 
Mark R. Colden (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 4.229.18.236
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 3:27 am: |    |
I screwed-up; the Guyton School Alumni Association’s web address (GuytonAlumni@yahoo.com) is accessible. Does anyone remember the yo-yo contests that were held once or twice a year at the side door of Kresge's on Lakewood and Jefferson? First prizes were Duncan Diamond-Studded Yo-Yos. Tried as I could, I never won one.
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Cherie Pulliam (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 65.54.154.24
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 7:18 pm: | |
Hi, I am Mike Mooney's secretary and he told me about this site. I too spent time at Angel Park partying in my youth, although my youth was much later than most of you posting here.
My husband, however, who is 6 years older than I am, spent alot of time at Angel Park and the foot of Alter back in the days you all are mentioning. He is 51 years old and I bet some of you know him, Victor Pulliam, 6'4" tall, light skinned black man. I have sent him the link to this site and he may soon be sharing memories also.
Ive enjoyed all the readings, and one funny thing happened as I was reading the post about Ralph's being shot. Ralph walked into my office!!!! He was amazed that he was being talked about on a website and enjoyed reading along with me for a few minutes.
Small world huh?
I will check back more often, Im enjoying the memories and gosh, Mike sure does have a great memory much better than mine <vbg>
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Mike Saad (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 68.60.134.11
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 5:57 pm: | |
Hi Mark,
I remember the yo-yo contests, but had completely forgotten them until you mentioned it.
For some reason I recall saving money - not sure where it came from - either allowance (which would have been meager) or paper routes. But I saved enough for a dark blue diamond studded Duncan yo-yo. I promptly ruined the edges by "walking the dog" on the side-walk. I was pretty good at "loop-de-loops" but not good enough to keep the string from winding tight against the inside stem and eventually binding. I was capable of doing 2-2 1/2 around the worlds, but only if the string was perfectly loose on the spindle - loose enough to go around the world, but tight enough to bring it back again. I could "rock the cradle" a few times, but I saw guys who could do it so well, it made my skills look poor. I was certainly not good enough to win a Kresge's contest.
I remember being a AAA school safety boy and standing at my corner of Lenox and Averhill and doing yo-yo tricks while waiting for the kids to arrive and cross them.
I remember opening the halves of the yo-yo to unravel particularly difficult snags inside. Some of the less expensive yo-yos were glued inside and if you twisted them to open the halves, the spindle would snap.
Thanks for restoring that memory. I think I will buy yo-yos for my grandkids for Easter!
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Mikem
Member
Username: Mikem
Post Number: 1280
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 9:28 pm: | |
There's a sporting goods store on Mack Ave near 7-Mile selling t-shirts that say, "I Survived the Ashland Hump", or was it "Bump"? You should get them for your reunion picnic that you will be having at Angel/Lakewood Park! They have St. Ambrose Crusaders shirts, and maybe Southeastern H.S. as well.
Thanks for the memories. |
Mark R. Colden (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 4.229.18.58
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 7:28 am: | |
Mike Saad – Yeah, I’m with you on the yo-yo contests. I was good, but the guys the contest’s drew were like professionals. One kid was so good, I thought he had a motor in his yo-yo. He won the contest almost every year. I too proudly wore the white triple-A Safety Patrol belt. My corner was Chalmers and Essex but I quickly gave it up, preferring to walk the alleys smoking cigarettes with my buds. However, your post reminded me that I was once the captain of Guyton’s Mud and Snow Patrol. I was in the 7th grade and by this time, my buddies and I were pretty much the bad boys of the school – smoking, starting snowball fights and dragging mud into the school when we cut across the playground. The assistant principal (I can’t remember her name, but this would have been around 1956 and Mr. Beard was Principal) called me down and asked if I would organize a group to break-up snowball fights and keep everybody off the playground when it was wet. Now this woman must have had a degree in child psychology or more probably had been dealing with kids our age so long she knew just how to play us. In any event, I went out and recruited the worst offenders, my buddies, as she knew I would. It worked perfectly. Realizing a good example had to be set if we wanted to keep the privileges of getting out early to take our posts and going in late after everyone else was inside, we stopped our snowball fights and kept to the sidewalks on wet days while keeping everyone else off the playground by standing at the entrances and directing them to stay on the sidewalks. If we saw a snowball fight, we would immediately move to break it up. Smart woman.
Mikem – I had completely forgotten about the Ashland Hump/Bump. We would ride our bikes down there and go flying off in the air. Thanks for the info about the T-shirts; I’ll check it out this weekend.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all.
