 
Wilus1mj
Member
Username: Wilus1mj
Post Number: 179
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 9:47 am: |    |
There was a brief story in the front of the Detoit Free Press that talked about the history of Times Square and the Detroit Times Newspaper.....any additonal info from the history buffs out there??? |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 54
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:08 am: | |
My grandmother worked for The Detroit Times as a secretary until she retired. This is the best I can do. |
14509glenfield
Member
Username: 14509glenfield
Post Number: 428
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:08 am: | |
Detroit Times folded. Late 50's...nah..early 60's! Not much help. |
Pam
Member
Username: Pam
Post Number: 1141
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:11 am: | |
We have a couple ex Detroit Times paper boys on this forum. I am sure they will post soon. |
Fury13
Member
Username: Fury13
Post Number: 1427
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:14 am: | |
I believe the Detroit News bought out the Times in 1960 or '61.
The Detroit Times was a Hearst newspaper, by the way. My family read the Times and then switched to the Free Press after the buyout.
Today, I prefer the News (and have for quite some time). |
Rickinatlanta
Member
Username: Rickinatlanta
Post Number: 34
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:18 am: | |
The Detroit Times was also known as the Detroit Evening Times during the 1920's - 1930's. The Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library has those and future daily issues on microfilm for viewing at no cost. Only .25 cents to make a copy of an article you might find of interest.
I'm familiar with this as I've been researching my dad's Michigan boxing career during the 1930's by having the DPL send reels of film down to where I live so I can look at each days sports page. I started almost three years ago with January 1, 1930 and am now up to April, 1933. VERY tedious!! BUT rewarding! |
Jiminnm
Member
Username: Jiminnm
Post Number: 1205
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:55 am: | |
The Detroit News bought the Detroit Times in 1960. They ran a double masthead for a short time, and then reverted to the single Detroit News masthead.
Rick, the Detroit News started out as the Evening News and then later changed. |
Rickinatlanta
Member
Username: Rickinatlanta
Post Number: 36
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:58 am: | |
I have clippings from the 1930's from the Detroit Evening Times... |
Rickinatlanta
Member
Username: Rickinatlanta
Post Number: 37
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 11:03 am: | |
This is from the Bentley Library @ U of M
Bentley Historical Library
Checklist of Newspaper Titles
in the Michigan Historical Collections
1931-1940
For many of the newspaper titles the library holds only one or a few issues, not a complete file. Complete, detailed, information about which issues are in the collection is found in the MIRLYN online catalog, under the title of each newspaper.
Detroit
Detroit Evening Times (Detroit, Mich.)
Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Mich.)
Detroit News (Detroit, Mich.)
Detroit Saturday Night (Detroit, Mich.)
Detroit Tribune (Detroit, Mich.)
Detroiter Abend Post (Detroit, Mich.) |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1185
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 11:53 am: | |
Detroiter Abend Post (Detroit Evening News) was a great paper if you could read German.
The Times gave me 'n Jjaba a few coins of spending money thanks to our delivery routes. It was an afternoon paper (as was the News, back then), and after getting out of school around 3:00 p.m. or so it was off to Grand River and Washburn on my Ward's Hawthorne. The white canvas bag on the handlebars proclaimed "Detroit TIMES" in big orange letters. Had a sleeve on the right side for my route book. Subscription fees were 30c a week for daily and 15c for Sunday. The good folks on my route gave me a half buck and said "keep the change". The tightwads took their nickel change.
Saturday was two deliveries. Had to deliver the Sunday funnies in the morning and finish up collecting for the week, then deliver the Saturday afternoon paper.
For a 12 or 13 year old kid, it was a great experience into the real world of business, and taught punctuality and reliability, traits so vital in later life.
Thank you, Detroit Times. Thank you, Jim Byers, station manager. Thank you, all my former customers.
Your turn, Jjaba. |
14509glenfield
Member
Username: 14509glenfield
Post Number: 435
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 1:08 pm: | |
Ray1936..how many milk chutes... doors...re-collections...use of saddlebags....contract labor for grass cutting or snow removal ... Christmas tips....and when all was said in done... Did you SELL your "route"? Didn't use Lance Armstrong type bicycle then either. Elevate the bars. Take off the grips. Insert the hooks. After you folded the papers. And stoled a paper or two from a rack at the end? Kinda close? |
Whithorn11446
Member
Username: Whithorn11446
Post Number: 8
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 1:09 pm: | |
Did the Detroit Times print the paper as well at the building on Time Square or was that just the office ? I have heard the Detroit Times writers spent a lot of time at the Lindell Hotel Bar since it was across a street. Joe Falls started at the Times and then switched to the Free Press. Edgar Hayes former sports editor later worked for the racing commission in the 1960's.
