S & C diner Highland Park

**Jman** · April-09-10, 06:23 PM

Don't forget the Chinese Hand Laundry at the alley, then the candy store. Eddie Orton had his first barber shop there before he moved onto Woodward between Waverly and Davison.

Breakfast would be great.

**jgavrile** · April-09-10, 06:46 PM

Seems like there was another bigger shoe repair next to Medical Arts? Seems like there were two brothers running it.Russel shoe service I think Also there was an Army Surplus and a Navy Surplus store up there near Grand. Or was it it just one store called Army-Navy??
And the other Barber shop near Tyler was Vic's, where Cass started before he moved over next to Wayne Oakland Bank

**Lowell** · April-09-10, 09:17 PM

On the site today.

**Fury13** · April-09-10, 10:31 PM

Now, that's ugly.

**Jman** · April-10-10, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by jgavrile

Seems like there was another bigger shoe repair next to Medical Arts? Seems like there were two brothers running it.Russel shoe service I think Also there was an Army Surplus and a Navy Surplus store up there near Grand. Or was it it just one store called Army-Navy??
And the other Barber shop near Tyler was Vic's, where Cass started before he moved over next to Wayne Oakland Bank

Russel Shoe service was just south of Grand, the Army-Navy store was between Gerald and Victor. The Barber shop Cass worked at was Mickey's.

**Jman** · April-10-10, 02:39 AM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Now, that's ugly.

Yes it is.

**jgavrile** · April-10-10, 07:40 AM

Jman, I still remember another Army store between Grand and Gerald somewhere??
Yea, I don't know where my brain got Vic's from it should be Mickey's.
There was also some office supply South of Grand , and a Men's store of some kind, like a haberdashery?

**Jman** · April-10-10, 08:19 AM

jgavrile, SE corner of Grand heading south Drugstore, greek restaurant [[went to school with the daughter Nita), Russels shoe repair, cafeteria [[you won't remember it, no one does), parking lot and Wayne Oakland Bank.

Men's store was Shifman's on the SE corner of Cottage Grove. No Army-Navy that I am aware of except the one previously mentioned. An office supply just north of Medical Arts building, I believe.

**jgavrile** · April-10-10, 09:10 PM

Jman , I remember the NY grille just North of the Medical arts. well into the 70's

**Jman** · April-10-10, 10:21 PM

I had forgotten all about the NY grille. Right in the middle of the block. Long skinny restaurant.

**jgavrile** · April-10-10, 10:49 PM

I think it was the same guy that once owned the Red Mill or his Brother?

**WDETalum** · April-11-10, 08:14 PM

I snagged an aerial photo from the WSU Virtual Motor City archive that shows the S&C diner that used to be at the Wayne State campus. The roof of the dining car can barely be discerned as the light streak near Warren Ave. The diner was situated at an angle on the lot. The rectangular buildings attached to the rear of the car are most probably areas for food prep and storage.

**mrfinewine** · April-12-10, 01:04 AM

I have never forgotten eating at the Highland Park location as a small child circa 1968-69 when we lived in a townhouse on Manderson.

Another restaurant in that vicinity that I believe opened in '69 was Phoenicia, which is now a fancy place many miles north on Woodward in Birmingham but began as a Highland Park storefront serving delicious roast chicken, across the street from the YWCA. We ate there maybe twice a week for years and years....

Does anyone remember Brown's Creamery on Hamilton?

**WDETalum** · November-22-11, 02:34 PM

From time to time I pulse the Internet to see if any new information shows up about diners in general and the Detroit S&C dining cars in particular. I am almost certain that this must be the obituary of Lowell Knapp, who owned the S&C diner in Highland Park.

http://obitsforlife.com/obituary/421...app-Lowell.php

He passed away on October 30, 2011 and the obit gives this summary of his life:

"KNAPP, Lowell Frederick ~ It is with heart breaking sadness we announce the passing of Lowell Knapp on October 30, 2011. He is survived by his beloved companion Suzanne Reising, daughters Carol D'Epifanio of Lapeer, Pamela Hammel of Center Line, son Gregory [[Michele) Knapp of Sterling Heights, extended family Ned Vogt of Frankfort, Laurie [[Bill) Harris of Steamboat Springs, CO, Martha [[John) Papineau of Frankfort, 11 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife Doreen Knapp, parents Paul Knapp and Eva Reed, and brother Dwight Knapp.