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Ginny Keusch (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 66.82.9.18
| | Posted on Friday, March 18, 2005 - 1:00 am: | |
Wow, this site has really exploded. Yes, Mary S, I am Ginny Van Meerhaeghe Keusch. I am tempted to wake Ken up to read all of these posts right now, as he would be more familiar with the St Martin's memories. He graduated in 1968.
I lived just beyond the Ashland hill and have fond memories of hanging around with Ken Fagan. Looking back it is surprising we didn't kill ourselves skateboarding down the hill (when skateboards were only about 5 inches wide).
Since I worked at Tommy's for many years, and married a St Martin's grad, I have a mix of St Martin and St Ambrose memories. I was best friends with (and still keep in contact with)Debbie Maskill.
The White Sun was the Friday night date place for couples. Charming little booths and good food.
I remember the year Joe Lapacola was murdered in a grocery store parking lot on Kercheval. It was one of the 1st times I realized the violence associated with drugs.
Ken's associations from the neighborhood would be Paul Murphy, Bob Hanson, Bob Baulch, Mike Cirillo, Dan Lanci, and he relates some fun stories of "crazy john".
Since we lived on Ashland, we had occassional flooding in the basement. I remember my mom having to put a pipe-apparatus in the floor drain of the basement so their would be no sewage backup. She and my sister Phyllis were good friends with Ken (Fagan's) mother.
Remember when they would drain open the gates and drain the Fox Creek canal. I had (borrowed) been fishing with one of my dad's best fishing poles in the canals one time when the gates opened and away went all of his line. He was really irritated.
There was a nursing home at the corner of Ashland and Jefferson when we first moved there, and I remember coming home from school and seeing all the residents sitting on the wrap-around porch. Also 2 car dealers on the corners.
I remember a candy store next to the Cinderella where you could go get your show candy and then go to the movie. We would get 50 cents to go to the show, a quarter for the candy and a quarter for the show (often a double feature). What a great babysitter that was.
I had cousins (Gardners)who attended Guyton in the 50s, they lived on Eastlawn near Korte. I also had cousins on Marlborough near Jeff (Robsons).
It sure was a time when families lived in close proximity. You don't see that much anymore.
I had communicated a bit on Classmates.com some time ago and had a few conversations with the Sudnick and the Zedrewski's familis who lived near us on Ashland. The Sudnick's had a great boathouse.
As kids, we always had a boat and would often go through the canals and over to Peche' island.
I am the only one in the family who retained the love of water. My sisters are cement bound city dwellers. We live on a lake, own a variety of boats, and often go speedboating on the Muskegon river (Big Rapids). I retained my love of fishing for many years (until the computer age) due to growing up in our neighborhood. When my kids were growing up they often had to come via canoe out to find mom.
I remember knowing the alleys as well as any street, and they were often the path traveled from place to place.
My husband (Ken)washed windows for Hiller's, which was on the corner Chalmers and Jeff. There was an "upscale" gift shop on the corner of Eastlawn and Jeff, we always bought a teacup there for every "mother" occassion. I have inherited the my mother's collection from there.
I remember when a Farmer's Jack was somewhere under that bowling alley, and when pin-setters were down at the ends of those lanes.
There was a large church next to the Lakewood theater, where you could climb in the windows and get in the basement.
The Vanity ballroom was a mystery. I think there was some kind of children's clothes store across from the Lakewood Kresge's ? King's flowers and Bill's bike shop were additional Jefferson haunts. The White Castle where the Detroit bus runs ended, and the St Ambrose high schoolers hung out.
I too snuck under the fence at Grosse Pointe Park. Once, we left our bikes outside that break in the fence, and had to go to the GPP police station to retrieve them. That scared me !
Verdunkt's bakery near St Ambrose for a post-mass donut.
I took swimming lessons at a YMCA that was somewhere on Jeff (towards downtown). There was a small market at Newport and Freud.
I remember the rule that we could stay outside, "until the streetlights came on". It seemed like a universal law.
Remember how everyone, sat on their porches, and men would come home from work carrying a lunchbox. ............... enough memories for now.
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Mike Saad (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 68.60.134.11
| | Posted on Friday, March 18, 2005 - 2:58 pm: | |
Ginny,
Your memory of sitting on the porch at night really sparked a blast from the past for me.
When I was about 7-10 (1953-56), I recall sitting after dark on the porch of our house at the southwest corner of 497 Kitchener and Essex (we also had to be home by the time the street lights went on.)
There was a group of older boys that always walked along Essex at night - I never got to see their faces. They would sing as they walked - acapella. They were excellent. They would often clap their hands to their own music to set the beat or tempo.
There was a large green mailbox on the corner - not for mailing letters, but for the postman to retrieve his deliveries. We always wanted to push the limit of sitting on the porch after dark by begging permission to climb up on and sit on the mailbox.
