  Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 113 Registered: 09-2007 |
Yes Sir....that is exactly what I remember about the little bakery - the glass case up front with eclairs & cream puffs. It was kind of sad; I don't remember seeing anyone in there for the most part. Speaking of storage lots, I remember a storage lot full of Chrysler product...near the corner of Foley and Hartwell. Ray...do you remember a car dealership, across from Rollie Barrett - on the SW corner of Ward & Grand River....or was that just an extension of Rollie Barrett? Two more quick question for the esteemed panel....does anyone remember a school - possibly a junior high - on Fullerton, west of Hubbell? Was there a relatively new (for the late 60s-early 70s) subdivision, newly constructed homes, off of Fullerton, west of Hubbell? | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2007 |
my mom talks about stu evens l/m and wasnt stark hickey ford around there also?. my grandpa worked at automobile equipment co, an auto parts store. when ya,ll talk about grandriver/meyers/wyoming. it reminds me of my dad and his stories of west virginia. but my dad did live at grandriver/greenfield in the 40,s/50,s. as the saying goes [go west] all did, my dad in 55.the best is the story of jerry,s schwinn on grandriver,my uncle would throw stuff on the roof , jerry would run out to see and no one would be on the roof. no wonder i walk a block then cross the rr tracks to get a paper or a slurrpee. it,s like being a kid in post riot detroit not scared just the way you grewup. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 114 Registered: 09-2007 |
Right-On, Reddog289; Stark Hickey Ford was in the area - I remember the name. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5551 Registered: 11-2003 |
A Bar Mitzvah Bukkor is a 13 yr. old studying for his Bar Mitzvah. Google Bar Mitzvah for more information. Back then, most of you may have lived with Jews in Detroit. We were everywhere. Two religions in jjaba's St. Brigit Parish, Catholics and Publics. As Ray1936 can tell you, he and jjaba were Detroit Times carriers out of Washburn and Grand River substation, working for Jim Byers. We had to canvass for new customers on new streets with new houses in Livonia, where the Westside of Detroit moved to in the 1950-60s. In jjaba's case, we had the route in our family for 8 yrs. jjaba worked for Wrigleys, Davison and Greenlawn and Grand River and Greenfield. He also worked in the shoe dept of Crowley's Grand River-Greenfield, in 1964-65. jjaba sold Sat. night Detroit Times Sunday Bulldogs off the back door of Sears-Oakman in the parking lot. The papers came to us at 6pm and we worked until every worker came out. In winter, that was damn cold out there hawking papers. The Detroit News boys could hardly compete. jjaba, Noble School, Tappan Intermediate, Cass Tech. Printer. (On Grand River electric feeder bus) jjaba, Proudly Westside. | ||
Durango Member Username: Durango Post Number: 32 Registered: 10-2006 |
Jjaba, I went to primary school at St. John Lutheran on the corner of Oakman and Westfield in mid-seventies. It's the angular building with slanted roof about a mile down the street from Mackenize High School. My dad used to get his car repaired at Sears on Oakman and Grand River. He bought me my first bicycle there when I was a seven years-old. I can still remember the smell of fresh candy and roasted peanuts when you entered the rear of the building from the Oakman side at the Toy Department door. Durango, former Westside, always proud. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1997 Registered: 01-2005 |
Chuck, I can't recall anything across the street from Rollie Barrett. Just remembered there was a Kroger's store on the north side of Grand River between Appoline and Steel. Small by today's standards, but it struck me as gigantic back then....... The old neighborhood was a real mixing bowl of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. Grandparents were German, next door neighbors were Russian Jews, folks across the street were Italian. We all got along just great. I do admit it was lilly white, but so was 90% of the city back then. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1998 Registered: 01-2005 |
Well, my new scanner was delivered yesterday, and I hooked it up today and it works just fine. Here's a shot that was taken in 1938 from the lot at 12316 Sorrento, looking north. You can see the old Mich Con gas tank in the upper left. I think that's the only photo I have of it. It was one huge sucker; that tank was over a mile away. Chuck, you are probably familiar with the house in the background. It's on Foley, about three lots east of Sorrento. That house was the grand prize at the Detroit Builder's Show for 1936, and the family that won it moved into it. I wonder if the current owners know the history of it? Enjoy.  | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 120 Registered: 09-2007 |
