Kovacs Bar: 'There's a lot of history here'

[12468_laing]

The meat market we went to was definitely not Szabo's - I would have remembered that as Szabo was my aunt's married name. The place we went to was on the same side of the road as Kovac's. In the 70's, it moved to Allen Park, and I seem to remember it being named Delray Meat Market.

[lpg]

You probably went to Szabo's Meat market on West End, across the street from Al's Lounge. It was the only market surviving in Delray for many years. I worked at McClouth Steel Finishing Plant between Dragoon and Livernois. I bought my first ever, 'brand new' motorcycle, a Bridgestone 50 Sport, from Fox Hardware, when I was 14 years old. I had so many odds and ends, mini-bikes, scooters and odd assemblies, prior to that bike. I was ecstatic. I still have the sales brochure with photos. I paid $307.00, cash.. I saved most of the money and borrowed some from my dad. We didn't tell mom 'til I drove it up the driveway. She wasn't keen about it. But, it was that or some other contraption me and my friends threw together. My mother worked at Revere Copper and Brass and also at Guardian Glass on Central next to the viaduct. I often went on the base at Fort Wayne. We hung out Patton Pool.

My neighbor used to work at the McLouth plant in Detroit. After my dad was laid off from Michigan Malleable Iron Company he went to work at the McLouth Steel plant in Trenton. My first full time job out of high school was at the Scott Paper Company on Jefferson. Keep your memories coming, they are interesting reading.

[1KielsonDrive]

I worked at Scott Paper too. It was, like a lot of the other jobs I had in those days, a summer, home from college, job. I worked in the blender room. We [[Tony and I) operated huge blenders beneath the floors. We'd load bundles of bulk, raw paper in to the vats, combine water and chemicals and blend it all up in to a thick emulsion. I don't remember what happened after all of that. I'd also climb in gondola railroad cars and unload logs by hand. Scott Paper was still getting logs in the late 60's, by train and boat. There were rope bouys in the Rouge River behind the mill that contained logs, floating and waiting to be processed. I was able to make BIG money in those days - $3 - 4.00 per hour. I'd go back to school with a wad for weed, albums, bell bottoms and, I almost forgot - tuition and books.

[1KielsonDrive]

I know the meat market you're speaking of. I just can't remember the name right now. It was in Allen Park while I resided there. A lot of the 'Hunkies' and "Polaks' from Delray moved to Allen Park, as did some of the 'Gypsy's.They made up a large portion of the business community in AP. Like the pastry place at Philomene and Park Avenue. I can't remember that name either. I just walked by it a couple of weeks ago.

[lpg]

I worked at Scott Paper too. It was, like a lot of the other jobs I had in those days, a summer, home from college, job. I worked in the blender room. We [[Tony and I) operated huge blenders beneath the floors. We'd load bundles of bulk, raw paper in to the vats, combine water and chemicals and blend it all up in to a thick emulsion. I don't remember what happened after all of that. I'd also climb in gondola railroad cars and unload logs by hand. Scott Paper was still getting logs in the late 60's, by train and boat. There were rope bouys in the Rouge River behind the mill that contained logs, floating and waiting to be processed. I was able to make BIG money in those days - $3 - 4.00 per hour. I'd go back to school with a wad for weed, albums, bell bottoms and, I almost forgot - tuition and books.

Interesting. I was there in Jan. 68. I worked in the finishing room as a utility man. One of my jobs was to push steel bins past the paper room and dump them into a hole in the floor. The bins contained spoiled finished paper and were recycled into new paper. I remember looking down into that swirling mass and thought all that kept me from falling in was a 4 or 5 inch high piece of angle iron bolted to the floor that the wheels of the bin hit. I released the handle and the bin dumped into the pit. I was there when the guy tipped the crane that ran on the railroad tracks into the river. He fell out as it tipped over and it landed on top of him and pushed his body into the muck at the bottom. A few summers ago my wife and I took a Diamond Jack tour up the Rouge River behind Rouge Steel. On the way back the boat turned and we journeyed behind where Scott Paper was. There is nothing much left of the mill now. I didn't stay at Scott very long.