Next to that mailbox was a telephone pole on which was placed a red fire department pull box. The pole was painted white and red above and below the pull box lever.
It was not uncommon for us to be awakened late at night by someone who would pull the box on a false alarm. The fire trucks would roll anyway, of course, and wake us all up. My mom used to say a prayer in Italian whenever she heard sirens. At first it scared me to hear her do that, but she said it was important to pray for others who might be in danger - what a philosophy.
We had an alley behind our house with a ratty garage that my dad eventually tore down. A junk wagon, pulled by a horse, commonly coursed that alley, looking for our castoffs, making true the addage - one man's junk is another man's fortune. The driver of that rig (we were told it was a sheenie wagon) would tie his horse to our corner garage and walk across the street to make a lunceon purchase. He'd then return and continue on his way north towards Jefferson. I can still recall the sound of the wheels of his wagon in the alley.
I also recall another type of travelling "merchant." A knife sharpener would walk down Kitchener - no idea where his route originated but he would be coming towards Essex from Avondale - towards Jefferson. He pushed a large wheel barrow device that had a tredle driven grindstone on it. He would call out - "knives, knives" and ring a cow-bell. Folks would stand outside with their knives, or wait on the porch, or walk over to another neighbor's to talk while he sharpened knives for them.
Another summer time memory I have of porch sitting was the sound of the cotton candy truck that would come through. He sold pop corn, cotton candy, carmel corn - possibly ice cream, but I am not sure of that. Before the electronic tune or "jingle" on a loudspeaker, this truck had a set of bells that the driver would pull to announce his coming. We would be begging for a half hour before his actual arrival in front of our house - "can we dad, can we?" I wonder who my dad thought was the bigger pest - our incessant begging or the bells announcing this guy coming down the street?
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Diana Mery (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 69.152.230.129
| | Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 2:23 am: | |
Hi Mike,
Talking about sitting on the porch brought up the story of my father putting a board on our porch so that when any of our friends came over at dinner time(we couldn't go out during that timeKeep the),they would write a note saying where everyone would be. Does anyone remember Eddie Michaels..he lived on Lakewood near Avondale..also the Temples on Manistique(Barbara and Sharon) or Mary and Jenny Licavoli..so many of us..would be nice to have a reunion....Mike, you get it going and I'll help you anyway I can. Keep the stories coming...I'm reliving my youth!!
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Michael Mooney (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 68.43.189.4
| | Posted on Sunday, March 20, 2005 - 3:49 pm: | |
To Diane:
I have an older brother named Don Mooney who has a friend named "Joe Michaels" from the old neighborhood. I wonder if Joe is related to Eddie? Maybe I can ask. More than just old memories, Mike Saad's reminincing about the "sheenyman" and his horse drawn wagon, the knife sharpener, and other street entrepeneurs, recall a bit of daily-life American History that is probably not officially recorded elsewhere other than in the memories of those of us who directly experienced it. I used to walk up and down the alleys more than I did the sidewalks. I could identify neighbors from their backyards as easily as from the address numbers on their front porchs! I remember us kids were always on the lookout for fruit trees in peoples backyards. We would quickly climb the backyard fence and shag up the fruit trees for on-the-spot treats. I do not recall any homeowner that complained. I remember in the early 1960's (I'm a tad bit younger than some of you) when the first frisbees came to the neighborhood, also, the first "banana seat bikes." The first time I saw a "ski-doo" was in the window of Fromm's on Jefferson, next to the Edison store. You guys remember that? You could exchange burnt-out bulbs for free, along with getting your electrical appliances fixed. How about routinely getting soles and heels put on the bottoms of shoes? There was a "shoe shop" down by Dickerson and Jefferson that would also restitch baseball gloves. Speaking of baseball, I recall having to put electrical tape around the balls after their covers were knocked off. This gave 'em an extended life! I wonder if kids still do that? I remebr the big "monsters craze" that swept us up in the early 1960's. The "Monster Mash" played on CKLW and soon after, plastic models of all the popular movie monsters, Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein, were being sold by the Aurora Plastic Model Company. Harry's Hobby Shop sold all the miniture bottles of paint and had resupplies of the chemicals that were commonly sold in "Chemistry Sets." As a kid, living around, and hanging out by the waterfront of the canals and Detroit river gave me a feeling similar to Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer's adventures on the Mississippi! I loved going to the parks and my "rights of passage" included my time spent in Angel Park from the mid-60's to the early 1970's.
