Eastwood Memories

**Hermod** · January-07-10, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by EMG

The street was/is Grayton, not Graydon. Interesting history of Nottingham and the dirt trail north of Grayton - I never knew about that. Well, those "projects" were a step up for my grandparents at the time, as prior to moving to Nottingham they lived in REAL "projects" - Parkside Projects near Chandler Park Drive!!

The duplexes weren't really "projects" as they were privately built to cope with the tremendous demand for housing after WWII. I don't remember if they were rentals or if they were sold. On Halloween, it was a very productive area for "begging" because the houses were so close together. I could fill up two shopping bags going from Grayton to Morang covering the west side on the way up and the east side on the way back.

Grayton is what I remembered. It is just that all of the names were from England and I had a feeling the Graydon was a more common name and that Grayton was me having a senior moment [[I was born in 1939).

**EMG** · January-07-10, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by zitro

EMG, My mother grew up in the Parkside projects and went to Denby too. What year did she graduate, I have a 1943 Denby Navigator Yearbook.

I'm not allowed to divulge information that might reveal my mother's age

; however, let's just say that your mother's 1943 tenure at Denby preceded my mother's by over a decade. Our moms wouldn't have known each other [[unless by any chance your mom ever wound up working for Chrysler like my mom did)!

**EMG** · January-07-10, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Jackson was a rather strange school. It fed Denby High and Southeastern High. Denby students went there for 7th and 8th grades while Southeastern students went there for 7th, 8th, and 9th grades.

Bingo. My grandparents once told me they moved from Parkside to Nottingham PRECISELY so that my mother would be able to attend Denby rather than Southeastern.

**EMG** · January-07-10, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

The duplexes weren't really "projects" as they were privately built to cope with the tremendous demand for housing after WWII. I don't remember if they were rentals or if they were sold. On Halloween, it was a very productive area for "begging" because the houses were so close together. I could fill up two shopping bags going from Grayton to Morang covering the west side on the way up and the east side on the way back.

Some were rented while others were purchased. My grandparents always owned our half of the duplex. Based on the tenure of the typical resident and the presence or absence of for sale signs when people moved in and out, I'm fairly confident that most or all of the people who lived in the other half of ours were owners, and I also know for a fact from talking to them that just about all of the people who lived across the drive from us in the next separate unit were renters.

Regarding the "begging" - yep, that was exactly my range too, and it was indeed productive to the extent you describe. Though I will never forget the one guy on the west side of Nottingham about halfway between Morang and Nottingham who gave out Rolaids!!!!

**Hermod** · January-07-10, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by EMG

I'm not allowed to divulge information that might reveal my mother's age

; however, let's just say that your mother's 1943 tenure at Denby preceded my mother's by over a decade. Our moms wouldn't have known each other [[unless by any chance your mom ever wound up working for Chrysler like my mom did)!

If my folks hadn't moved to Rochester after my freshman year, I would have been "Class of 57" at Denby.

**metman** · January-08-10, 06:06 PM

I remenber Brocks Party Store on 7 and Brock, we used to go in after playing baseball across the street at St Jude field [[before the frozen custard place was built) and could get a pop for 10 cents and didn't have to pay the 2 cent deposit if we drank it in the store or the parking lot. We used the small field right on Brock with the big house on the corners garage as a back stop. We pounded a few broken Tiger bat day bats into the pitchers mound in our day.

My brother and I used to roll the loose change for the owner....we got to look at all the coins and my brother found a 1909 SVDB penny while we were doing it...he kept it and sold it a few years back for a few hundred dollars.

A lot of good buisnesess on the north side of 7....we lived south on Eastwood so it was a challenge, a big street to cross when you were a kid, to get to Heilman and the party store. Veteres was always fun to go into...so many things in there once you got past the skates and sticks. The Kowalski bakery, the barber shop...can't remember the name. Remember The "Northeast Detroiter" newspaper office? Filling up the bike tires at Sunoco. Who lived in the that big white house between Veteres and Brocks..I never saw anyone go in or out!

It was quite a commercial strip! Any could always go to Franks or Lectro Shack at 7/Hayes corner for anything else you needed.

Did you ever play hide and seek at the Church on the Brock and 7...can't remember the name now, never went there except to play.

**kellyroad** · January-08-10, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by metman

I remenber Brocks Party Store on 7 and Brock, we used to go in after playing baseball across the street at St Jude field [[before the frozen custard place was built) and could get a pop for 10 cents and didn't have to pay the 2 cent deposit if we drank it in the store or the parking lot. We used the small field right on Brock with the big house on the corners garage as a back stop. We pounded a few broken Tiger bat day bats into the pitchers mound in our day.