Very cool Ray....the house in the photo, specifically doorway shingles, I remember as being green. Yes, the Gas Tank...what a behemoth; taking up so much of the landscape. One thing about the photo that leaps out at me - where are all the trees? Regarding Kroger store on Grand River; that would explain the big gap between storefronts prior to construction of Jeffries Freeway. I have been told that, what I remember as an independent grocery store (across Grand River from DiMambros) was formerly a Kroger store. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2004 Registered: 01-2005 |
Trees were around, Chuck...that photo above was a small cropping from a larger scan, but I'm sure no one wanted to see me at the age of two. I'll try to scan the Oakman school photos later today with this new scanner...it's excellent. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3375 Registered: 12-2005 |
quote:Ah! That explains the strange foreground focus. There's something very "Eraserhead" about that photo. Maybe it's the forlorn juxtaposition of industrial and residential. Very artistic. Thanks, Ray. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5553 Registered: 11-2003 |
Chuckjav and Durango, welcome to Forum. The more Westsiders the better. jjaba shopped at Belians and Dieters on Intervale and Northlawn. We used War Ration Stamps. We also shopped CF Smiths and A&P on Wyoming and Schoolcraft. Small stores with hand baskets and a guy with a pole on tin can items. jjaba's Wrigleys on Davison and Greenlawn (bldg. extant) had a parking lot and push regular carts. The store had Awrey's girls in front window. jjaba hired on in 1956 for 60 cents/hr., raised to 80 cents later. jjaba, Westside Torah Bukkor. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2007 Registered: 01-2005 |
Here's the entire photo; me and Aunt Gretel in 1938. Gretel is alive and well in Orange, CA. My wife has doubts about me.  | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3377 Registered: 12-2005 |
HA! Not nearly so forlorn now. It's amazing how cropping can change a photo. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 121 Registered: 09-2007 |
Excellent, Ray....I agree, the scanner is top-notch. You were styling back in '38 - nice hat. Your Aunt Gretel looks exactly like my Aunt Muriel. I was wondering if the homes from the neighborhood were on well water at time of construction? Our home had a converted coal furnace, non-forced heat; the chute was still operable in '69 and the bin was still in the basement Jimaz...on Foley street, moving west toward Schaefer were several machine shops that pretty much blended right into the neighborhood - very weird zoning. Jjaba...I was the only one in my family (of seven) that did not graduate from Cass Tech; I attended CT for one semester - flunked out. My guidance counselor told me, "Charley...you'll be attending your neighborhood school now - good luck". Jjaba, when you were growing up, were you closer to Central or Mackenzie? PS Very strange watching Ken Burns' PBS series on WWII; I remember (like it was yesterday) listening to WJR on the 25th anniversary of D-Day, back in 1969...at a time when Lowell Thomas and Aurthur Godfrey still had their radio show. Things sure did change....and change fast! | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2009 Registered: 01-2005 |
"Things sure did change....and change fast!" They sure did. It's a different world now than from 50, 60 years ago, but then, that was a different world from 50, 60 years before that. The grandparents house was built in 1923 or 1924, so I can't say about the well water. But in my times they always had city water and sewer, and I never heard any conversation about anything to the opposite. Of course, it was Greenfield Township until 1927, and the street name was "Avondale" before the city changed it to Sorrento. Trivia for you. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 123 Registered: 09-2007 |
Ray...yes, that is very true - the times keep on-a changing. My family lived on the Bottom, from 1965-1967; most of the streets were cobblestone...riding the DSR still cost .25 cents. Let's see, what else: Faygo in tall glass bottles sold for .12 cents...small bags of Better Made chips were .05 cents, just like Hollywood candy bars and Mallo Cups. Ray...did electric street cars and-or buses run on Grand River to Schaefer...beyond? | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2010 Registered: 01-2005 |
The Grand River streetcar line ran all the way to Seven Mile Road, where there was a turn-around near the old State Police post. When the line was converted to the electric busses (trackless trolleys, we called 'em), the dual overhead wires were laid out the same way. And they ran up Schaefer to the terminal between Schoolcraft and Lyndon, but not beyond. I remember one nasty storm that brought down a whole mess of overhead trackless trolley wires at the intersection of Schoolcraft and Schaefer. Man, the arcing and the sound of it was something to remember. Someone once told me those were 880 volt lines; don't know if that's accurate or not. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 128 Registered: 09-2007 |