Ray1936 I have a question directed towards you about DPD and the Lindell A.C.in another thread if you care to comment |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 3779
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 1:17 pm: | |
The Detroiter Abend Post, the German language weekly newspaper switched its' name to "Nord Amerikanische Wochenend Post" about 15 years ago, although it still has "and Detroiter Abend Post" in smaller letters underneath.
It now has become a German language weekly newspaper for all of North America. Originally based on Brush Ave. downtown, they moved to Troy (Long Lake Rd.) about 18 years ago. They have been publishing for over 140 years. |
Troy
Member
Username: Troy
Post Number: 201
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 1:25 pm: | |
I have a wooden paper boy wagon that is labeled Detroit Times and was purchased off the original owner. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 4968
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 1:40 pm: | |
Glenfield and Ray1936 know the business awright.
jjaba also worked out of Grand River and Washburn where we kept warm with a pot bellied stove. Assholes would push you into it and you'd burn your windercoat.
We had long benches for folding papers and putting them in your delivery bag. We biked all over the westside.
My route was Northlawn and Cheerylawn area, above Schoolcraft so I had a helleva ride with 65 papers.
You rode up and back for the papers, then the route. My route was in our family, 1953-1961. jjaba's brother took it over. We always paid our bill Sat. morning when Jim Beyers had our meeting.
Dad would back us if Fri. night collections weren't all home. Never were we to string the boss like the other kids.
jjaba didn't remove handle grips. He wrapped the bag on top of them. no saddle bags. That was for the Detroit News boys whose papers were fucking heavier than ours and they had more customers per block. You never saw Free Press carriers, they must have worked while we slept.
In cold and snow, on Sunday mornings, Dad would drive the route for me and I'd run between the houses. He didn't cut jjaba any slack for getting up on Sunday at 6 am. We owned a 1950 Forest Green Pontiac.
jjaba also sold Sat. night Bulldogs at Sears, Oakman, backdoor, towards the parking lot. (Sunday papers on Sat. night)
jjaba, Proudly Westside Detroit Times newsboy. |
Evelyn
Member
Username: Evelyn
Post Number: 24
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 1:45 pm: | |
Anyone have a link to the Free Press story? |
Rickinatlanta
Member
Username: Rickinatlanta
Post Number: 38
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 2:34 pm: | |
I delivered the Detroit News during the 60's in the Vernor area. Had Wendell, Pearl, Ingliss streets for my route. delivered a bit over 100 customers and Jjaba is right..they were HEAVY!! Used my Schwinn, paperbag on the metal rack over the handle bars, a full saddlebag on back, AND pulling a wagon! Tried to collect every Friday evening when you could see lites on in the winter. Lites on NOBODY home?? Had to keep going back on many until I collected the $1.10 per week or whatever it was. Christmas time I'd rake in $100 in tips. Thought I was rich  Had a coin changer on my belt, tried to wear gloves in the winter but couldn't for long cause I couldn't make change and the pen I used to mark people paid kept freezing until I finally used a hole punch. Seriously, all in all GREAT TIMES! Pretty simple good life. |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 57
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 3:21 pm: | |
I have a picture of my grandmother and her Detroit News newspaper boy. The picture is of her paying him . It looks like some kind of promo picture. She lived in Highland Park on Brush just north of McNichols. This picture has to be from the late '40's, early '50's. Did anybody deliver there then? I don't know how to load a picture or else I would load it here |
Formerspringgardener
Member
Username: Formerspringgardener
Post Number: 31
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 4:02 pm: | |
If I remember correctly, the Detroit Times was being published until at least 67 or 68.
When the News and Free Press went on strike around that time they were the only newspaper in town. |
River_rat
Member
Username: River_rat
Post Number: 253
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 4:11 pm: | |
River rat delivered the Detroit Times in the mid-50's from the Grand River and Southfield station run by a man named Barney Tilschein (sp?) and like jjaba and ray1936 and glenfield, we learned a lot about business.