[1KielsonDrive]

I was at Scott during summer of '68. We probably crossed paths on a few occasions. I did the job you described. I don't remember the crane tipping. I usually cruise the entire Detroit and Rouge Rivers systems at least once per year. I cruise tbe Rouge to Ford and the turnaround basin, Amherstburg via Amherstburg channel, Grosse Ile via Bob Lo and Livingstone Channels, Trenton and Wyandotte on the Wyandotte Channel. I always like to hit Crystal Bay, the Fighting Island and LaSalle Channels. Upbound to downtown Detroit, Belle Isle and along the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair. I try to hit every dock and inlet along the way. You never know what will pop up. The Aquarama sat downstream from the Ambassador Bridge for a few years after she was towed back here from Sarnia.

[lpg]

I was at Scott during summer of '68. We probably crossed paths on a few occasions. I did the job you described. I don't remember the crane tipping. I usually cruise the entire Detroit and Rouge Rivers systems at least once per year. I cruise tbe Rouge to Ford and the turnaround basin, Amherstburg via Amherstburg channel, Grosse Ile via Bob Lo and Livingstone Channels, Trenton and Wyandotte on the Wyandotte Channel. I always like to hit Crystal Bay, the Fighting Island and LaSalle Channels. Upbound to downtown Detroit, Belle Isle and along the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair. I try to hit every dock and inlet along the way. You never know what will pop up. The Aquarama sat downstream from the Ambassador Bridge for a few years after she was towed back here from Sarnia.

I would have say we didn't cross paths as I left in February of 68. My aunt ran the automatic packer in the finishing room [[right in front of the foreman's office window) for 19 years. I started a new job at Chrysler Trenton Engine in April 68. I made several posts about my time there [[68-71) on this forum. My ex-brother-in-law owns the Hungarian Strudel Shop on Park Ave. and Cleveland in Allen Park.

[1KielsonDrive]

That's the place I was thinking of. I thought it was Park and Philomene Streets. The Strudel Shop was a couple of blocks from my home. Me and a buddy I grew up with were assigned to the train cars occasionally while working at Scott. We had to lift logs and throw them. It was a very hard job. But nothing like working the garbage trucks, which I did for a summer while home from school. There was no such thing as garbage bags and containers back then. Just 55 gallon drums and piles everywhere. You wouldn't believe the stuff they'd put in those cans. We had to roll and lift them to the back of the load packer. W also had to shovel all the waste piled in the alleys. Not fun. McClouth Steel Finishing Plant was easy. I was a steel inspector. I made great money and got high a lot. Took a bunch of money back to school in the fall. Wouldn't mind having a job like that now.

[PlymouthRes]

I believe that the meat market you are talking about was called Moscheck's? It is currently located on Allen Road, directly across from the former Allen Park Drug Store.

[lpg]

That's the place I was thinking of. I thought it was Park and Philomene Streets. The Strudel Shop was a couple of blocks from my home. Me and a buddy I grew up with were assigned to the train cars occasionally while working at Scott. We had to lift logs and throw them. It was a very hard job. But nothing like working the garbage trucks, which I did for a summer while home from school. There was no such thing as garbage bags and containers back then. Just 55 gallon drums and piles everywhere. You wouldn't believe the stuff they'd put in those cans. We had to roll and lift them to the back of the load packer. W also had to shovel all the waste piled in the alleys. Not fun. McClouth Steel Finishing Plant was easy. I was a steel inspector. I made great money and got high a lot. Took a bunch of money back to school in the fall. Wouldn't mind having a job like that now.

Seems like our job choices were similar. I worked as a seasonal laborer for the City of Wyandotte in 72-73. One of my jobs was a summer on rubbish. Same as your experience. Only a couple of rules applied. If 2 men could lift the can, we had to take it. No concrete as it jammed the packer. Large appliances had to be picked up after the truck was full, they were slid into the packer, but not crushed. We had to pull the appliances out in the DPW yard and leave them for a scrapper. Used to hate smelt season. People would just dump them in the alley to rot in the hot sun. Moldy grass, maggots [[We called them Uncle Ben's) and rats made the job interesting. And the people who would try to make our already miserable lives even worse.