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Mark R. Colden (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 4.229.18.252
| | Posted on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 7:24 am: | |
Diana Mery – Eddie Michaels was one of my best friends when I was growing-up. He was a prominent part of our ‘wild bunch’ that included my Chalmers Ave. neighbor Harry D. (who had an older sister, Matilda, and a younger one named Paula), Frank C. who lived on Manistique between Jefferson and Essex and somehow managed to talk his mother into buying a red 1959 Plymouth Fury with a cream colored hardtop that he drove exclusively (he also went with Harry’s sister, Matilda), Jim Amato (who posts here), Clifford B. who lived at the Lakeside Trailer Court and many others who came and went. But the one’s I mentioned here were the basic foundation for the old gang I was talking about when I referenced the guys I recruited for the Mud and Snow Patrol in an earlier post. I first met Eddie in maybe the third or fourth grade at Guyton (I think he transferred from St. Martin’s) and along with the rest of the fellows I just mentioned believed we were the toughest guys to ever hit the neighborhood as we made our way through school. I can still picture Eddie and Frank combing their long hair that both had styled in a ‘DA’ (Duck’s Ass). We wore black leather motorcycle jackets (while still ridding bicycles) and once after seeing the 1955 movie “Blackboard Jungle” gave our music teacher, Mrs. French, the blues by calling her ‘teach’ like Vic Morrow and his gang had done in the film. Copying the guys in the movie lasted until we ran into our gym teacher (I think his name was Mr. Curry) who quickly put a stop to our misbehavior. Wow where’d that come from. Participating in this forum is really great – you folks bring back so many memories that I would have forgotten without it. If these discussions continue to grow, we’ll really have to have a reunion.
Mike Mooney – Eddie Michaels had an older brother who always had his nose in the books. I bet your brother’s friend, Joe, is Eddie’s brother. If this is so, please make sure that Joe tells Eddie that Mark Colden asks him to check out this site ASAP.
Does anyone remember going to Ives School for woodshop because Guyton didn’t have one (I know you do, Jim Amato)? Ives was across Jefferson. I want to say it was down the street from St. Columba Episcopal Church on Manistique, but it could have been on Ashland or Phillip. The boys were sent over there for a half a day, once a week when we got to about the fifth or sixth grade (I think the girls went to cooking or something like that). I forget the shop teacher’s name, but the rumor was – even before we started going to Ives – that he was a drunk and had his stash hidden somewhere among all the wood in the shop. Naturally, my buddies and I spent at least half our time looking for his bottle(s), but we never found one and we really looked. The poor man most likely didn’t drink at all, but some disgruntled student probably started the gossip. Although we thought we were bad, we weren’t terribly bright. Somebody brought in a few of his father’s 22 caliber bullets and thought it would be great if we could make them go off by putting them in the vices then smacking them with hammers. Of course, we agreed with him and went about hitting the shells as hard as we could, hoping for the big bang. It never entered our empty heads that someone could get hurt if any of the bullets went off. If we had a scintilla of sense among us, we could have used cap gun strips or firecrackers, but given our mind-set (or lack thereof) that wouldn’t have been cool.
I thoroughly enjoy the many recollections posted here. Since discovering this forum and the memories it jogs, I’m amazed that I managed to get out of my childhood alive. Shagging cars in the winter without the drivers knowing we were squat down, hanging on their back bumpers sliding behind them down the street. Swimming in the river at the foot of Lakewood and horsing around with my friends among the jagged rocks and concrete down there. We tried to walk to Belle Isle from Lakewood Park across the ice in the wintertime. I don’t remember a winter we didn’t give it a shot. And I don’t remember a winter that someone didn’t break through the ice.
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Mike Saad (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 68.60.134.11
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 1:06 am: | |
Hi Mark Colden,
I was just telling someone over the weekend about this website. I mentioned how my memories had come alive after reading other folks's posts and how we talked about Lakewood and Angel Parks. And I went on to recall how as a teen, we would dive into the river off the big rocks and concrete at the foor of Lakewood. The current was so fast that we would come up from the dive a good fifty feet from where we jumped in and have to scramble to get a handhold on new rocks to climb back out. The guys I was telling this too looked at me like I had to be making it up.
Glad to see that I wasn't the only one without any sense.
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James Amato (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 69.47.247.222
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - 4:58 am: | |
Hello again everyone, It's been awhile since I was here. I went out to Huntington Beach, California to see my oldest son. What a great time I had. I was reading through the posts I missed and I can tell you I'm glad you guys have a better memory than I do. Tony Mery thanks for the info on the Eagle Pool Room. I didn't know you worked there. Geez, small world eh?
Hey Eastside, Your right it was the White Sun. Thanks.