My brother and I used to roll the loose change for the owner....we got to look at all the coins and my brother found a 1909 SVDB penny while we were doing it...he kept it and sold it a few years back for a few hundred dollars.

A lot of good buisnesess on the north side of 7....we lived south on Eastwood so it was a challenge, a big street to cross when you were a kid, to get to Heilman and the party store. Veteres was always fun to go into...so many things in there once you got past the skates and sticks. The Kowalski bakery, the barber shop...can't remember the name. Remember The "Northeast Detroiter" newspaper office? Filling up the bike tires at Sunoco. Who lived in the that big white house between Veteres and Brocks..I never saw anyone go in or out!

It was quite a commercial strip! Any could always go to Franks or Lectro Shack at 7/Hayes corner for anything else you needed.

Did you ever play hide and seek at the Church on the Brock and 7...can't remember the name now, never went there except to play.

The Brock party store was our second go to party store since we lived on Eastwood very close to George's on Moross and Kelly. The Brock store always seemed busier and bigger.The lone house on the St. Jude Playfield corner [[it was torn down in the 70s) always seemed intriguing. It was an old farm house and the only one on that parcel of land. I'm wondering if the owner had an agreement with St. Jude that the house would remain there or was it on a separate parcel of land? Yes, Veteres had an awesome selection of hockey equipement and of course, the blue windbreaker jackets that everyone had lettered with their name. The house between the party store and Vetere's I believe was the Salter House [[the street name) which dated back to the 1800s. The Lectro Shack was the place was a neat little store to visit. I recall pruchasing all the materials to make a crystal radio set. Their business quickly went down when Olsen's on Gratiot opened in the 60s.

**kellyroad** · January-08-10, 11:46 PM

Metman: What streets did you live between on Eastwood? Our family was between Rex and Redmond.

**bert** · January-09-10, 01:05 AM

My uncle that owned Brock party store was a coin collector, he had many rare coins that he collected over the years from owning the store ,that may be the reason he liked the rolled coins it's sad but that was part of the reason they got rid of the store his home and store were robbed a few times .

**7andkelly** · January-10-10, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by bert

My uncle that owned Brock party store was a coin collector, he had many rare coins that he collected over the years from owning the store ,that may be the reason he liked the rolled coins it's sad but that was part of the reason they got rid of the store his home and store were robbed a few times .

What year was that?

**7andkelly** · January-10-10, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by metman

I remenber Brocks Party Store on 7 and Brock, we used to go in after playing baseball across the street at St Jude field [[before the frozen custard place was built) and could get a pop for 10 cents and didn't have to pay the 2 cent deposit if we drank it in the store or the parking lot. We used the small field right on Brock with the big house on the corners garage as a back stop. We pounded a few broken Tiger bat day bats into the pitchers mound in our day.

My brother and I used to roll the loose change for the owner....we got to look at all the coins and my brother found a 1909 SVDB penny while we were doing it...he kept it and sold it a few years back for a few hundred dollars.

A lot of good buisnesess on the north side of 7....we lived south on Eastwood so it was a challenge, a big street to cross when you were a kid, to get to Heilman and the party store. Veteres was always fun to go into...so many things in there once you got past the skates and sticks. The Kowalski bakery, the barber shop...can't remember the name. Remember The "Northeast Detroiter" newspaper office? Filling up the bike tires at Sunoco. Who lived in the that big white house between Veteres and Brocks..I never saw anyone go in or out!

It was quite a commercial strip! Any could always go to Franks or Lectro Shack at 7/Hayes corner for anything else you needed.

Did you ever play hide and seek at the Church on the Brock and 7...can't remember the name now, never went there except to play.

Loved Brocks party store, Veteres, Franks and Lectro Shack ... and out of that group especially Lectro Shack ... next to Olsen's in my book.

**metman** · January-13-10, 07:28 PM

We were between Brock and Hayes, my dad was there until 1997

**7andkelly** · January-31-10, 08:47 PM

This is the old Locke Lumber building on E. 7 Mile Rd. east of Chalmers west of Hayes:

**zitro** · January-31-10, 09:34 PM

Cool pics 7!!!

**Hermod** · February-01-10, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by EMG

Regarding the "begging" - yep, that was exactly my range too, and it was indeed productive to the extent you describe. Though I will never forget the one guy on the west side of Nottingham about halfway between Morang and Nottingham who gave out Rolaids!!!!