The snow and cold never kept us from riding our bikes with 50-60 papers. We had to do our own collections to be paid and if you missed a day, some other kid really wanted your route. The three or four bucks a week was a lot of money for a 12-13 year old. Bread was 15 cents a loaf and a can of Campbells soup 8 cents.
The jobs taught us a lot about life. |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 58
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 4:18 pm: | |
At this present time I have two USA Today routes. I have been delivering for 10 years. I started with The Daily Tribune in Royal Oak (a gold mine with no Saturday paper....best job I have ever had). But, I got up to 500 customers and needed a break after 8 years. I got sick and gave my notice. Now, USA is MON-FRI, all week-ends and holidays off. It is single copy delivery only. No home delivery. The News and Free Press carriers do home delivery. This is now the best job that I have ever had. My bosses are great. I just love them. I am HAPPY!!! I don't have to sit in an office with a bunch of people that I don't want to know, I can walk in a place and walk out without having to punch-in and stay, and I can say hello and be cordial without having to get into a conversation with someone that I may have to insult because they are so stupid. I LOVE my job. I'm old.(LOL)
(Message edited by ladyinabag on March 09, 2007) |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 4969
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 6:25 pm: | |
Ladyinabag, what's your service if not home delivery? Is this a bike, driving, or walking route?
Glad you like the work. It IS good work. Hard work.
Spilling a load of papers in the rain or slush can ruin your day. Papers wet, school books, wet. Reportcard wet. Shit, burns a guy up.
As Ray1936 can tell you, we had Jerry's Bike Shop on Grand River and Washburn. He kept our fleet going. Great shop for kids.
Also, right there, we had a party store where we would buy 12 oz. glass Pepsis and fill the necks with Planters Peanuts. You squeezed in a whole 3 cent bag. Try it, it is wonderful snack. Jim Beyers had cases of empties and took the bottles back to the store. We were recyclers at an early age.
Dad made sure our bill was paid and then took the profits, buying a US Savings Bond once a month for us. jjaba had a stack of them in his vault. In 1966, jjaba bought a new car with the paper route money. Dad's allowance covered incidentals so jjaba saved all he made. Dad always covered you if the $37.50 was a bit short.
That's RIGHT! A car! This route was a great training ground as we were really private businessmen.
jjaba, Westside newsboy. |
Hornwrecker
Member
Username: Hornwrecker
Post Number: 1781
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 6:43 pm: | |
|
Taj920
Member
Username: Taj920
Post Number: 198
Registered: 01-2004
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 6:50 pm: | |
I remember my grandma still carried some insurance from the Detroit Times on her Detroit News subscription. It was like a nickel a week or something. This was into the 70s, eventhough the Times was long gone. |
The_rock
Member
Username: The_rock
Post Number: 1614
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 7:02 pm: | |
The Times had the best High school sports section of the three papers. Bob Murphy was the sports editor. The sports legend, Doc Green ( after whom the Doc Green salad was named at the London Chop House) was a writer for the Times. Vera Brown wrote the society column.( I made her column once and still have a copy to prove it.) The Times will probably be remembered most for the pinkish/white paper upon which it was printed.
My dad bought his Times from the newsboy who was stationed at the NW corner of W. Adams and Park. Somewhere in the basement I believe that I still have the front page of the Times reporting in bold headlines the murder of the tourist on Mackinac Island in 1960. ( still unsolved I understand ). I think that the Times ceased publication in the Fall of that year and was taken over by the News.
I never delivered it. I delivered The Detroit Shopping News. REAL MEN delivered the Shopping News. But that's another story. |
Ookpik
Member
Username: Ookpik
Post Number: 124
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 7:11 pm: | |
Good learning experience, life lessons, blah-blah-blah, I bet this is why you delivered the Times:
|
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1191
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 8:36 pm: | |
Actually, I was more into National Geographic...... |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 62
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 8:55 pm: | |
Jjaba-
It is stores, gas stations, boxes, and businesses. I deliver to Chrysler Tech and Oakland University as well as 7-11, Farmer Jack, Kroger, and boxes outside of restaurants. They call it single copy. The News and Free Press are the same thing but they are union and make mega bucks. But, I am an independent. I don't make mega bucks, but I make a living. I like it. USA Today is owned by Gannett. We pick-up at a church in Troy. The drop is covered. Very few wet papers if any at all. Right now they are printing at The Port Huron Times Herald. We will start getting printed at 16 and Mound at Detroit Newspapers in May. Naturally, it is a motor route. The days of the kids with the paper routes are over....except for The Daily Tribune. Your story about the bike shop was nice. Are you and Ray brothers? There weren't girls on that job then, were there? I had a friend in Port Huron who had a Times Herald route. It was handed down to her by her two older brothers. I never would have thought that I would do this kind of job. This is kind of a job after retirement. I'll always work. I like being tired (LOL).
