Any Idea Where This Picture Was Taken?

**eriedearie** · August-10-09, 01:20 PM

I'm a stickler for knowing where pictures are taken and this one totally escapes me. It looks familiar but I just can't place it. I thought perhaps our excellent detectives on here might be able to tell me. The only thing I'm told is that it was taken around 1960.

I can't make out what the signs say. Maybe "Jerry Food Mrkt's" - the red sign with the logo guy might be "Imperial House"?

BTW what make of car is that? Any thoughts? Sorry but I can't make the picture any clearer or sharper.

Attachment 2671

**TKshreve** · August-10-09, 01:35 PM

red sign ---- Pancake house?

**Detroitnerd** · August-10-09, 01:45 PM

TKS: Yeah, that's what I think too. I can sort of see a guy flipping the cakes in the air.

As for "PURE" I'm going to guess it's a gas station. And some food markets in the back?

Sounds like a job for: An old city directory! To the Pancake House!

**gnome** · August-10-09, 01:51 PM

erie, the only Jerry's Food Market I could find is a small store down in Wyandote. The google street view didn't look like anything close to your pic. I agree the TKS ... looks like an Original Pancake House to me and the white building is a gas station. The blue/white car looks like a '57 Chevy Belaire but the vehicle in the background might be a mid '60s Cadillac.

The person in the front, appears to have a taste for statin shirts and ray bans.

Not much help, I know, sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.

**jcole** · August-10-09, 02:00 PM

Pure Oil became Union 76 in 1965 if that helps pinpoint the date and the location of the gas station

**TKshreve** · August-10-09, 02:34 PM

What is the structure on top of the supposed Pancake House?

_erry Food MKTS.

Perry - Cherry - Berry -

**Maple Leaf Rag** · August-10-09, 03:28 PM

The sign in the shadow to the right of the Pancake House sign in the sign for the Pure Oil Gas Station

**Ray1936** · August-10-09, 04:10 PM

Car is definitely a '55 Oldsmobile. That distinctive chrome trim on the side was only used that year.

Stosh · August-10-09, 04:51 PM

The name of the market could also be Jenny. I'm wondering about that part of the sign that looks like a C though. Whatever it is, it's probably long gone.

**eriedearie** · August-10-09, 09:37 PM

Thanks everyone for your input. TKshreve - Now that I've taken a relook at that red sign I do believe I see the little guy flipping pancakes!

The PURE I remember as being a gas station.

Yep, Ray, I think you're right about the car.

Gosh, the location still looks real familiar to me. Maybe it's around Van Dyke and Harper or somewhere around Gratiot?

One person partially shown in the picture is now deceased, and the other person, not shown at all, does not remember where the picture was taken.

I too was thinking maybe someone had a 1960s directory with that food market listed. Oh well, maybe it'll come to me!

Regardless, now I'm craving pancakes for breakfast tomorrow morning!

Stosh · August-10-09, 10:49 PM

For what it's worth, that "pankake house" sign looks as if it has a baby with a red beany on it. I've seen that somewhere before, but I can't place it.

**psubliminal** · August-10-09, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

The name of the market could also be Jenny. I'm wondering about that part of the sign that looks like a C though. Whatever it is, it's probably long gone.

Looks like a crescent moon.

**HazenPingree** · August-10-09, 11:08 PM

I am not convinced that the pancake house is part of the "Original Pancake House" family. Although the jumping chef character pictured is reminiscent of the standing chef character used by the chain, in doing some simple research online, it appears that the standing chef logo we see for the chain today is pretty much how it has always been.

This unconvincing logo research aside, the restaurant COULD ostensibly be an Original Pancake House. The chain was formed in 1956 in Portland, Oregon. However, I checked on Street View, and none of the current Michigan locations match.

**jcole** · August-10-09, 11:21 PM

Could that be 'Cherry Food Mkts'?

**royce** · August-10-09, 11:52 PM

The sun appears to be a late afternoon, early evening sun. Therefore, the street is probably a north-south street. Not a lot of commercial streets on the eastside that go north and south. The two that I can think of are Van Dyke and Chene. On the westside it could be many including Dexter, Livernois, and Woodward. The item in front of the Jerry is a cresant moon.

