  Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 1146 Registered: 11-2006 |
In historical accounts of Detroits gangster and labor history, Cleaners and Dyers are often mentioned. Does anyone who visits this site have any memories of them? Were they predominately industrial cleaners that cleaned work uniforms and towels-cloths much like Cintas and other modern laundry companies? Ive came across several buildings, cant remember the exact locations, one was around 14th and Myrtle or thereabouts, that could have been laundries. Do any of you know where some cleaners and dyers were located?t | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 5338 Registered: 06-2004 |
http://markgribben.com/?page_i d=31 | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 1240 Registered: 05-2006 |
Well, there was the infamous Cleaners and Dyers Wars during the 20's involving The Purple Gang. I suspect Jjaba could be helpful on this thread. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 2245 Registered: 12-2005 |
 The 1928 Detroit City Directory listings for Cleaners and Dyers begins here and continues on the next couple of pages under the heading of "Clothes Pressers, Cleaners and Repairers". | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 1147 Registered: 11-2006 |
Ive read the Malefactor page lilpup thanks...thanks Mikeg....The Purple Gang book has a chapter devoted to the Cleaners and Dyers war.. I come across articles every now and again in the microfilm room of the DPD... | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 1148 Registered: 11-2006 |
I had to click on the pdf format to get a clear pic...they were scattered all over the city..wonder which locations were involved played a role in the cleaners and dyers war..there is a building around Martin Luther King and 14th? If I remember correctly that may have been a cleaner and dyers...thanks again for the links... | ||
Macknwarren Member Username: Macknwarren Post Number: 133 Registered: 10-2007 |
Hey Mikeg: I followed the links a little, but I'm very interested in the collection from which you pulled that decades-old Polk Directory. Is there a catalog or searchable data base? Any info is much appreciated. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 2246 Registered: 12-2005 |
The 1928 Detroit Polk Directory is searchable from here. It is included in the University of Michigan Library's Digital General Collection, which consists of 28,378 volumes of books from the University of Michigan collection, scanned for preservation purposes. | ||
Ronaldj Member Username: Ronaldj Post Number: 103 Registered: 01-2007 |
Loeren Estleman has a bit of history on the Cleaners and Dyers Wars in his novel Whiskey River. One of his Novels of Detroit. Pretty sure this is the right title. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 2410 Registered: 08-2007 |
Lilpup, great link, thanks for posting it. I wonder if the Charles Jacoby mentioned in the article was related to the Jacoby family that ran the resturant. (Message edited by gnome on February 24, 2009) | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 2247 Registered: 12-2005 |
quote: There appears to be no connection between this Charles Jacoby and the founder of Jacoby's Biergarten. Jacoby's was begun in 1904 by Albert Jacoby, who was a native of Luxemburg. According to US Census records, Charles C. Jacoby was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1899. He spoke German and came to the USA in 1900. In 1919 he married Ida (Bernstein?), who was born in Poland, emigrated in 1904 and was also 20 yrs old at the time of their marriage. In 1930, Charles' occupation is listed as a "Manager - Cleaners & Dyers" and the family lived at 2981 Cortland Ave. with their son Bernard (9 yrs.) and daughter Shirley (4 yrs.). | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 413 Registered: 02-2006 |
More "Purple Gang" news...Paul Kavieff, author of the Arcadia Publishing title "Detroit's Infamous Purple Gang" will be at the Dossin Museum on March 3 from 6-8 p.m. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 1266 Registered: 05-2006 |
Ronaldj, Estleman's novel was indeed titled "Whiskey River". It was his first of several historical fiction novels about Detroit. I recommend them all to anyone who enjoys reading about Detroit's past. Another good series of Estleman's is the Amos Walker Mysteries, all set in Detroit, in the present days. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 1267 Registered: 05-2006 |
Was this Ida (Bernstein?) related to the Bernstein Brothers, i.e. Abe, Joey, Ray, and Isadore? I've read they had three sisters(one of whom, I believe was named Ida) as well. | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 1150 Registered: 11-2006 |
If I remember correctly from the Kavieff book chapter on the cleaners and dyers war, Jacoby was a Bernstein brother n law. |
