  Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 223 Registered: 01-2007 |
 The billboard is an ad for "Grinnell Bros." The drug store reads "E. J. ____" Looks like a grocery store and barber shop across the street. There appear to be street car tracks. For a larger view: http://www.geocities.com/detpixii/detpic63b.jpg Ookpik | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 127 Registered: 03-2006 |
Across the street, the grocery appears to be advertising "Hot Dogs 5 cents" in vertical fashion. That same building has a shoe repair sign (in shape of a shoe) but I can't read the lettering. There is ornamentation on top of the building that looks like five chess pawns. To the extreme right, possibly on a building out of sight, there is a sign for Dixie Oils and Gasoline. Look here for info: http://www.premierhummer.com/d ixie-oval.html | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3290 Registered: 10-2003 |
The directories I have from the 1930s-1940s list only three Dixie gasoline stations: 1261 W Fort 5633 W Fort 3425 Gratiot Their main business appeared to be supplying fuel oil and coal, with the supply yard and area headquarters at 301 S Cavalry. | ||
Lmr Member Username: Lmr Post Number: 31 Registered: 03-2007 |
From Mikem's 3 possibilities above I would think that 5633 W Fort is more likely than 1261 W Fort because 5633 W Fort is in the Fort-Junction area and it had more of the residential buildings like those in the distance in the picture than 1261 would, which is almost downtown. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1450 Registered: 01-2005 |
Hmmmm. Doesn't look wide enough for either W. Fort or Gratiot. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3293 Registered: 10-2003 |
No, and none of the surrounding businesses in my directories match what's in the picture. There was an E.J. McCabe Drugs at 3734 Michigan, but that places it at the corner of W Grand Boulevard. Those ground level billboards seem to be located at the fringe of the developed area of the city in the 1930s, such as McNichols & Woodward. | ||
Lmr Member Username: Lmr Post Number: 32 Registered: 03-2007 |
Ray1936 is right, the street doesn't look wide enough to be Gratiot or W. Fort. I thought that was just my imagination at first. 301 S Cavalry is another possibility? I don't know if Cavalry had streetcar tracks or not, but it would be narrower. There are also some staggered streets in that area where the cross streets don't go straight across like this. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 1090 Registered: 08-2006 |
South Shore commuter rail road through Michigan City still goes through city streets. It's a neat old time experience. | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 224 Registered: 01-2007 |
Mike - Do your directories list dentists? Just to the left of the sign for E.J. McCabe Drugs and right below the window appears to be a sign that reads "Dentist." Ookpik | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 129 Registered: 03-2006 |
I can't get the big-sized picture to come up anymore. Poot. | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 130 Registered: 03-2006 |
At the Cavalry address, the roads seem narrower than in the picture, but there is a lot of truck yards around there so my perception may be off in this case. I also couldn't match up any buildings. | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 225 Registered: 01-2007 |
Keep trying for the larger view. Sometimes it comes up.  Some times it doesn't.  Ookpik | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 131 Registered: 03-2006 |
Got it, Ookpik. The drug sign seems to me to say "E.J. DE___" There is a space between the "DE" and the next letter which looks like a "M" and the last letter looks like a "Y". DE MOY? Further down the street, those buildings look like row-houses going up a slope then down. | ||
Lmr Member Username: Lmr Post Number: 33 Registered: 03-2007 |
Is that sign beginning E.J. ... part of the DRUGS sign or another sign behind it? | ||
Lmr Member Username: Lmr Post Number: 34 Registered: 03-2007 |
On the far side of the grocery store the gas station sign looks like it says Standard Service. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3294 Registered: 10-2003 |
E J Fisher Drugs at 8246 E Forest E I Fisher Drugs at 4802 W Vernor There has to be at least 300 druggist in the phone book, and that's all I come up with after a quick scan. Yes, I have dentist listings, but I'm not ready to skim through several hundred dentists' addresses to cross-index with the hundreds of drug stores and filling stations. I like doing a little bit of investigation, but this is like a crossword puzzle - if I can't get it after a few tries, I wait until tomorrow's. | ||
Seanharper Member Username: Seanharper Post Number: 16 Registered: 02-2007 |
I could swear that the drug store sign says something like "E. J. Blaize". Then again, I need bifocals, so take that with a grain of salt. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 3178 Registered: 10-2004 |
