  Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 71 Registered: 01-2007 |
 My Grandma worked at Raynal Brothers from the early 1960's until the late 1970's. I don't know if that is the actual dealership on the right or just a sign for the dealership. For a larger version of the photo, please click here Ookpik (Message edited by Ookpik on February 22, 2007) | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 1970 Registered: 10-2003 |
The Loren A. Wagner Funeral Home was located at 9401 Chalmers. Anything else indicate Chalmers? | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2612 Registered: 10-2004 |
From a web search, two hits indicated: Raynal Bros. apparently had a Dodge outlet somewhere. "Since 1925" 9103 CHALMERS? There's a Loren A. Wagner Funeral Home at 9401 Chalmers in 1978. The view is southward on Chalmers, and the stop sign in the center of the shot is the diagonal Queen Street intersection. Notice that the stop sign is visible. If the street were at a right angle, the lettering would not be so readily visible. The offsets in the sidewalks on each side of Queen Street match those in the photo with both the Google Earth and Mapquest views . (Message edited by LivernoisYard on February 22, 2007) | ||
Seanharper Member Username: Seanharper Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2007 |
The Wagner funeral home on the right was on Chalmers near Harper. Not too familiar with that area though. Perhaps an eastsider can confirm? Sean | ||
Seanharper Member Username: Seanharper Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2007 |
From one of Waxx's posts in the Old Car Dealers thread: Wow, this brings back some rare memories that I can recall the fewer (now fewest) car dealerships in the inner city and one of them I actually stayed next door to on Evanston and Chalmers in the early 1980s-Raynal Bros. Dodge. Perhaps Waxx could chime in on this, since he seemed to have lived near there... Sean | ||
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk Post Number: 24 Registered: 11-2006 |
I used to work at Splane Electric which was at 9155 Hayes right across a side street from Raynal Bros. At that point Hayes and Chalmers are only a block apart. and they meet at Harper which makes for a crazy intersection. The Raynal Bros. bldg is now a laundrymatt | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 21 Registered: 02-2007 |
I beg to differ. This shot is taken on Chalmers looking towards Harper. If you were driving towards the river on Chalmers, Raynal bros dealership and body shop were on your right. That would be east. The stop sign was bent by a juvenile delinquent to face towards Seymour. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3074 Registered: 10-2003 |
Gtat44, I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. It was said earlier that you are facing south on Chalmers toward Harper. If you are facing south, then you are facing the river. Raynal on the right would be on the west side of the street. Here's the apartment building next to the photographer, with Chalmers in front and Queen behind it.  | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 662 Registered: 08-2006 |
Is the car motoring along a '56 Dodge? | ||
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk Post Number: 25 Registered: 11-2006 |
You are correct. I contacted one of my old co-workers from Splane Electric. He verified that French Electric was on the east side of Chalmers about a block north of Raynal Brothers. Raynal had a number of buildings one of which is now a laundry and the main bldg was used by Focus Hope as a training center | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2617 Registered: 10-2004 |
How can the intersection be Seymour? The funeral home also has a USPS letter drop at its corner which still exists today: mailbox locator. Michigan Mailbox Location Details: Address: 9401 CHALMERS Description: CHALMERS/WADE Queen Street intersects Wade/Chalmers across the street, where the apartment building is. Something about French Electric: More About BEVERLY HARDING GOODWIN FRENCH: He became a citizen of the United States after he immigrated to USA from Canada. He lived at 4001 Whitney and worked as a truck driver for G.E. Engineering on Elizabeth Street. In December 1938, he met Anna M. Beadle at 210 E. Grand Blvd while working as custodian for Miss Mabel E. Bennett at 210 E. Grand Blvd. He attended Cass Tech for classes in electrical engineering. He joined Local 58 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Beverly worked for Charlebois Electric wiring "Drive-In Theatres". After deciding to go into business for himself he founded French Electric Company with Offices at 5761 Eastlawn in 1948. He moved French Electric to 9328 Chalmers in 1952. He founded and operated Electro Temp Inc. and Yardley Lantern Mfg. Co. at 1975 Clay Ave in Detroit. He was a member and President of the Thomas Edison Club, an electrical construction industry trade association. Beverly held two patents for scaffolding and luminous ceiling equipment. (Message edited by LivernoisYard on February 22, 2007) | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 663 Registered: 08-2006 |