**gazhekwe** · August-11-09, 06:41 AM

It's a corner to another big street. There was at least one gas station on every big corner in the 60s, and some in the middle of blocks too. The thing on top of the Jerry Market on the cross street looks like a big telephone pole with several bars on it.

I have been racking my brains over that Pancake House. It isn't the original but I have seen that sign somewhere. There was a chain called Uncle John's Pancake House. I know of two, this isn't either of them, one was on Telegraph near Plymouth and one was on Eight Mile near Greenfield.

A little research shows Uncle John's was a nationwide chain which closed out in the 60's. I remember my sister worked at both the ones I mentioned. The Plymouth one closed and she moved to the Eight Mile one. I am thinking they were open into the early 70s because we went there with our little boy. Apparently there is still one open in Toledo that was kept open after the chain closed.

**Meddle** · August-11-09, 07:08 AM

Looks like this kind of crescent moon character:

http://www.acclaimimages.com/_galler...2123-5523.html

Dammit. It's foggy, but I remember a Jerry's Market out on the west side, Plymouth or Schoolcraft somewhere around Evergreen. Knew a kid who worked there, but I don't remember if there was a gas station there.

Did a little enhancement of the picture:

**jcole** · August-11-09, 07:29 AM

There was an Uncle John's on 9 Mile and Kelly in the early 70's

**MikeM** · August-11-09, 10:33 AM

Pure Oil service station locations circa 1967:

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**Funaho** · August-11-09, 10:53 AM

To me the mascot looks like a cow, or possibly maybe a dog. It even looks like it has some sort of bell around its neck. Look at the shape of the head.

**MikeM** · August-11-09, 11:05 AM

Also in [[or not in) the 1967 Yellow Pages:

No Jerry Mkt, but a Jerry & Clara's Mkt - 24306 Warren, Dea Twp
Original Pancake House - 20273 Mack, GPW
Uncle John's Pancake House - 15325 Eight Mile & 10001 Telegraph

From a 1961 Detroit White Pages:

No "Jerry Food Market" but several "Jerry's _____":

Jerry's Beer Store - 3951 Puritan
Jerry's Mkt - 4027 W Boston
Jerry's Pure Service - 19349 Joy

No Pancake House, Original Pancake House, or Uncle John's Pancake House in the city in 1961.

From a 1959 suburban phone directory:

Jerry's Food Mkt - 1168 Oak, Wyandotte
Jerry's Food Mkt - 2139 West Rd, Trenton
Jerry's Pure Oil - 29316 Ford, Garden City

No Pancake Houses.

**MikeM** · August-11-09, 11:18 AM

I found more pancake houses in the 1967 directory:

Bonanza Pancake House - 24480 Grand River
Intl House of Pancakes - 24025 Michigan, Dea
Old Colony Pancake House - 17785 Grand River
Old Fashioned Pancake House - 3882 Dix, Lin Pk

**gazhekwe** · August-11-09, 11:33 AM

I remember the Old Colony Pancake House. It had tall glass windows in front, to almost a two story ceiling, with a big chandelier near the entry.

Did you notice how many of those Pure Stations were not near a big corner? The one in the picture is near a major corner with the market behind it.

**bigtreble** · August-11-09, 03:53 PM

There is a Pure garage still standing in Mt. Clemens, now known as Chesterfield Collision:
78 Dickenson St. Bing bird's eye view

Here's an artistic rendering of the Mt Clemens location as it looks today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedguy49/78261164

It doesnt appear to be the same place as eariedearie's pic.

**gazhekwe** · August-11-09, 04:05 PM

Is there a lawn in front of the pancake house? The 19349 Joy address is a possibility:

Bing Bird's Eye View: http://tinyurl.com/mozcmr

Keep in mind, morning sun in the summer would be shining pretty directly into the north side buildings. Not a main crossroad, but if Jerry owned the Pure Oil, he could have had a market in back, and it looks like there is room.