Mark Colden, Reading your posts are great. Brother I can't believe how articulate you are. You were always smarter than the rest of us anyway. lol I do remember Ives school now that you mention it Mark. Now that is something I never would have remembered for sure. I also thought the teacher may have drank. Didn't he have white hair and kind of ornery? I really have to strain my brain to remember things. So many years, so many dead brain cells from all that partying at such a young age.
Mike Saad, I also remember swimming off Lakewood Park. Back in those days I could swim but I couldn't tread water. Well a friend of mine pushed me in and I went in feet first and immediatly started to drown. I think I came up once or twice before someone threw an inner tube out to me. On my last time up I came right up through the center hole which saved me. What a toss thank God. If it wasn't for that they would have found me down near Grosse Isle. We also used to go over to Harbor Island and jump off the Stroh boat house into the canal. We had this huge airplane innertube and would try to dive through the hole. Eight times out of ten when we went through it the air valve stem would just scrape us up pretty bad. It was always a contest to see who could get through it without drawing blood. There was so much crap under the water I'm surprized none of us weren't hurt. Young and dumb.
Diana Mery can I tell everyone about you and I?
Maybe I shouldn't eh? lololol I don't want to die yet. Nothing bad of course. I'm just pulling your leg kiddo or am I? hehehe
Well folks as usual it was a joy to read your posts. Please don't stop. I enjoy everyone of them. So many memories. Thanks. I sure would be interested in a reunion of sorts if we could work it out and I would be willing to help out also now that I'm a no working bum. The only problem with a reunion is that everyone has gotten so gray, wrinkled, & bald they wouldn't recognize me. lol See you soon
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Eastside
Member
Username: Eastside
Post Number: 175
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 12:44 am: | |
http://www.amazon.com/gp/yp/B0 003URU1E/103-2229644-0862224 |
Eastside
Member
Username: Eastside
Post Number: 176
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 12:51 am: | |
Ok guys...click on the link and pan right. You are at Jefferson & Ashland and it is like walking down the street. I hope this stirs memories and more discussion because your posts are so enjoyable to read...like a novel really. Peace |
(Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 66.82.9.77
| | Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 8:59 pm: | |
What a treat, thank you. I haven't been to Detroit more than twice in the last 30 years so this was a real flashback.
I was practically raised in Marshall's bar (unfortunately) and can't believe it's still there. The empty lot was where the nursing home was and I can't believe it was never further developed. The other corner on Manistique was a drug store, run by Mr and Mrs Munger. It was called William's. There was a small grocery next to it called Marianne's. You could trade in your pop bottles for 2 cents and then buy candy or fruit. I remember when the 1st large grocery store opened up across on the other side of Jefferson. Up until then, we went to the bakery for bread, or (if you remember this) bought baked goods from the traveling Awrey man, who actually came to your door. My dad was a Sealtest milkman, so no shortage of milk / ice cream for us. I remember the Sheeney man, also do you remember the guy who came around with the horse and took your picture .
Thanks again for the picture site, how nice.
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Eastside
Member
Username: Eastside
Post Number: 179
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 12:17 am: | |
http://www.amazon.com/gp/yp/B0 003UTYIG/103-2229644-0862224 |
Eastside
Member
Username: Eastside
Post Number: 180
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 12:22 am: | |
It's my pleasure...I'm glad you enjoy it. Above is the link for the other (north?) side of Jefferson. Starting at Alter & Jefferson...pan right into the city. |
Eastside
Member
Username: Eastside
Post Number: 181
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 12:25 am: | |
Err..pan left |
Mike Saad (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 68.60.134.11
| | Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2005 - 10:46 pm: | |
Eastside ....
Thank you for the photo show of Jefferson Avenue.
I didn't know whether to smile, laugh or cry when I saw the panorama unfold. I recalled so many happy days and was disgusted to see the desolation left behind. I guess it is better to see bare land than the wrecks of those places that so many of us loved.
I guess Iwould rather preserve my wonderful memories as they are, than be reminded of the unsightly blight of vacant and burned out houses that ruined that area over the last 40 years. Maybe it is better that those wondeful old houses and stores are gone now than to be reminded of their desecration. I have often driven down that stretch of Jefferson Avenue with my doors locked and felt the loss of a great era in the city's history - the early 1950s and 60s.
On another note, looking at the pictures of the Algonquin through Conner area I was amazed to see some of the old, old trees still standing. Is it possible that these are remnants of the old Elm Trees?
Does anyone recall the trucks rolling down the streets in the 1950 spraying insecticide up into the trees through huge blowing fans? An insect borne disease "Dutch Elm Disease" was killing off the elms similar to todays emerald ash borer. I can still recall sitting on our porch at Kitchener and Essex as those trucks went by blowing mist into our breathing air. No warnings about health; no parents shooing us inside. Just spraying the trees - ugh.
