  Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 26 Registered: 02-2007 |
I worked at Young Supply Company's warehouse at 1232 Wilbur from 1985 until I had to move out of state in 2003. I was always curious what the original use for the property was. The elevator there had the serial number of 90 I was told by the repairman that meant it was the 90th one built in the city. What little info I do have is, one side of the building had a methadone clinic for a while, there was a smaller building on the property that we kept refrigerant in that the railroad tracks ran up to way back when. The sliding doors to load freight or passengers on could still be seen from the inside of that building. The main building had a lot of safe in it. I also no that a Pittsburgh Paints building was across the tracks from this property at one time. Maybe someone can help me with links in order to do the research. Especially you Mikem your work totally amazes me. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 3697 Registered: 10-2003 |
I am having difficulty figuring out which building you are referring to. They all seem a bit far from the railroad. Perhaps something has been demolished? Maybe you could point it out. See the bird's eye at: http://atlas.freshlogicstudios .com/?cp=42.36364907045768~-83 .08076134853328&style=o&scene= 42.36364907045768 My 1940 Polks lists this address: Metal Parts Machine company - 1230 Wilbor [Name misspelled, not unusual for Polks] | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3103 Registered: 10-2003 |
I agree that Polk's occasionally misspells names, but I see on my older maps that the street was actually spelled Wilbor from the 1920s through the 1940s:  I also have the Metal Parts Machine Company at 1230 Wilbor as far back as 1925. I can't find anything on the nature of their business other than what their name implies. Young Supply was at 1050 W Baltimore in 1935, 1045 W Baltimore in 1940, and then 860 W Baltimore in 1961 (the earlier locations being in the path of the Lodge). Will you confirm which building you are referring to Gtat. From the address it looks as if it's now an empty field:   | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 27 Registered: 02-2007 |
Lowell thank you for your response. I do not have the capability (dial up in a rural town) nor the computer savvy in order to put those little red pins on the building so....I will try and describe it to you. In aerial photo #5 You will see a building with white roof that whole section there was part of the complex I'm speaking of it also has a billboard on top. The building with the curved side is where a branch of the railroad branched off at one time. There were many addresses for the property, the meters in the back had many on them. Wilbur is the small street that dead ends into that yard. The main drag is a combination of Sterling st. and Trumbull Ave. The large building across the railroad from the property was the Pittsburgh Paints place I spoke of that would be on the corner of Holden and Elijah McCoy. I hope this helps | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 28 Registered: 02-2007 |
Mikem I knew you would come through those addresses of which speak were where our Detroit wholesale branch was located over the years. If you read my response to Lowell, perhaps this will help. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3104 Registered: 10-2003 |
This building, with the billboards on top?  | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3105 Registered: 10-2003 |
Here an aerial from 1949. (Lodge Expressway construction has just started at this location.)  Maybe the building had a Hamilton Avenue address. Here is the west side of Hamilton in 1935, from Baltimore south to Holden: (Baltimore Ave crosses) 6209 The Peter Smith Heater Co 6197 The Carey Co (roofing materials) 6189 Carde Diamond Setting Co and The Craine-Schrage Steel Co (RR tracks cross) 6045 Pittsburg Plate Glass Co (Holden Ave crosses) Same block of Hamilton in 1940: (Baltimore Ave crosses) 6209 The Metal Parts Machine Co and The Peter Smith Heater Co 6197 The Carey Co and The Blackketter Insulation Co 6189 vacant (RR tracks cross) 6045 Pittsburg Plate Glass Co (Holden Ave crosses) Maybe your building was 6209 or 6197 Hamilton? I think the curved building is much older and possibly part of the Penberthy Injector Company:  "Penberthy was incorporated in 1886 and to manufacture an improved steam injector invented by Wm Penberthy. After a boiler explosion destroyed their factory on Abbott Street, they bought 5½ acres on Greenwood, Holden, and the Grand Trunk RR, and built a new factory. They currently make injectors of different types for boilers, ejectors, valves, lubricating devices, gasoline and oil guages, carburetors, re-atomizers, flowmeters, etc. During the War (WWI), the Penberthy Co manufactured carburetors for tanks and ordinance materials of various kinds, and for this work received a citation from the U.S. Government. A second plant has been opened on Goldsmith Avenue for the manufacture of steel parts." The PPG building was the first building in question to kick off the "Old Car Factories" thread:  | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 29 Registered: 02-2007 |
This building is the Pittsburg Stained Glass company, that you listed. I remember that from old photos that were found in our bldg. (Behind this one with the billboard and just the other side of the tracks) That man door where you see the fire plug on the service drive, that is where Henry Ford Hospital used to enter to access a lot of there old records, they rented the top two floors and had a small sign outside. The addresses 6189 and 6197 register they were on the electric meters in our back room. We also rented a building across the expressway that was on the southwest corner of Baltimore and the service drive. It was probably 10 to 15 stories high and had NBC in a stone facade at the top. All wood floors inside unbelievable condition for how old it was. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3113 Registered: 10-2003 |
NBC = National Biscuit Co | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 30 Registered: 02-2007 |
Mikem, You are amazing, I loved getting up on Sundays and just driving around(picking an area) and looking at buildings and how they were built and wondering how that neighborhood looked in the 40's or 50's. This area with the old auto plants like Studebaker and the Piquette plant and the Chene & 94 area were some of my favorites. Where is that you get this info, books or websites. Especially the old phone directories? |
