City Directory help needed - 1800's

[Ray1936]

The photo below is that of a cousin's grocery store sometime between 1880 and 1900. The buildings are certainly long gone, but I'd love to pin down where it was on Pallister Avenue. The street sign attached to the building [[blowup on second photo) clearly identifies it as being on Pallister.Cousin's name was Conrad Volkert. About 1900, he moved to a new building at the NE corner of Clay and Oakland, but that's now a vacant lot.If one of you has access to the city directories from that time, any listing of a Volkert market on Pallister?

[Detroitgayhistoryguy]

They have city directories in the Burton historical collection at the Detroit public library's main branch on Woodward.

[MikeM]

In 1895 he was already on Clay. I have nothing earlier than that.

[Wheels]

Looks like Clay and Palister are directly in line on the map. Any chance they were interchangeable at some point?

[MikeM]

Upon further review, the 1895 directory says that Pallister east of Woodward was renamed Clay. The portion west of Woodward remained Pallister, but there are no listings for Pallister.

[Wheels]

Upon further review, the 1895 directory says that Pallister east of Woodward was renamed Clay. The portion west of Woodward remained Pallister, but there are no listings for Pallister.

So Clay and Oakland was at one time Palister and Oakland?

[MikeM]

Yes, so maybe Conrad never really moved.

[Detroitgayhistoryguy]

This is a map from 1901.

[MidTownMs]

The earliest City Directory at the Burton Library is 1835. They are cross-index directories [[by name & address). They have most in book form and those that aren't they have on microfilm.

[Ray1936]

They have city directories in the Burton historical collection at the Detroit public library's main branch on Woodward.

Thanks. Unfortunately, I'm in Henderson, Nevada, and there's no rail service out of southern Nevada.

[Detroitgayhistoryguy]

Thanks. Unfortunately, I'm in Henderson, Nevada, and there's no rail service out of southern Nevada.

Ok, I'll write the info down and look for you the next time I'm there.

[Ray1936]

The store at Clay and Oakland was completely different, so it wasn't the same. I'm guessing it wasn't too far away from the original, though. Here's the later Volkert grocery store.

[Brock7]

It seems that Mikeg identified the locations of both stores from directory listings in this old thread:
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1234473648

1893: Conrad E. Volkert, grocer 306 Pallister, h. same
1910: Conrad E. Volkert, agt. Frank Wise jr, h. 271 Clay

The 1910 Directory street section confirms that 271 Clay was at the corner of 284 Oakland. 306 Clay is at the corner of 115 Melrose and it is identified as Volkert Dry Goods. It indicates that Clay Ave. started at Oakland, was paved with cedar east to St. Aubin and ended at Jos Campeau.

The original store at 306 Pallister became 306 Clay when the street was renamed circa 1894. It was on the corner of Melrose, I think on the SE corner. The second store was one block to the west, on the northeast corner of Oakland.

The only thing to add is that according to this 1889 map and the 1901 map posted by Detroitgayhistoryguy show that the next street east of Oakland was named Hastings back then instead of Melrose as it is today. Although the 1901 map agrees with the 1895 directory that the street was named Clay starting at Woodward rather than Oakland as the 1910 directory says, but maybe that was changed between 1901 and 1910.

[Brock7]

Looking at Bing Maps it seems that Melrose is a little bit east of where Hastings was. So maybe Melrose is where Schulte was on the 1889 map - named Cameron on the 1901 map.

[Mikeg]

Ray, I took a fresh look at this and it includes identification of his very first location on Milwaukee.

Conrad Volkert first shows up in 1885 [[pg 1146), as a clerk for Thomm Bros. He boarded at 606 Sixth with Elizabeth Volkert, widow of John [[laborer/plasterer, deceased abt 1880).

He boarded there thru the 1890 Directory, clerking for JG Weitzel in 1888 [[pg 1335) and Henry Hayball in 1889 [[pg1367) and 1890 [[pg 1098).

In 1891 [[pgs. 1095 and 1421), he was living at 253 Milwaukee E, NE corner of Jerome [[between St. Antoine and Hastings, identified with a "1" on this map). He was in the meat business at that address, sharing it with John F Halleen, who is listed as "grocer".

In 1892 [[pgs. 1713 and 1753) his meat business is still listed at that address but he is also listed at 306 Pallister under "grocer" and "rooms same".

In 1893 [[pg 1845) he is only listed at 306 Pallister. In 1894 [[pg 1313) he is listed at 306 Clay for "meats", "grocer" and "home"; this is when the street re-naming [[mentioned above) took place. This address was at the SE corner of Hastings, identified with a "2" on this map [[1899, pg 1694). According to this 1904 map, this section of Hastings had later been re-named Melrose and Clay had since been vacated between Woodward and Oakland.

