  Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 107 Registered: 08-2006 |
I have a class right now on the writers of the Beat Generation. One of its seminal figures is William S. Burroughs. His family gained earlier fame for inventing the adding machine and founding the Burroughs Adding Machine Company in St. Louis. In 1904 the company moved its headquarters to Detroit into a building designed by Kahn's people. It's my understanding that in addition to being headquartered in Detroit, Kahn Co. also designed a building for them in Plymouth in the late 1930s. Where was the company located? Are the buildings still standing? Any memories to share? Any photos of either building? Looking forward to seeing what you guys find. Thanks! | ||
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies Post Number: 2488 Registered: 10-2003 |
Burroughs merged with Sperry computers to form Unisys. Unisys is headquartered in Blue Bell, PA. They used to have a large office center just southwest of the I-96/I-275 interchange. I don't think anything is left there. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2130 Registered: 06-2004 |
Isn't the Henry Ford Health Building in "tech town" the former Unisys HQ? | ||
Walkerpub Member Username: Walkerpub Post Number: 140 Registered: 12-2003 |
Oak Pointe Country Club in Brighton MI was once a private retreat and enclave for Burroughs employees. | ||
Crew Member Username: Crew Post Number: 1133 Registered: 02-2004 |
The facility in Plymouth on Plymouth Rd and Haggerty is still standing (although they recently tore down the old smoke stacks) and is in use. They are used as offices for Unisys. They moved out of New Center and sold that building to Henry Ford. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1078 Registered: 04-2006 |
The Detroit office was located between second and third just south of the railroad tracks in New Center. I'm pretty sure that the existing structure is a modernized version of what used to be there (shrunk and with a new skin) In the 1980's they were one of the leading companies involved with ATMs. They also did mainframes. I don't know if they still are or not. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 3190 Registered: 10-2003 |
yes, dabirch, you are correct. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 1692 Registered: 12-2005 |
A bit of weird trivia about Univac mainframes: they didn't use two's compliment arithmetic like other manufacturers. They used one's complement. That meant you could represent both positive and negative zeros. It caused some weird bugs. (Message edited by Jimaz on March 13, 2007) | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6200 Registered: 10-2003 |
Here's a photo of the Plymouth factory. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4999 Registered: 11-2003 |
Burroughs Comptometer was a beautiful old complex along 2nd Ave., south of the RR tracks in New Center. What you see today with Henry Ford Hospital has zero reference to the orginals. Only the land is in common. William Seward Burroughs formed the company as Burroughs Arithmometer Co. in St. Louis in 1886 and relocated to Detroit in 1904. By 1920, 12,000 employees worked for the company, worldwide. Although Ford had perfected an assembly line, Burroughs hand assembled each adding machine until 1948 by placing all parts at each workbench station. So an entire machines was made by one worker. The plant on 2nd Ave. included a gym, swimming pool, cafeterias, and tennis courts for employees. There was a Burroughs Farm for employees R&R. In Livingston County, workers could rent cottages and get away from the city in hot summertime. In 1986, at 100 yrs., the compnay was merged with Speery to make Unisys. After World War II, the company concentrated on computers and took on work for NASA and other Govt. projects. jjaba, ein bissella research. | ||
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity Post Number: 523 Registered: 01-2005 |
In the late '60's I had an engineer friend who worked there and his project, into which the company invested millions, was to develop voice activated computers. The idea was that one could speak into a device which would convert voiced words to printed words on a computer screen, from which the text could be printed. Would have put a lot of secretaries out of work. The concept has obviously been expanded and perfected so we now have interactions w/ computers when we call the airlines and many other businesses. And that also led to phone "menus," the bastards. I wonder if Burroughs/Unisys ever developed the concept where they could really capitalize on it. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5003 Registered: 11-2003 |
