A Highland Park retailing question

[the rock]

Sure, Uptown Radio and McInnes-Desmond Funeral Home. Thank you, guys. It's all coming back now. And my wife's wedding ring came from Sydney Krandall's. Then for entertainment., we walked North a couple of blocks to the Krim and the RKO Uptown Theatres. WOW! That was 50 years ago!

[jgavrile]

Fury 13 , you are correct about the signs. It could not hang out past the building and over the sidewalk more than 12 inches.
I remember my Dad wanted to put a sign up in from of his Atlas Bar and could not due to the law.
The major sign guy in Highland Park was Paul DeAthos.

[Hornwrecker]

Then for entertainment., we walked North a couple of blocks to the Krim and the RKO Uptown Theatres. WOW! That was 50 years ago!

Looks like ladies got in free at the Krim.

Attachment 5735
wsu/vmc

I know, this photo was later, mid 70s by the look of the cars.

[the rock]

Yes, the poor old Krim, once known for its foreign films, became an adult theatre in its dying days.
I remember when "Bitter Rice" came out at the Krim in the late 40's. SHOCKING! The Catholic Church condemned it and gave it its "C rating", which, of course, gave the movie lots of publicity and attendance soared.

[bartock]

Back in the 80s I used to go to the long-gone Park Club on Woodward south of 6 mile. A seedy dive with good burgers, and the people who ran it were nice. There was a strange business across the street - something to do with radio - does anyone know the business I'm talking about?

Is this the "Park Place" on the west side going under the viaduct [[southbound) before the Model T areas? Looks like a small building, but goes back a ways with a number of entrances on the south and west. There is a "Park Place" sign still there [[north/east entrance).

[Jman]

The Park Club Bar was on the east side of the street between Ferris and Candler.

[Ray1936]

Fromm's was started by Eric Fromm in 1917. Over the years he added about seven other locations, although none of them had the completeness of stock that the main store at Woodward and Labelle had. I worked at the store at 8670 Grand River for about three years during my HS and early WSU days. Good company to work for, and I learned more in that job that I ever did at WSU....but that's another story.

Eric Fromm died in 1971 at age 85. A Danish immigrant who arrived in Detroit in 1903, he lived in Highland Park at 29 Colorado St. His two sons, Hal and Jim, had no interest in carrying on the store and sold the whole lock, stock, and barrel to Damman Hardware after Eric's death.

[jgavrile]

Ray1936, Did you know any of the Highland Park motorcycle cops? Bob Bloshes, Tommy the Irishman, Bo Willams?

[IrishSpartan]

I've always been curious about the Highland Park Masonic Temple. I believe it was located on E. Buena Vista. I'm guessing the masons probably moved out of there in the 1980's. Anyone have information about that place ? I'm sure it was an ornate building

[jgavrile]

Funny, My Dad belonged to it , yet I know nothing about it. It was next to the baseball field for Barber School. It was quite a feat to hit the ball up on top of the building.

[jgavrile]

I did a little looking and found this info:

Highland Park Lodge # 468 was chartered on May 28 1913 in Highland Park Michigan

The first Highland Park Temple was constructed in 1915 at 100 Buena Vista Avenue, in Highland Park Michigan.

At the Corner stone laying there were several hundred Brothers in attendance.

The first Master was Frank E. Hager and served in1913 -1914.

The Building was added on in later years to accommodate the increase in members and Masonic Groups wishing to meet there.

The Masonic Temple Building was home to many Masonic Groups.

Including several Lodges, Royal Arch Chapter, Eastern Star Chapters, Demolay, Rainbow, Job's Daughters, High Twelve and others.

In the mid to late 1940's candidates were joining in such large numbers that they were holding degrees more then one day a week. The membership increased to almost one thousand Brothers by the 1950's. The membership continued to grow until the 1970's then as with all fraternal organizations the new membership dropped. They were having problems with getting members to be active and attending lodge in Highland Park. They then proposed moving out of their building and relocating to the suburbs. In 1978 Highland Park Lodge moved into Clawson and the Clawson Masonic Temple were they met until consolidating with Troy Lodge.

The Temple in Highland Park was rented for several years, then was sold, but due to the high cost of maintenance of the building it reverted back to the lodge, It was eventually lost for taxes and remained vacant for many years, it was vandilized and stripped, it was then demolished in the mid 2000's.

The Highland Park Lodge had several prominent members on the rolls but they eventually withdrew because of political pressures.