Or maybe a '58 Studebaker...? The cars further along in the background, the next distant one has tall tail lights like a '57 chevy. | ||
Cub Member Username: Cub Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2007 |
You guys are good. | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 73 Registered: 01-2007 |
Thanks for all the info and picture! Where do you get those super clear aerial photos? Here is a little remembrance of that area from my Dad: He used to play on that triangle of land before the apartments were built. There was a baseball diamond there – one that was laid out by the kids. He believes the building on the corner of Chalmers and Corbett was Bill's Bar (this would be 1940's -1950's). My Dad wonders if the funeral home had another name? He says it may have started with a “K.” As previously mentioned, my Grandma worked at Raynal Brothers. Since she did not drive, we waited at the corner of Chalmers and Wade to pick her up. Ookpik | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2620 Registered: 10-2004 |
There's today another funeral parlor at 9555 Chalmers (Jeter Memorial)--north of the former Wagner funeral home. (Message edited by LivernoisYard on February 22, 2007) | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3077 Registered: 10-2003 |
Looking through a 1940 directory, there was nothing on the east side of Chalmers along that block as you father indicated, and on the west side there was a beer garden, a beauty salon, and a grocery store. The beer garden, at 9479 Chalmers, belonged to a Mrs Carrie Golchert. In 1946, it was named Bill's Bar. The Wagner Funeral Home in 1935 was at 14441 Harper, corner of Chalmers/Hayes. In 1940 and 1946, it's listed at 6100 Chalmers, which is practically where I-94 crosses. There is no other funeral home listed on Chalmers north of Harper. Maybe Wagner moved a few blocks north because of freeway construction? Maybe the whole funeral home was moved. I get the aerials from: http://www.freshlogicstudios.c om/Products/Atlas/ | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 24 Registered: 02-2007 |
Mikem you are correct, I apologize. Livernoisyard, I didn't say the intersection was Seymour.........I said the stop sign was facing Seymour which would be I'm guessing a 1/2 mile or so back. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4863 Registered: 11-2003 |
MikeM gives us good aerials because he flies his airplanes over the sights and looks out the window. You folks amaze jjaba. Being a Westsider, jjaba has never ever heard of these places, yet they ARE Detroit. Your recollections are amazing, your research is crisp, and your advocacy for your work is right on mark. Thanks, merci. Typical Detroit, the curent photos look Eastside vacant. jjaba. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1152 Registered: 01-2005 |
Again, what Jjaba said. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4871 Registered: 11-2003 |
Ray1936 is about as clueless as jjaba about the Eastside. We make our point. It looks Detroit but if you said Cleveland, what the hell would we know? jjaba. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1155 Registered: 01-2005 |
Funny thing is my adopted home of Las Vegas has the same curiosity as Detroit. You're either an east sider or a west sider. The metro area is split right down the middle by the strip, adjacent I-15, and the also adjacent Union Pacific RR. Those three barriers tend to keep a person on the side of town he/she lives. However, now I'm an east sider........ | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 976 Registered: 11-2003 |
However, I-696 ended a majority of that nonsense. | ||
Tsomyak Member Username: Tsomyak Post Number: 1 Registered: 04-2008 |
Wow, does this take me back. Yes, that is Raynal Brothers on the right. My father worked there for over 35 years. I held a job there during high school myself. The fenced lot on the right is where they kept their inventory, followed in the next block by what was in my day the Plymouth dealership, followed in the next block by the Dodge Dealership, and finally the used car lot sat between Evanston and Harper. The body shop sat on the right side of Chalmers in the picture, across from the Dodge dealership I believe. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1599 Registered: 12-2005 |
Tsomyak, Welcome to the forum! Do you remember a mechanic there by the name of Jules C.? He was a friend of my father's. | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 390 Registered: 01-2007 |
Hi Tsomyak! My Grandmother worked at Raynal Brothers from the early 1960's until they closed. If you remember Stella from the office - that was her! |