Voice activated telephone conversations or trying to decipher the accents of Bangalore, India. Your call, your choice, a shitty choice, eh. Sign of the times. jjaba. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 1694 Registered: 12-2005 |
Jjaba, thanks for the history. My grandfather had a route servicing Burroughs adding machines at banks. Apparently he was very good at it because it kept the family fed throughout the Great Depression. A favorite family story is about how he was so highly trusted. Bankers would leave him in the bank working alone after closing. They just told him to be sure to lock the vault before he left. I still have one of the punches he used in his trade. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2755 Registered: 10-2004 |
Yeah! Banks just hate it when their eager, ambitious employees take work home with them... | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 1695 Registered: 12-2005 |
Livernoisyard, I may have been unclear. He was always free to go at will, even taking the bank's cash. He was trusted not to do that. He never did.  | ||
Audioswhite Member Username: Audioswhite Post Number: 9 Registered: 02-2006 |
My grandfather also worked for Burroughs through the depression and into the 50s. Instead of laying off workers outright, they were put on a rotating work schedule so everybody worked. Kept his family fed and in their house. I seem to remember being ale to go to “Burroughs Farm” as a kid, a retreat with a beach for Burroughs workers and retirees. I mainly remember a cool circular slide in the water. I do not remember where it was though. I May have to ping some of my older siblings on that one. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 1844 Registered: 06-2004 |
My sister had a summer job in W. Michael Blumenthal's office during her college years. Shortly afterward he was appointed Secretary of the Treasury by Jimmy Carter. She has always managed to find the best jobs - she now works for Goodyear and they still have an employee park like Burroughs had. Goodyear's park is called Wingfoot Lake. Burroughs history Burroughs Farms | ||
Rustic Member Username: Rustic Post Number: 3101 Registered: 10-2003 |
Lilpup, thanks for that link! I did not know that Burroughs made the Nixie tube! That is cool. All of us should take a moment and imagine all of the high tech and real "creative class" expertise that for a few decades worked daily in those few blocks of new center housing Burroughs, GM's tech and design centers and a handful of architecture, IP law, small hyper creative electronics firms and tech publishing houses etc.. Yeah sure Burroughs centered their post war electronics work in suburban NJ, but for a while there was some serious heavy weight shit going down between 2nd and 3rd offa Burroughs St. | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 137 Registered: 02-2007 |
"Isn't the Henry Ford Health Building in 'tech town' the former Unisys HQ?" Then where was the former HJ's in the New Center area? I was told IT was in the HFHS building. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1045 Registered: 10-2003 |
my dad's first job out of college was at burroughs. for what i remember him telling me, he worked at that a seventies looking building in just south of the new center. i can't really remember the name of it right now. apparently, the original headquarters is on a street named in it's honor, around milwaukee junction. i'm pretty sure this is one of the buildings jonna construction just renovated into their "new amsterdam lofts" projects. this is all west of woodward. urbanize; the old howard johnson's was torn down. i've seen some pic's of the implosion-i'll try and find them for you. it was located east of woodward. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1046 Registered: 10-2003 |
the demolition was performed by north american dismantling: quote: | ||
Mtm Member Username: Mtm Post Number: 200 Registered: 06-2006 |
When the Unisys merger was in the works, I was managing several computer rooms for Ma Bell. When we wanted to install a Sperry in the same computer room as several Burroughs systems, the Burroughs techs gave us MAJOR headaches because the Sperrys (Sperries?)were water cooled and we had to have water pipes braised in a working computer room. They were concerned that fumes from the braising would gunk up their mainframes so we had to do magic with segregating the air flow while keeping the mainframe cool. ...and then there was the night I spent babysitting a Burroughs 7700 while dressed as a Killer Bee (circa SNL early 80's). (Message edited by mtm on March 14, 2007) | ||