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Eastside
Member
Username: Eastside
Post Number: 182
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 12:05 pm: | |
Mr Saad:
I can see your point, for sure. Since I am not of that era...I cannot connect to that time other than through what is left. My eye is keen to the beauty of what's left rather than what once was. It is only through whats left that I am able to imagine what once was. I hope I'm not confusing you...cause I'm sure confusing myself! Peace to you sir. |
Sylvia McCoy (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 69.14.92.254
| | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 4:08 pm: | |
Today my sister, mother, daughter and I went down to Alter road to view the trailer park ruins. What we found was a vacant lot. Apparently, someone has purchased the land and cleared out all the trailer parks. They just cleared it out too. They were working there today. The house is still standing, but all the trailers are gone and the land has been scraped of trees. A pile of trailer tires is there and so are the docks. There were dumpsters being filled as we looked on. Would like to know what develpment is planned. Went to the park, but the road entrance to the Lake East park was bad, would need a truck to get through. It was sad to see homes on Avalon, which the back of the homes faced the canal. Many were boarded or torn down or just not taken care of. Avalon at Jefferson is closed for road repairs.
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Mikem
Member
Username: Mikem
Post Number: 1317
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 10:35 pm: | |
The Ashland Avenue "bump" - the bridge over the Fox Creek - is being rebuilt. The street has been closed for months. I wonder why it was so steep in the first place? Seems like there's no need to allow space for boat passage since the creek ends at Jefferson. Does anyone know when the creek was covered over north of Jefferson? |
Michael Mooney (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 68.43.189.4
| | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 7:10 pm: | |
To All:
Speaking of old elm trees, do you guys remember the small stand of huge trees that was in Lakewood park? They were right on the shoulder of the north/south arm of the canal that seperated Lakewood from Angel park. There must have been eight or nine of them, tightly grouped together. They stood out from the rest of the trees and were very tall and very old. I place them directly east of the restroom building at the south end of the parking lot. There were several memorable trees at Angel, too. Remember the one between the parking lot and the river? The one that had a large branch growing horizontal, so as to make it an easy climb. I spent countless hours at Angel, laying on a blanket with friends, listening to WABX, and staring at the sky without a care in the world. Sometimes car radios were playing the same stations in the parking lot, with their trunks open, to give a panoramic sound to the music. At times, I would "rove around" to seperate enclaves of friends, scattered about the park. Many of us would walk around, goofing off, chatting, some smoking weed, and generally, just "partying!" I particulrly liked watching the frieghters on the river. I remember the day that "Jaque Cousteau's" ocean explorer ship, the "Calipso," sailed on by the park. Sightseers on both sides of the river showed up in droves. Preceeding the Calipso was a low flying helicopter, buzzing back and forth. When the 1000 plus feet frieghters would occasionally turn around at the mouth of the river, they would temporarily create a huge dam, that would visibly surge the water up and down the river coast. I remember the day that the Detroit Police helicopter hit a small airplane, sending it and the crew to their deaths in the river. The plane then flew crippled to the City Airport and landed safely. at times, the Boblo boat was so close to the shore, you could hear the laughter and dance music coming from the passengers. Before I had a car, I would hitchhike to the park down Alter road from the corner of Jefferson. I was identified by motorists as a "regular." There used to be a guy at the park with long blond hair named "Marty." I wonder what ever happened to him and the other regulars? Would anyone else consider a Angel park reunion this summer? I know we have different age groups in this forum. If we each kept in contact with one or two others from the old neighborhood, we could spread "word-of-mouth" or, email this site to others and come up with a plan for one of these upcoming weekends. I see a few "park people" and will touch base with them. Anyone else?
Michael Mooney
(Message approved by admin) |
Diana Mery (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 69.153.10.26
| | Posted on Friday, March 25, 2005 - 5:01 pm: | |
Mark Colden,
Yes Joe Michaels is Eddie's brother..they were a big family. You brought back another memory for me when you mentioned Frank C.(Closurdo). Couln't believe he was full blooded Italian because of his blue eyes,fair skin and blonde hair!!
Jim Amato, go ahead and tell everyone about us...lol..we sure had fun,didn't we. Always thinking fondly of you. I will also help on a reunion (even though I'm in Texas)..sure would be great to see all the old gang.