Powerful stuff, Ray. That must have been a seriously big operation, pulling out all the tracks and lines when DSR went to diesel busses. By the way - City of Dayton, Ohio still runs busses powered by overhead lines; everything seems to run smoothly too. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2012 Registered: 01-2005 |
Chuck, I think the majority of the old streetcar tracks -- not only on Grand River but all lines -- are buried beneath asphalt. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 130 Registered: 09-2007 |
Ray...wow - that's was some nice buried treasure; most likely pure rust by now. PS From previous post, re. Sorrento; I am thinking that Sorrento is known as Avondale in Oak Park...maybe in Dearborn too? | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 14 Registered: 08-2007 |
my mom told me that aretha franklin lived on sorrento, even i can remember the state police post at 7&grand river. zoning laws were funny back then heck even in livonia where i used to work, a bunch of houses then heres a machine shop, i guess thats cause it was by the rr tracks. i need to check out some stuff with my mom or my uncle, i hear at grand river & ilene there was a corvette repair shop then a biker club house. didnt mouse have a mouse house there also? i was gonna ask my one uncle ? about the old neighborhood cept he told me my car was too loud and to call back, he never hung up the phone. if he was computer[smart] and sober you would have plenty to talk about. | ||
Lombaowski Member Username: Lombaowski Post Number: 65 Registered: 11-2004 |
Aunt Gretel was pretty hot. As far as DiMambro's I'll have to ask my Dad. My Grandparents lived near Butzel Park for a time in the 50s but I'm not sure where (Borwood or something) and then lived off Greenfield and GR on Sussex in the 70s. My Grandpa was a fairly well known Italian around there. | ||
Brougham Member Username: Brougham Post Number: 46 Registered: 01-2007 |
Lot's of good posts over the weekend ! As far as the car dealers in NW Detroit, I remember what a big deal it was in the fall when the new models came out. I recall they would have blitz with attractions and freebies just to get a stir and people out to see the cars. I remember one year someone sponsored "Digger Odell" to do this stunt where he put himself in a box in the ground for 30 days ? or something. The box had a glass lid and you could walk up and see him down there...pretty funny. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1799 Registered: 12-2005 |
When downtown Farmington was all ripped up a few summers ago they found streetcar track--lots of it! My friend and super street railway historian Brian Golden had sections of the rail saved and arranged to have a local machine shop saw 3" sections of the rail as souvenirs for street rail fans. It was in good condition considering all of the time it spent buried with asphalt. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 132 Registered: 09-2007 |
Brougham....Good old Digger O'Dell; I am pretty sure that Rollie Barrett had Digger at his place in 1970. I still remember AMC's ad campaign for the 1968 Javelin - it coincided with the Mexico City Olympics. Just as the spokesman was to pull back the tarp and reveal the new car...he was speared by a real javelin! Also - I really liked the girls in go-go boots giving everyone Dodge Fever. 56packman...maybe, on a limited basis, the same thing could be accomplished in Detroit - next time repaving is to be done. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 695 Registered: 08-2007 |
Mouse Howse was on Grand River all right. I thought it was closer to the Great Lakes theater and Hubbell. Later his parents moved the shop to Seven Mile in Livonia. (Message edited by gazhekwe on October 01, 2007) | ||
Brougham Member Username: Brougham Post Number: 47 Registered: 01-2007 |
I think the Mouse House was at Grd River and Marlowe, SouthEast corner. I remember the T-Shirts with bright colored spray paint and incense burning of course. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 133 Registered: 09-2007 |
Gaz & Bro...Does this particular Mouse House have any connection to Mackenzie High School's Stanley (Mouse) Miller? | ||
Brougham Member Username: Brougham Post Number: 48 Registered: 01-2007 |
That name sounds familiar, someone will confirm for us, I'm sure... It's funny that also in the block on Grand River between Marlowe and Hubbell were some Gov offices ? I'm trying to remember the name of the House of Rep or State senator, could be Martha something ? | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 697 Registered: 08-2007 |
Yes, that's Mouse. He made psychedelic art and prints were sold as well as original art I think. They had blacklight are, candles, incense, and other head stuff. His parents ran the shop after he went out west. |