Oldestuff Member Username: Oldestuff Post Number: 9 Registered: 01-2007 |
In addition to the 3 or 4 big buildings between 2nd and 3rd, the Burroughs International Division was located in a building on the corner of Milwaukee and 3rd and I worked in that building for a couple of years and then transferred to the office on Tireman west of Schaefer. My brother in law worked at the facility on Plymouth Road. I left in 1970 and had an exit interview where I complained about a male employee being promoted when I should have gotten the promotion since I was the one that trained him. They were very nervous about the new discrimination law suits that were being filed, but, I didn't pursue it because I wanted to quit anyway and somehow in those days, you could find work easy enough. Had another job within a week after returning from vacation. All in all it was not a bad place to work and I still have the Cross Pen & Pencil set with the little red B on them that I was given for something or another. Too long ago to remember. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5010 Registered: 11-2003 |
Howard Johnsons Hotel was on the SE corner of John C. Lodge Service Drive and W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. Another HJ was on the SE corner of Washngton Blvd. and Michigan Ave. across the Street from the Book Cadillac Hotel. Great stories about Burroughs. Thanks. They always had a cache' similar to Parke Davis. They were considered a classy outfit. jjaba. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1622 Registered: 11-2003 |
SE corner,jjaba? Sure it wasn't NE corner for that HOJO's? Now I recognize your're the one with 5000+ posts so I could be wrong. I agree with you on the HOJO downtown. It underwent a few name changes and at least one (fatal) shooting. | ||
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity Post Number: 531 Registered: 01-2005 |
HJ downtown: southwest corner. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1624 Registered: 11-2003 |
SW corner? Now wait a minute. That building is still there. It housed a Detroit Edison store for years, even an exercise gym place. But a HOJO's? No way. I still say SE corner, but then let's have someone else chime in. I got enough problems fighting jjaba on the E Grand Blvd location. If I am wrong, he will let me have it with both barrels. | ||
Bob_cosgrove Member Username: Bob_cosgrove Post Number: 472 Registered: 03-2005 |
The Burroughes history that Lilpup posted tells it like it is - Burroughes himself was dead (1898) long before Joseph Boyer brought the business to Detroit in 1902 - Burroughes never had any Detroit connections, he was always in St. Louis. The present Henry Ford (Hospital) Health System executive offices are in what had been built as the headquarters for Unisys - I don't know if it was ever served under the Burroughes name. HAP which is the Henry Ford Health Systems insurance arm had their headquarters across West Grand Boulevard from the hospital's main campus. But, their headquarters are now in Southfield, although they may still be using the old headquarters building. Bob Cosgrove | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5016 Registered: 11-2003 |
jjaba stands firm on his HO JO locations. Penalty for doubting is The Rock, no socks next winter. jjaba. | ||
Jman Member Username: Jman Post Number: 26 Registered: 10-2006 |
Jjaba is correct on the HO JO locations. I worked in a bldg. next door to the downtown location in the 60's and was a lunch customer many times at the Blvd. location. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1050 Registered: 10-2003 |
the one downtown is now the holiday inn express on the corner of michigan avenue and washington boulevard (directly across from the book cadillac). the main disputed one was in the new center somewhere around grand boulevard. rsa believes jjaba; from an aerial photo there are many hojo shaped parking lots on the boulevard around the lodge. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1626 Registered: 11-2003 |
jjaba, it looks like I owe you that $5,000 we bet on the Blvd. HOJO location. But at least I got the downtown location right. "Checks in the mail". I printed it out on my Burroughs adding machine. I had a case for Burroughs once where a drug store cashier was injured when he claimed the capacitor on one of their Burroughs cash registers blew, causing him "severe ear damage" in the form of titinus. Fortunately, our otologist won the day. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5018 Registered: 11-2003 |