(Message approved by admin) |
Tom Kowalski (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 152.163.100.195
| | Posted on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 9:16 am: | |
Mike Saad told me about this website and I have just finished reading all the postings and looking at all the photos. It is so great to be able to take this walk down memory lane to a simpler time, and to remember growing up in such a unique, wonderful neighborhood that was a mix of city and country - with the river, canals, and wild areas of the park at the foot of Algonquin St. I share many of the experiences of all of you and my best friends from my childhood were Mike Saad, his brothers, Pat Preston, Ed Sheridan, and many others who went to St. Martin's and hung out in the summers at Guyton. I was on the softball teams there (still have the scars on my shins to prove it) and participated in the horse shoe tournaments, etc... I also remember the jet bomber crash and still have a small piece of it.
I first lived on Algonquin near Avondale and then at the age of 11, moved to 725 Lakewood, only 3 houses from Freud. I left in 1967 to join the Air Force, never returned other than to get my belongings, and now live in LaFayette, NY which is in upstate just south of Syracuse. I attended the neighborhood reunion last year and had a wonderful time seeing and talking to as many people as I could.
I remember one of the first rites of spring when I lived on Algonquin was to go snake hunting for garter snakes at the wild overgrown area of the park at the foot of Algonquin (was it Maharis Park?). I also remember one year that a dismembered dog was found in that area, and there was a fear among parents (and us) that there was some sort of crazy person living in the area who might kidnap one of us kids, murder and then dismember us! Does anyone else remember that? I don't think anyone was ever caught for that.
On Algonguin I had a really good friend who lived on the block by the name of Ronnie Pond. He moved out near Eastland Shopping Center, when I was probably around 8 or 9 yrs. old, and it was still under construction. Prior to him moving, we were always going off without telling our parents and doing some stupid stuff - like riding/paddling a floating tree trunk way out into the river, exploring the canals/old crumbling bridge near the Fisher Mansion, or poking around at a dump area just across the canal from the big Edison Plant and finding 55 gal. drums with gooey foul stuff oozing out and playing with it. This probably was a hazardous waste dump!! With exposure to that stuff, the sometimes sulfurous smoke from the Edison plant that would blanket the neighborhood when the wind was a certain way, and the insecticide spray from spraying the trees, no wonder I have trouble with my memory!! There were also so many drownings in the canals that my parents took me to learn how to swim at the YMCA near Waterworks Park when I was only 4 yrs. old.
Keep the memories flowing and I will keep checking on the site. All of you take care.
(Message approved by admin) |
Brenda
Member
Username: Brenda
Post Number: 5
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 8:39 pm: | |
lived at 419 Eastlawn--two street from St. Martin. I went to Guyton school and had friends from both schools. Someone mentioned the famous Venoffs(sp). One of them was at a Guyton reunion in 94 that I attended. I loved the beautiful trees that touched each other on the streets and the smell of burning leaves in the fall. I remember taking long walks to Lakewood Park and Angel Park. I later cruised with my 10speed along Windmill Point and onto Lakeshore Drive up to 8 mile before returning home. I had my little transistor attached to my bike so I could have tunes (before walkman or Ipods, lol). My radio was made by the Zenith company that my father worked for and made in America too! I loved going to Kresge and Saunders. My mother used to shop at Alberts and my friends were regulars at the Cinderella theater. I loved the book-mobile...still an avid reader.
ok, I have this posted on all three "Lost Paradise" sites. So Mr. R. Saad, you should see my posting,lol.
To all the others who have read this site or crossed my path when I was young, these memories are truly precious. |
Elaine_hamby
Member
Username: Elaine_hamby
Post Number: 6
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 04, 2007 - 6:54 pm: | |
I lived right on the "bump" at 880 Ashland. It was a pretty yellow house and I've seen a photo of it on this site: it's been worked on and there is a tarp hanging on most of it, but when I saw it, my heart stopped for a minute because the years just dropped away. It was like I stopped on top of the bridge and looked at my house before going in, something I probably did a thousand times. I skated on the canal every winter. All I had to do was crawl over the side porch wall! |
Brenda
Member
Username: Brenda
Post Number: 35
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 10:13 pm: | |
I posted the following on a "detroit" site...wonderful if the people of Detroit will take the city back before it becomes a ghost town and all that we have here are memories........