[IrishSpartan]

jgavrile,
I appreciate the information you passed along about the Highland Park Masonic Temple. I've been unsuccessful in locating a picture of the building. I knew that Highland Park #468 had merged with Troy. Many of the masonic senior warden dinners in Southeast Michigan were held at the Highland Park Masonic Temple over the years because the Detroit Masonic Temple was often unavailable. I know for sure the 1975 senior warden dinner was at Highland Park because of an old trestle board.

[Ray1936]

Ray1936, Did you know any of the Highland Park motorcycle cops? Bob Bloshes, Tommy the Irishman, Bo Willams?

Not really. I'd talk to them once in a while when we happen to meet at the city limits, chat a little shop talk. I do remember asking one about HPPD pension benefits once and him replying, "This is a rich little town." That would have been back about 1965 or so.

Personally, I always thought HP and Hamtramck should long ago have been absorbed by the C of D. Throw in the down river communities, also.

[Lowell]

Those generous pension benefits, granted when Highland Park was a rich little town, became a millstone around the city's neck when it became a poor abandoned town. Prior to bankruptcy a third third of the city's budget was being consumed with meeting such legacy obligations and not a single one of the retirees resided in the city. So all the money when out the door and none came back.

This is not a knock on the civil servants who worked for and earned those benefits, just a snapshot of the Highland Park I lived in and the conundrum it faced.

As for HP being absorbed into Detroit, my reply to that used to be, "Hell no, we want to be absorbed by the the Pointes or West Bloomfield, someone with money, not another pauper city."

[jgavrile]

Ray1936 .yea, I am sure they felt like the bubble would never burst in Highland Park. The city services and the school supplies were unbelievable.
During the riots, H.P. pretty much closed off the roads and had virtually no problems with rioting or crime. "Tommy the Irishman", I remember was up on Hamilton with his bike ,at the barriers around Tuxedo ,holding a Thompson machine gun making sure no one cross the barrier .

[Ray1936]

The fact that each little city in Michigan ran its own pension funds for employees was not good planning from the git-go. Here in Nevada, all munipalities and counties pay into the Public Employees Retirement Act [[PERA), similar to what the majority of other states have. Only today is there now a move to absorb all these funds into one state fund as was recently noted in the local press. The City of Detroit is opposed to that, while the retiree's association is keeping an open mind. Will be interesting to see what develops.

I keep hearing about these 'lucrative' pensions. My monthly check is under 2k a month, and I have to pay $140 for BC/BS out of that. And it's taxable with Uncle. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that some folks [[not Lowell) need to re-define the word "lucrative". Oh, yes, I did take a reduced pension to cover my wife $100% if I die first. If I out live her, I'm gonna be pissed.

[MikeM]

Woodward Avenue, Highland Park, 1967:

Attachment 5772

[Zacha341]

Wow, way cool to look at these photos. I can actually remember that look... I was an early teen, but this pick brings it all right back. I think one of thoswe cars is that grim Grimlin or maybe Pinto! Yikes! Thank you to everyone sharing such wonderful shots!

Looks like ladies got in free at the Krim.

Attachment 5735
wsu/vmc

I know, this photo was later, mid 70s by the look of the cars.

[lugotown]

I love coming back to DetroitYes and finding such a wonderful thread. You all should write a book about Highland Park. I wish someone would. So much wonderful history in this little city that people don't know about.

Thanks again for sharing such wonderful memories and pictures about a place that I now call home.

[carolyn]

I moved to Highland Park in the mid 1960's. I graduated from Highland Park High in 1967. One of my fondest memories is of the school dances at the Dairy Workers Hall on Second street. Saw many Motown groups there. An unknown 11 year old boy at the time sang a song "Fingertips".Highland Park High was the top rated high school in the country. It was a marvelous time.

[douglasm]

.....with a crackerbox for a gym.

I too echo lugotown's thoughts about this thread. A great deal of information in one of the best threads I've read in a long time. Thank you all.

[jgavrile]

Dairy workers Hall was sure a great place to see all the local singers and groups.

[Herman Krieger]

I worked part-time at the photographic counter in Fromm's on Woodward in 1943. I was also a student at Highland Park High, where I was a school photographer.

[Joseph C. Krause]

I recently joined Powerhouse Gym in Highland Park and now that I'm spending some more time there I'm more curious about the city. How did the city hall, fire and police departments become abandoned? Was that related to the city government being taken over by the state? What's the timeline on all of that?

Is the library mothballed and is there a chance it will reopen?

What's the current state of the city government?

[Islandman]

Regarding the library: http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...k-gets-342-000