jjaba was married in the Sheraton Book-Cadillac, June 14, 1964. Flag Day. His first night with wife was at Howard Johnsons Motel, SE corner, W. Grand Blvd. and Lodge Service Drive. He should remember, eh. To this day, he looks over at the site when driving on John Lodge Expy. The Rock need not pay jjaba since he owes The Rock $5,000 for legal retainers over the yrs. But for such a shitty performance in the Rose Bowl by his UM, now The Rock owes jjaba.... And to think all's we got this March is an NIT bid against other weak sisters. A good payment for jjaba would be for The Rock to wear socks this summer at Tigers games. Thanks. jjaba hates when GPers come to Comerica Park with those lawyer shoes and no socks. It's digusting. And then there's those phoney cigars. Yikes. jjaba, LOL. Thanks RSA for backing jjaba. | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2075 Registered: 10-2003 |
Maybe there was a Howard Johnson on the southeast corner of W. Grand Blvd. and the Lodge back in the 60s, but the one that I watched being imploded back in the 90's was located on the northwest corner of Third and W. Grand Blvd. There's a parking lot on the site these days and the McDonald's is just west of that site in the middle of the block. | ||
Flyingj Member Username: Flyingj Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2006 |
Gsgeorge, As far as the Beats go on topic i'll do ya better Burroughs father got disinherited by his grandfather so there was no trust fund left-Kerouac made that up as a joke Kerouac did live in Grosse Pointe & work in a ball bearing factory here during WW2...there was a great chapter in an out-of-print British book I had on the Beats ties to Detroit(most of which was badly edited out of "On The Road") but as I recall Kerouac & Neal Cassady would drink @ the Alcove? they even partied with the Tigers because Kerouac's wife was friends w/the daughter of the play by play guy before Ernie(& set her up with Neal)-& they got free beer from their sponsor...it was good stuff, I'll try & dig it up | ||
Jimg Member Username: Jimg Post Number: 798 Registered: 10-2003 |
"Literary Outlaw" by Ted Morgan, very readable bio of Dr. Benway (a/k/a William S. Burroughs). | ||
Jman Member Username: Jman Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2006 |
Kathleen, wasn't that a theatre? If I recall correctly Endless Summer played there for months, maybe even years. It was a modern white limestone bldg. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1051 Registered: 10-2003 |
kathleen wins the cookie; the hojo's was on the northwest corner of third and west grand. here is an aerial photo from 1981 that shows it: http://techtools.culma.wayne.e du/media/wayne/1981/17562-13-3 72.pdf there is a video on the web somewhere showing it getting imploded; i just can't seem to locate it... | ||
Gary Member Username: Gary Post Number: 221 Registered: 02-2004 |
The Howard Johnson's was on West Grand Blvd. between Third and the Lodge...the NW corner, as others have already pointed out. It was a regular Sunday dinner stop for my family on "special occasions" back in the day. Jman...don't know if it's the same place you're thinking of, but the Studio New Center Theater was adjacent to HoJo's and just around the corner facing Third. | ||
Jman Member Username: Jman Post Number: 29 Registered: 10-2006 |
Studio New Center, that's the one. Thanks Gary. Now when did they move HoJo's? | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 777 Registered: 07-2004 |
Burroughs also owned a men's dormitory near where the Lodge-94 interchange is now. It was several stories high. | ||
Rb336 Member Username: Rb336 Post Number: 18 Registered: 02-2007 |
Spent many days of my misspent youth at the former Burroughs Farms (Oak Pointe Country Club). While everyone else was at the Metroparks, dealing with the crowds and cops, we had all the amenities and none of the various hassles. That is also where we discovered Pina Colada chunks. it is amazing how much pieces of pineapple can absorb | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 110 Registered: 08-2006 |
Thanks for all the info and memories! Once again you guys pull through with thorough and well-researched info. Jjaba, what don't you know about this city? | ||
Chalu64 Member Username: Chalu64 Post Number: 134 Registered: 08-2005 |
Where was the Burrough's residence? | ||
Bob_cosgrove Member Username: Bob_cosgrove Post Number: 473 Registered: 03-2005 |
Burroughes lived in St. Louis, Missouri. Bob Cosgrove | ||