(Message edited by ladyinabag on March 09, 2007) |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 63
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 8:57 pm: | |
The rock-
That tourist was probably killed by some falling horse manure (phewww, Mackinac). Where was your Times route?
(Message edited by ladyinabag on March 09, 2007) |
Mikeg
Member
Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 661
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 9:08 pm: | |
I was one of those Free Press carriers you never saw. I learned early that the only way to keep my customers was to deliver their paper before the man of the house left for work. Since so many of my customers were employed at auto factories that started their shifts at 6 AM, I figured the best approach was to start delivering at 4 AM (my bundles would be dropped of at a major street corner on my route at about 3:30 AM). Having a double route of about 120 customers, I would be finished by about 5 or 5:30 AM, grab a fresh pastry at the local bake shop and head home for a half hour of shut eye - if I was lucky - and then head off to school.
I will never forget the morning I was riding my Schwinn Phantom (the kind with the spring fork - I bought it used for $30) to my pick-up point in a heavy downpour at 4 AM. I had my head down and didn't notice that I had drifted off to the right until I ran smack into the bumper of a parked car and ended up sprawled on the car's decklid! Fortunately, neither I, the car or my bike were damaged. |
Ladyinabag
Member
Username: Ladyinabag
Post Number: 64
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 9:12 pm: | |
How awful. This is why I hate home delivery. I was sick for six weeks by not dressing warm enough in the freezing rain. I have also broken my ankle and have had two closed head injuries with home delivery. Single copy is a lot healthier.
(Message edited by ladyinabag on March 09, 2007) |
Fury13
Member
Username: Fury13
Post Number: 1428
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 9:32 pm: | |
Evidently the Detroit Times building on Cass at Times Square was built in 1929. Does anyone have any information on when it was razed? Was that right after the News takeover? |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 4971
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:26 pm: | |
Mikeg, we feel your pain. Man oh man, delivering at that time of day. Glad jjaba never took a Free Press Route, although they were more compact since the paper was more popular. Getting up for Sunday deliveries was bad enough and nobody needed a paper before, say 7am.
Sometime when jjaba went to Sunday Torah services on Dexter at B'Nai Moshe' Synagogue, he'd daven with young boys who had Sunday bagel routes. They got up early too.
Thanks for the terms, Lady. Yes, no female carriers; we were newsboys! As Ray1936 can tell you, very few girls could read way back when he delivered. No, Ray1936 and jjaba are not related.
As fact, we "met" on this Forum and were damn surprized to share this in common. Thanks Lowell.
jjaba, selling bulldogs behind Sears Oakman. |
Mikeg
Member
Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 663
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 10:55 pm: | |
Before I got my Free Press Route, I had delivered the Macomb Daily for a year or so. The MD route was located about 3/4 mile south of our house and it wasn't as compact or profitable as my close-by FP route. Even though it was unpleasant at times, I liked delivering the FP and I was able to build that double route up from about 90 to 120 customers. The only disappointment I had was during the 1967 strike when I lost all of that income and especially the Christmas tips I had been looking forward to.
I learned a lot about responsibility, committment and satisfying the customer from having a paper route. I also developed a life-long habit of newspaper-reading, which has served me well over the years. |
Pffft
Member
Username: Pffft
Post Number: 1217
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 11:11 pm: | |
The Free Press was smaller because it was more popular?
That's a new one. Maybe it had less ads? |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1192
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 11:18 pm: | |
Jjaba said: "As Ray1936 can tell you, very few girls could read way back when he delivered."
I'm not going here. |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 3781
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 12:02 am: | |
Wow, looking at the Detroit Times Building that Hornwrecker posted... it was a nice looking building. Too bad it was torn down. Caused a big gap (in buildings) in that part of town. |