Lowell was born on September 12, 1924 in Detroit, MI where he was raised and graduated from Northwestern High School. After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he returned to Detroit where he worked in the restaurant business for 26 years. He married Doreen McMahon in 1950; together they had 3 children [[Carol, Pamela and Gregory). In 1980 Lowell moved to the Frankfort area where he began working at the Harbor Lights until retiring. The past 16 years Lowell's life has been enriched by his loving relationship with Suzanne Reising. They resided together on Crystal Lake and spent winters in Bonita Springs, Florida."

After a respectful period of time has passed, I am inclined to try to contact his family to see if any photos, history, or a nostalgic menu have been kept that could be saved on the web to preserve his contribution to that slice of time in Detroit.

**douglasm** · November-27-11, 09:30 PM

I was looking over some copies of "The Crows Nest", the publication of the Ferndale Historical Society, and in one issue they mentioned an S&C Car on 9 Mile. Although I grew up in Ferndale, I sure can't think of one there and [[for that matter) can't think on a diner style resturant on the 9 with the exception of the Tip-Top. Anyone know where the aformentioned car [[or resturant) was?

**Jman** · November-28-11, 08:01 AM

It is with deep regret that I report the passing of jgavrile last Monday.

RIP Jim

**Silver_fox** · February-21-13, 09:59 AM

My father worked for S & C for 15 years as head maintenance man and he knew all the restaurants. Here are a few more to add to the list:

No 3 at Joy Rd and Grand River
No 8 in Royal Oak by the bus station
No 9 at Jefferson and Lillybridge
No 12 at Savannah and Woodward called the Palmer House. This was torn down and replace by Jeri's, also owned by S & C.

The main office diner car was called No 5. Co-located here was the butcher shop for all the restaurants. Meat cuts and hamburger meat were delivered to all the locations each night. Half a block from the main office was the S & C bakery where all the bake goods and pies were delivered to all locations each night at 4 am.

**Lowell** · February-21-13, 10:12 AM

Thanks for the interesting info and welcome to the forum Silver Fox.

And, wow, just catching up on this thread I am only noticing that jgavrile passed. Belated RIP jgavrile; we will miss your knowledge on legacy Highland Park stories.

**Silver_fox** · February-21-13, 10:29 AM

No 10 at 255 W Nine Mile in Ferndale was a restaurant with a counter and two booths - it was not a dining car. There was an appliance store next to it. This
location was west of Woodward and on the south side of Nine Mile.

My Dad tells me this stuff and I type it on this forum for him.

**Jman** · February-21-13, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by Silver_fox

My father worked for S & C for 15 years as head maintenance man and he knew all the restaurants. Here are a few more

The main office diner car was called No 5. Co-located here was the butcher shop for all the restaurants. Meat cuts and hamburger meat were delivered to all the locations each night. Half a block from the main office was the S & C bakery where all the bake goods and pies were delivered to all locations each night at 4 am.

Where was the Main Office #5 located?

**Silver_fox** · February-21-13, 06:56 PM

The S & C main office was at 13236 Woodward in Highland Park, a block south of the Davison Freeway on the east side of Woodward. The #5 diner car was in front of the two story main office building - see the photo earlier in this thread. The butcher shop was on the first floor and the business office was on the second floor of this building.

**Jman** · February-22-13, 01:52 PM

I am very familiar with that diner. I lived right across Woodward behind Bank of the Commonwealth. I just didn't know that it was diner #5 and the main office.

I remember that the restrooms were in the back, upstairs which must have been the main office building. I still can't remember a bakery around there.

Thanks for your reply.

**gazhekwe** · February-22-13, 02:48 PM

From Life Magazine http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Owner-..._i5305198_.htm

**Silver_fox** · February-23-13, 08:10 AM

Jman,

From the corner of Beresford and Woodward, you turn left at the first alley, then go one block north and at the corner of the alley and the Davison service road on the east side was the bakery. There were no signs, so you wouldn't know there was a bakery inside this converted garage. My Dad thinks he worked on remodeling this shop around 1952. Hope that helps.

**CassTechGrad** · February-23-13, 11:08 AM

I used to take the Davison bus home from school sometimes out of the Manchester terminal when I came up Woodward instead of 2^nd Avenue from Cass Tech. I remember Highland Park Hot Rod and a strange building a couple of blocks east of Woodward with an odd looking onion style dome on the top, I think it was a night club or restaurant.What was that? Also, I remember shopping at a store on the east side of Woodward, just south of the freeway that sold second-hand factory uniforms and shop coats.