Flyingj Member Username: Flyingj Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2006 |
Well, if you're talking William S he also lived all over the world-was a student at Los Alamos before it was converted into "The Manhattan Project", a pot farm in Texas, a suburban house outside New Orleans, Tangiers, New York, Mexico City, San Fran...he spent the last 15-20 years of his life in Lawrence, Kansas aka "Larryville" | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5022 Registered: 11-2003 |
FlyingJ, your handle is a chain of Truck stops in the West. Also, Wayne State is sometimes called Larryville also. Maybe some are confusing HO JOs W. Grand Blvd and John C. Lodge Service Drive with the St. Regis Hotel, at the top of 2nd Ave. and The Blvd. Is it still there? Gsgeorge, if 50% of Detroit is Eastside, then jjaba knows only 50% of Detroit. But thanks for the props, however inaccurate. jjaba, Proudly Westsider. | ||
Chuckles Member Username: Chuckles Post Number: 46 Registered: 02-2007 |
Flyingj...I think George Kell, Tiger 3rd base great, was announcing just before Ernie Harwell... Jack Kerouac, "On the Road" a hippie before his time... regards | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2077 Registered: 10-2003 |
Oh, yes, the St. Regis is still there on W. Grand Blvd. at Cass. http://hotelstregisdetroit.com /home.htm | ||
Zephyrprocess Member Username: Zephyrprocess Post Number: 269 Registered: 08-2006 |
FlyingJ noted: quote: ...and his old flat is available! http://detroit.craigslist.org/ apa/294970829.html | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3200 Registered: 10-2003 |
  | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5040 Registered: 11-2003 |
Excellent photos. That's how we remember Burroughs along 2nd and along Cass Ave.. jjaba. | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 68 Registered: 02-2007 |
You guy's speak of HoJo's in the new center area. And not meaning to thread jack. But, what was the name of the hotel on Milwaukee and the Lodge, NE corner. Harlan House or Harley House something like that. I think some one was killed there in the riots, shot through a hallway window from across the Lodge? | ||
Revolutionary Member Username: Revolutionary Post Number: 121 Registered: 09-2004 |
I worked out in plymouth when that Burroughs smokestack was torn down. Wow, was that thing cool. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1639 Registered: 11-2003 |
I thought it was Harlan House. But, then I was the guy who put jjaba's wedding night in a HOJO's on the NE corner of the Blvd and the Lodge. | ||
Flyingj Member Username: Flyingj Post Number: 5 Registered: 08-2006 |
"FlyingJ, your handle is a chain of Truck stops in the West. Also, Wayne State is sometimes called Larryville also. " notso far Jjjaba, they're in Lansing, Saginaw & over in Benton Harbor http://www.flyingj.com/highway /amenities/amenities.cfm?state =MI I just picked it because every other screen name I wanted on a different board was taken, I had my "discount card" lying on the desk(a free pop when you sign-up & penny per gallon discount, woo-hoo) | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1642 Registered: 11-2003 |
jjaba, you are a westsider. Ever heard of the Flying J Ranch out there in New Mexico? That's about as westside as you can get. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5050 Registered: 11-2003 |
jjaba loves Flying J. Love the smell of truck drivers after they've just put on chains and are really pissed. Now Harlan House may have succeeded Howard Johnsons at the Lodge and W. Grand blvd. Somehow jjaba remembers that name change. Not sure though. For certain, jjaba knows HOJOs on SE corner,on the night of June 14, 1964. In its heyday, it must have served visitors from Burroughs (jjaba connecting the hotel to this thread.) Flying J Ranches are all over the Westside, Rock. Any ranches called Lazy D were built by Detroiters. jjaba, Westside Torah Bukkor. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1643 Registered: 11-2003 |
I still say it was Harlan House. And you are right jjaba, HOJO's was on the SE corner. Now it's coming back to me. In fact, I remember being in there on June 15, 1964. The maintenance crew was putting up a plaque in the lobby that said "jjaba slept here". I bet its become an historical marker somewhere today, probably tucked away in the storage warehouse at Old Fort Wayne. | ||
Thnk2mch Member Username: Thnk2mch Post Number: 819 Registered: 02-2006 |
Here are a couple of "drive by " pics of the Burroughs/Unisys building in Plymouth taken today.   (Message edited by thnk2mch on March 22, 2007) |