Conrad's information remained the same through the 1903 Directory, except that the 1899 Directory [[pg 1516) adds the telephone number: "Tel Det N 116" and in 1902 [[pg 1917) the number changes to "Tel North 773".

Conrad is not listed in the 1904 Directory. In 1905 [[pg 2617), there is only one entry: "116 Melrose, Volkert Conrad". This is the same location at the SE corner with Clay and indicates the structure was given an address on Melrose instead of Clay.

Conrad made big changes in 1906. On pg 3248 "Volkert & Co., 306 Clay Ave." is listed under the "dry goods" section. On pg. 2606 is listed
a) "306 Clay, Volkert & Co., dairy"
b) "271 Clay, Volkert Conrad"
c) "273 Clay, Volkert & Blosser, meats"
271 and 273 Clay were at the NE corner of Oakland, one block to the west of his location at 306 Clay.

On pg 2119 of the same 1906 directory, it indicates that
a) Conrad and Henrietta Volkert made their home at 271 Clay
b) "Volkert & Bloeser, grocers" was at 294 Oakland and was operated in conjunction with Frank C. Bloeser. This address puts it at the NE corner of Clay and Oakland and is presumably the same building described on pg 2606 as being at 273 Clay.
c) "Volkert & Co., 306 Clay, dry goods" was operated by Henrietta Volkert and Lena Mundt.

In 1907 [[pgs 2581 and 2316) Conrad and Jennie Volkert were living at 271 Clay, but the meat market at 273 Clay was being operated by Eugene W. Crandall. 306 Clay was "Volkert & Co., dry goods and notions" and was operated by Jennie Volkert, Lena Mundt and Freda Croxon. Perhaps Conrad was having health problems that caused him to retire from retail business?

For 1908, pgs 2137 and 2385 indicate the only changes from the previous year is that Conrad is now employed as a clerk for John W. Keys.

[1885 and 1895 sources and 1889 map] Ray, I have downloaded images for most of the page numbers given. They are about 1 MB each. Contact me to let me know which ones you want.

[Detroitgayhistoryguy]

Damn, you guys are good! this board amazes me.

[Ray1936]

Mike, you're amazing! And thanks to all, to say the least! Here's Conrad Volkert about 1906. In 1923, he provided the funds to bring my grandparents to Detroit from Germany, along with my mother and her sister. Conrad and my grandmother were first cousins. Lucky for me or I'd be sprechen der Deutsch. Conrad died in 1935, age 64, and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Thanks again! All data hard copied and in the family files!

[EastsideAl]

Wow, stuff like this makes my heart beat just a little faster. Great work Mike & everyone.

I remember that building at Oakland & Clay with that distinctive round part at the corner. I think I was even in the store there back when I worked over on the other side of the freeway and used to go to nearby Phelps Lounge on occasion to hear some blues. Sorry to hear that it's gone.

[Dent]

That was fun! I feel like part of the family now. Damn fine work Mikeg! Damn fine.

[Mikeg]

......I remember that building at Oakland & Clay with that distinctive round part at the corner. I think I was even in the store there back when I worked over on the other side of the freeway and used to go to nearby Phelps Lounge on occasion to hear some blues. Sorry to hear that it's gone.

This snippet from the 1949 DTE aerial photo of that area shows the building at the NE corner of Oakland and Clay. You can clearly see the shadow from the round tower on the corner of the building, which is slightly left of the center of the image. Melrose St. runs parallel to Oakland on the right side of the image and Clay runs toward the upper right corner of the image..

[gnome]

Mikeg, nice work.

[old guy]

You guys are slipping. From my calculations that took about eight hours and ten minutes to figure out.

[EastsideAl]

It's interesting to me that the city removed Clay St. [[E. Pallister) between Woodward and Oakland. From what I can tell nothing was ever built on that stretch of Clay, or at least anything that was built was removed, and the city de-mapped it at some point in the early 20th century. It was turned into the alley between Smith and Chandler, which effectively lengthened the lots for the large homes that were being built on Chandler. The only evidence that the street was ever there is the fact that St. Antoine still rather mysteriously dead-ends at that alley.

[Mikeg]

Mikeg, nice work.

You guys are slipping. From my calculations that took about eight hours and ten minutes to figure out.

Thanks! Next time, I'll pull an all-nighter

[Ray1936]

MikeG notes: "Conrad Volkert first shows up in 1885 [[pg 1146), as a clerk for Thomm Bros. He boarded at 606 Sixth with Elizabeth Volkert, widow of John [[laborer/plasterer, deceased abt 1880)."

Elizabeth Volkert was Conrad's mom. Just to whet any curiosity of her, here she is!