recently left Detroit (Michigan) to work/live in another nearby state. I had enough of the high taxes, housing and long commutes. My choice was personal and economic. I still have family and many friends in metro Detroit who I love dearly. When I heard that Detroit regained the title of "Murder City"....I was saddened. It seemed to be the nail in the coffin so to speak after the recent news of business's leaving, foreclosures and criminals still running the city and state. There are wonderful, good and decent people who still live in Detroit and don't kill each other...power is in the people. Get rid of the criminal leaders, city, council and state...take Detroit back...don't let the recent news media blitz on Detroit turn it into a ghost town. You have the power to make miracles happen. Don't let the media bring up the riots of 40 years ago to add to the recent statistics about Detroit as a catalyst to destroy this city. If you stand back and take this recent news posting, then you will prove them and the world correct..that Detroit is the Iraq of America...don't let them destroy Detroit |
Brenda
Member
Username: Brenda
Post Number: 37
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 9:47 pm: | |
Just a reminder for new and old visiters to this site that I have Mr. Weitschat's address where he lives now to send him greetings for the holiday season. I know I posted it before. Goodness knows where it is buried. Please write to this dear man and keep the memories alive:
Mr. Willard (Bill) Weitschat
Christwood Hills Dementia Care
3735 Yorkshire Dr
Traverse City MI 49686-7202
Phone: 231-932-2051
To all the people I knew in the old neighborhood, both St. Martin and Guyton people, I wish you all a great Thanksgiving! |
Silky_sullivan
Member
Username: Silky_sullivan
Post Number: 4
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 03, 2009 - 4:51 pm: | |
To Mark Colden
Did You have a brother Richard Colden? |
Silky_sullivan
Member
Username: Silky_sullivan
Post Number: 5
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 03, 2009 - 5:17 pm: | |
To Mike saad: The knife sharpening man was John Perconti who had a daughter Annie. They lived on Drexel between Essex and Saint Martins. Does anyone remember the car crash at St. Martins around '56 or '57 when some kids were killed when they slammed into the church? Anyone remember Ronnie Mobley? Believe the store on the corner of Drexel and Essex was called Prices. All the guys would hang out and smoke ciggerette's before school and we would all stroll into church 5 minutes before mass was over. The Sisters would really give us the evil eye. Does anyone remember Sister Annunciata? That gal could really throw an erasure. |
Silky_sullivan
Member
Username: Silky_sullivan
Post Number: 6
Registered: 02-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 03, 2009 - 5:30 pm: | |
To Ginny: The car dealership was an Oldsmobile place and we would get our evening newspapers their until the dealership realized that those new transister radios they had in the glove compartments were all of a sudden disappearing. We use to fly the Hump everynight delivering papers. The night that the plane crashed at the other end I bet we made close to $100 selling papers to all the gawkers.
I worked for a while on the corner of Chalmers & Jefferson next door to Marshalls bar (Suttons Drug Store). Across the street use to be a Florsheims shoe store and a hobby shop.
Do you remembers Rahalls market on Jefferson? |
Aha
Member
Username: Aha
Post Number: 3
Registered: 03-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, March 05, 2009 - 3:20 pm: | |
Does anyone on this site have photos of the various businesses that once existed on Essex. The commercial strip was bounded by Lenox on the west and Ashland to the east...I believe some businesses existed on Freud as well... |
Little_mike
Member
Username: Little_mike
Post Number: 49
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, March 05, 2009 - 3:55 pm: | |
No pictures, here, but I can take you from Piper to Ashland on Essex by memory. If you browse around this thread, you can piece things together.
I am sure Ron Saad has pictures of his old store. Brenda might be able to help with the Essex/Eastlawn area (?). |
Ron_saad
Member
Username: Ron_saad
Post Number: 147
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 05, 2009 - 9:31 pm: | |
Sorry no pictures here. |
Brenda
Member
Username: Brenda
Post Number: 96
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2009 - 6:37 pm: | |
I saw a house at 382 Eastlawn for sale--of course needed mega work...it looks like my double flat I lived in has been kept up and is still occupied...I visit there years ago and met the owner who had kept the place up beautifully....The street I lived on (Eastlawn) at 419 was between avondale and averhill--just two block from St. Martin's...I believe with the housing that was created there and fews from the web, my street exists surrounded by these new condos....Search the address you want or google earth for real time photos....hope this helps |
Little_mike
Member
Username: Little_mike
Post Number: 50
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 12:00 am: | |
Silky:
Chalmers & Jefferson, eh? The hobby shop was called "Harry's Hobby Shop". The front was painted in this green-ish teal color. There was a guy that worked in there named Dave. He was there all the time. We used to get our Aurora HO cars there. We'd talk to Dave for ehat seemed like hours - probably minutes, though. More than likely he was humoring us 7 year olds. But that was "car talk" for us little guys back then. |
Cgoodger
Member
Username: Cgoodger
Post Number: 4
Registered: 03-2009
| | Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 9:45 pm: | |
Some of you may remember my mother - Donna Lee Durie, My Grandfather - Al Durie, my Grandmother - Thelma Durie, my Uncle - Dale Durie, or my father - Ronald Lee Murray???
My Grandpa owned a store called Al's and Donna Lee's Sweet Shop |
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