GRINNELL, Clayton A., piano manufacturer and general music dealer; born near Albion, N.Y., Dec. 2, 1859; son of Ira and Betsy A. (Balcome) Grinnell; educated in district schools of Orleans Co., N.Y., and at University of Michigan, graduating, 1879; married at Detroit, May 21, 1904, Miss Myrta Gay. Began in music business at Ann Arbor, Mich., with brother, Ira L., under title of Grinnell Bros., 1880; firm located in Detroit, 1882, and began manufacture of pianos, 1901; firm now has 16 stores in operation in United States and Canada. Member National Association of Piano Dealers of America (first vice president, elected June, 1907), Detroit Board of Commerce. Republican as to politics. Methodist in church affiliation. Member Masonic order, K.O.T.M., Loyal Guards. Recreations: Hunting, fishing and travel. Office: 241-243 Woodward Av. Residence: 1695 Woodward Av. GRINNELL, Ira L., manufacturer of pianos and general music dealer; born, Niagara Co., N.Y., Mar. 1, 1848; son of Ira and Betsy (Balcom) Grinnell; educated at academy, Albion, N.Y. and at Manchester, Mich.; married, 1st, Ann Arbor, Mich., Ellen Park (now deceased); 2nd, Detroit, Sept., 1892, Miss Emily Lightfoot. Engaged in sewing machine business at Ann Arbor and Detroit, 1866-82; entered music business with his brother, Clayton A. Grinnell, 1882, and has since been senior partner of the firm of Grinnell Bros., manufacturers, music dealers and jobbers of talking machines, with piano factory and headquarters in Detroit and branches in the principal cities of Michigan. Member Detroit Board of Commerce, Municipal League. Republican. Member O.E.S. Office: 243-247 Woodward Av. Residence: 61 Peterboro St. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3296 Registered: 10-2003 |
Well, the E. J. Fisher Drugs on E. Forest was from a 1946 phone book. Looking back to a 1940 directory, I see that at that time it was the Edwin J Blaize Pharmacy. If it is 8246 E Forest, that means it would be on the south side of the street at the corner of Seminole, and we are looking west toward downtown. At 8242 would be the offices of the C. F. Burger Creamery Company. Does the sign behind the drugstore sign end in "_ger"? Across the street at 8243 is the filling station of Joseph Jankech, brand not listed. Next to the filling station is a confectioner, a vacant store, then several residences farther west, beyond Maxwell Avenue. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3297 Registered: 10-2003 |
DSR map from 1931 showing tracks on Forest, east of Van Dyke:  | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1451 Registered: 01-2005 |
Grave of Clayton Grinnell: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi- bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Grinne ll&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSs t=24&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=115 78836& | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 226 Registered: 01-2007 |
Dzam! I think you got it Mike! The drug store reads "E. J. Blaize" and what is visible of the sign behind it reads "ger." The location fits perfect with other photos because this is only a few block from Pingree Park, Barbour school, etc. Awesome detective work! Thanks! Ookpik | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3299 Registered: 10-2003 |
Here is the E Forest/Seminole intersection from 1949:  The arrow represents the direction the photographer is facing. The building on the corner adjacent to the tip of the arrow is the drug store. The empty lot adjacent to the start of the arrow is where the billboard is located. You can even see a billboard in the aerial photo, facing the opposite direction (west). In the ground level photo, Forest has two-way traffic. Sometime between the date of the original photo and 1949, E Forest was turned into a one-way street. The old billboard was probably replaced with a new one, situated to face the eastbound traffic. | ||
Rrl Member Username: Rrl Post Number: 818 Registered: 12-2003 |
Damn MikeM, impressive sleuth work; you are tha man. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 459 Registered: 01-2007 |
I'll grab a couple of current snaps of that location tomorrow guys. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1454 Registered: 01-2005 |
Atta boy, bullet. Great work, MikeM. Huzzah to Ookpik for posting. What fun! | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3301 Registered: 10-2003 |
The Crosstown Line provided trains on this section of East Forest:  Service ended in 1947. | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 132 Registered: 03-2006 |
Man, Mikem keeps digging even after we figured where it's at! I await Mikem's identification of the smirking guy in the photo. Is that Jjaba or Ray1936 or Mikem himself? : ) (Message edited by Catman_Dude on May 16, 2007) | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1456 Registered: 01-2005 |
Must be Jjaba. Ray1936 wouldn't be caught dead in a candy-assed jacket like that. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1301 Registered: 12-2005 |
Jjaba wouldn't be caught dead on the east side goddamn roads run at all crazy angles, change names, have funny sounding names you never heard of | ||
Brewcitypunk Member Username: Brewcitypunk Post Number: 6 Registered: 12-2004 |
The white house on the southeast corner of Maxwell and Forest in the old picture stands in a current satellite shot. It has the exact window placement as the home directly to the east of the service station lot. Just look east at the birdseye view on atlas.freshlogicstudios.com site. I hope someone else sees this. I hope Bulletmagnet snaps some cool pictures, hopefully one of the "5 cent hot dog" building. Another great job by all. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 461 Registered: 01-2007 |
