzie, and the diversity was one reason. Mack and Mumford had the "race relations" card buried in the bottom of the deck. We just plain got along. Our parents, not so much. I'm sure block busting has been discussed here, it was threatened in my neighborhood.
The other factor was the quality of public education. It was sliding downhill fast, no longer a magnet to hold people out of shiny new houses in the suburbs. |
Shovelhead
Member
Username: Shovelhead
Post Number: 5
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 9:51 pm: | |
Birwood and Ray1936,
Since you were in the area of Lyndon & Wyoming, do either of you remember the Pfeiffer & Budweiser beer distributor on the northwest corner of Lyndon & Indiana? It was the Sol Yagoda Distributing Company.
My dad worked there from about 1957 to 1965.
I haven't been by there since I worked on Livernois in '71, so I am not sure if the building is still standing. |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3192
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 10:01 pm: | |
I recall the name, and it looks like the building is still there, shovelhead. Google hasn't done the street view on Lyndon yet.
|
Paulmcall
Member
Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 1067
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 10:14 pm: | |
Are you guys talking about Wallach Lumber?
Twin Pines was down that way along Lyndon. |
Shovelhead
Member
Username: Shovelhead
Post Number: 6
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 10:27 pm: | |
That's it. I remember that the building looked to me like it had been added on to, the part facing Indiana looked to be older than the west side of it.
There was a garage door on the Indiana side to the rear of it also. The office was to the left of the center divide, next to the driveway apron. I can still remember the inside of the warehouse area.
I remember going there on Saturday mornings with my dad. A special treat was when one of the drivers would fuel his truck and I could go for a ride in a "real" beer truck.
I remember Northwest Plumbing and the Michigan Consolidated Gas storage tank near there. And while riding along Lyndon, looking at the street signs, amazed that Mark Twain had a street in Detroit named after him. Hey, don't laugh, I was REAL young than! |
Shovelhead
Member
Username: Shovelhead
Post Number: 7
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 10:40 pm: | |
VErmont 8-5151, Wallach Lumber's phone number. That and TEmple 2-6600, the phone numbers that are on a old carpenter's nail pouch that I saved after we divided up my father-in-laws personal effects earlier this year. I couldn't let it get trashed, and no one else wanted it, so it was mine then. |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3194
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 11:42 pm: | |
If'n you wanted the police or fire, forget 911. DPD was WO 2-5700 and fire WO 2-0400. I guess maybe if you dialed "O" back then the operator might have connected you if you sounded excited. |