We would do one circuit from Grayton to Whittier and back for two shopping bags. We would stop by the house to unload. We would then do a second circuit from Grayton to Morang and back for two more shopping bags.

Major serious hauls and I have the fillings and crowns to prove it. I used to walk to the dentist, Dr. Aptegar, whose office was on Morang near Nottingham. I used to walk to a barber shop on Morang as well [[near Balfour, I think).

**7andkelly** · February-01-10, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by zitro

Cool pics 7!!!

Thanks, Z.

I just had to back and see the complete picture.

**7andkelly** · February-01-10, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

We would do one circuit from Grayton to Whittier and back for two shopping bags. We would stop by the house to unload. We would then do a second circuit from Grayton to Morang and back for two more shopping bags.

Major serious hauls and I have the fillings and crowns to prove it. I used to walk to the dentist, Dr. Aptegar, whose office was on Morang near Nottingham. I used to walk to a barber shop on Morang as well [[near Balfour, I think).

I could easily fill up a pillowcase covering Fordham, Eastwood and Saratoga within "the triangle" betwixt Morang and Kelly. Don't remember going out for seconds after that haul. With two other siblings in the house, the focus was on security after that.

**zitro** · February-01-10, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by 7andkelly

Thanks, Z.

I just had to back and see the complete picture.

At least you were able to asnwer the questions we had from your first venture over there as to the subject matter

**7andkelly** · February-01-10, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by zitro

At least you were able to asnwer the questions we had from your first venture over there as to the subject matter

Yes, and it was nice to see the building and land being put to a good use, and not just a canvas.

**7andkelly** · February-03-10, 02:29 PM

On a side note, I see the sharts lost to the Red Wings again in their desert slush pond. Hopefully, Eatsht was there to take it all in.

**zitro** · February-03-10, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by 7andkelly

On a side note, I see the sharts lost to the Red Wings again in their desert slush pond. Hopefully, Eatsht was there to take it all in.

He's probably pretty busy these between trying to keep their players heads on straight and keeping people off the ledge due the mess they've created on the left coast

**EMG** · February-03-10, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Major serious hauls and I have the fillings and crowns to prove it. I used to walk to the dentist, Dr. Aptegar, whose office was on Morang near Nottingham. I used to walk to a barber shop on Morang as well [[near Balfour, I think).

I think you mean the yellow-brick building of Dr. APTEKAR whose office was actually on the southwest corner of Morang and BALFOUR. When I was still a tricycle rider my grandfather used to walk with me while I rode my trike to and around Dr. Aptekar's parking lot.

I don't remember any barber shop in that area of Morang. Might have been before my time [[prior to the mid 60's).

Fortunuately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it [[and I choose to look at it as fortunate) I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia at the age of 10 and put on a sugar free diet. That ended my Halloween hauls. And my dentists have been very frustrated with the small amount of money they have made on me over the years as a result.

**EMG** · February-03-10, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by 7andkelly

I could easily fill up a pillowcase covering Fordham, Eastwood and Saratoga within "the triangle" betwixt Morang and Kelly. Don't remember going out for seconds after that haul. With two other siblings in the house, the focus was on security after that.

Thanks for pointing out yet another reason I was fortunate to be an only child. [[Actually, I think after me my mom decided one was enough!)

**Hermod** · February-03-10, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by EMG

I think you mean the yellow-brick building of Dr. APTEKAR whose office was actually on the southwest corner of Morang and BALFOUR. When I was still a tricycle rider my grandfather used to walk with me while I rode my trike to and around Dr. Aptekar's parking lot.

I don't remember any barber shop in that area of Morang. Might have been before my time [[prior to the mid 60's).

Fortunuately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it [[and I choose to look at it as fortunate) I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia at the age of 10 and put on a sugar free diet. That ended my Halloween hauls. And my dentists have been very frustrated with the small amount of money they have made on me over the years as a result.

OK, if Dr. Aotekar's office was Morang and Balfour, the barber shop was a couple of blocks more east [[trying to remember back to 1950 here with a 70 yr old mind).

**kellyroad** · February-03-10, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by 7andkelly

I could easily fill up a pillowcase covering Fordham, Eastwood and Saratoga within "the triangle" betwixt Morang and Kelly. Don't remember going out for seconds after that haul. With two other siblings in the house, the focus was on security after that.

Yes, given the number of kids, the number of homes participating, and a 9pm lights out policy it's no wonder the hauls were several pillowcases full. Having two siblings, I too can relate to the "security" issues. Many years the skill of bartering was honed on a halloween night.