Here is how the same shot looks today: http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_52 77.jpg?t=1179352139 Brewcitypunk, the white house you mentioned is clearly seen in both shots, and can be used as a reference point. Here is another slightly different view from a few flags further back: http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_52 75.jpg?t=1179352352 The 5 cent hot dog building is still there, but a little worse for wear. | ||
Mccarch Member Username: Mccarch Post Number: 124 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thanks, Bullet, for taking those photos. What I find interesting is that today's asphalt is cracking apparently just above the abandoned streetcar rails. The past lives! | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 462 Registered: 01-2007 |
Indeed, Mccarch! If you look closely, one can see the gentle rise and fall of the road grade in both photos. | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 134 Registered: 03-2006 |
In the old photos, the location seemed "busier." There were places to go to like the drug store, grocery, shoe repair, and what appears to be one or two gas stations. Today it appears "industrialized." The former drug store building has it's trim stripped off and made non-descript. The formerly paved lot between the white house and the shoe-repair place is now grass. Whatever building the Dixie Gasoline sign was hanging from is now gone. In the old days, the location seemed to have character and neighborhood ambiance. Today, it looks bland and not much life. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1459 Registered: 01-2005 |
Thanks, bullet. Fascinating. | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 227 Registered: 01-2007 |
Thanks Bullet! The pix are awesome! The past meets the present:  Ookpik | ||
Cub Member Username: Cub Post Number: 42 Registered: 02-2007 |
SWEET | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1461 Registered: 01-2005 |
You guys are too much! LMAO. | ||
Brewcitypunk Member Username: Brewcitypunk Post Number: 7 Registered: 12-2004 |
Not "industrialized", just more, "urbanized". Back then one was happy with a small home, a small lot and a street car passing on a regular basis. A walk to the grocery, a visit to the local pharmacist, a stop for a Coke and a hot dog. Thanks for the photos Bullet. Etched in my mind for eternity, as always. | ||
Waxx Member Username: Waxx Post Number: 157 Registered: 09-2006 |
E. Forest and Seminole (on the outskirts of Indian Village) not 2 far from my hood (Cadillac Blvd). Bulletmagnet, you're the man, baby! | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 463 Registered: 01-2007 |
Thanks for the laugh Ookpik! Good work one and all, I'm looking forward to the next challange...Waxx, Cadillac is just a few blocks in the other direction...I'll have a pic for you later. | ||
Caldogven Member Username: Caldogven Post Number: 35 Registered: 05-2006 |
Waxx Thats my old neighborhood too. What street did you live on? I lived on Pennsylvania. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 464 Registered: 01-2007 |
Just a couple of parting shots: The barber shop http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 64.jpg?t=1179438722 The 5 cent hotdog building: http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 68.jpg?t=1179438786 The drug store/creamery: http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 67.jpg?t=1179438876 http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 65.jpg?t=1179438905 A few for Waxx: http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 72.jpg?t=1179438953 http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 78.jpg?t=1179439013 http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 82.jpg?t=1179439036 Oooops!! Almost forgot! The white house: http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_5363.jpg?t=1179439448 (Message edited by Bulletmagnet on May 17, 2007) | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 465 Registered: 01-2007 |
Sorry, try this: http://i148.photobucket.com/al bums/s22/bulletmagnet69/100_53 63.jpg?t=1179439448 | ||
Brewcitypunk Member Username: Brewcitypunk Post Number: 8 Registered: 12-2004 |
Bullet, keep posting your photographs. I love the candid, shoot from the hip style that you portray, which lends to some striking urban shots. Thanx. | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 2227 Registered: 07-2004 |
There are three reasons why Forest doesn't look busy. The first reason is because once the one-way was put in you obviously had less traffic going west. Secondly, on the north side of Forest you can't park like you used to when it was a two-way street. The third reason the street does not look busy is because of the loss of population in that area and areas further east. There's simply not the volume of traffic that used to exist when I grew up in that area. Getting hit by a speeding car was always a hazard when I was growing up. A little girl was killed when she darted out on Forest when I was 13. With fewer traffic, that's less likely to happen today. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 485 Registered: 01-2007 |
Brewcitypunk, thanks for that! I have more on the way, so stay tuned! Bullet |