[Downriviera]

The Fancy Pastry Shop is at Park and Philomene, the Hungarian Strudel shop at Park between Garfield and Cleveland. Not sure if Moschecks is the one that moved from Delray, I'll find out from the owners wife who I talk to at the coffeehouse occasionally. I know Rays Meats used to be on Park where the Roll Models bike shop is before moving to Eureka in Taylor.

[1KielsonDrive]

lpg, you and I must've worked side by side on the garbage trucks. It all sounds the same. Maggots and rats, maggots and rats. We did the concrete also, being careful in loading [[I don't remember how) to get it up in the load packer. Appliances were for a special truck we'd call out, but often we'd just load them with the rest. Yeah, there were a lot of people who could've cared less that we were hot, filthy and overworked, but there was always a couple of really nice people who, I believe, waited for us to give us ice water, pop and a garden hose. Like Mr. Benford and his sons. Rest Mr. Benford's soul. He was always there. We used to have to run back to the incinerator to dump. Often while there, the dog ordinance officer would bring dogs in and shoot them. It happened right next to me a couple of times when I was unaware and unprepared. It scared the y/k/w out of me. Here's this officer with a dog in a stick-loop - boom! There was one alley that bordered Detroit called 'Rat's Alley'. The only difference being that the rats were even more populous there. No one would work it with me and the driver sure wasn't getting out of the truck. I had to do it all alone. Walk the alley, hit the drums with a long stick and wait for all the rats to jump out. It took forever to finish that one.

[1KielsonDrive]

Plymouth, thanks for the reminders. Moscheck's was down Allen between Southfield and Outer Drive on the south side. I did a lot of business with them - their chipped ham was excellent. And if I remember correctly, it was in the Allen Park Bar's huge sandwich. That's what inspired me to duplicate that sandwich. Downriviera, I didn't know Ray's was ever in Allen Park. I bought a number of bikes from that shop. It was Jack's [[?) and then Roll Models. Thanks for clarifying the difference between Fancy Pastry and Hungarian Strudel shops. I've only been gone from AP for 12 years but I've begun to mix things up. I still visit frequently.

[lpg]

lpg, you and I must've worked side by side on the garbage trucks. It all sounds the same. Maggots and rats, maggots and rats. We did the concrete also, being careful in loading [[I don't remember how) to get it up in the load packer. Appliances were for a special truck we'd call out, but often we'd just load them with the rest. Yeah, there were a lot of people who could've cared less that we were hot, filthy and overworked, but there was always a couple of really nice people who, I believe, waited for us to give us ice water, pop and a garden hose. Like Mr. Benford and his sons. Rest Mr. Benford's soul. He was always there. We used to have to run back to the incinerator to dump. Often while there, the dog ordinance officer would bring dogs in and shoot them. It happened right next to me a couple of times when I was unaware and unprepared. It scared the y/k/w out of me. Here's this officer with a dog in a stick-loop - boom! There was one alley that bordered Detroit called 'Rat's Alley'. The only difference being that the rats were even more populous there. No one would work it with me and the driver sure wasn't getting out of the truck. I had to do it all alone. Walk the alley, hit the drums with a long stick and wait for all the rats to jump out. It took forever to finish that one.

We had a couple of nice people on the route too, one old guy used to leave cold pop out for us. We would go in the yard and get the cans if he forgot and we would place them back in the yard when empty.The city workers only route was east of the railroad. A contractor picked up the rest. And they only took cans. The city provided a bulk truck with a folding crane to pick up anything the contractors would not. I rode on that with a foreman's brother so it was very easy for a few months. I forgot to mention I was paid $2.35.hr. I have a 1930's electric chime clock that was put on top of a can. I had it fixed and 36 years later it still keeps good time. My only memento of the old days.

[reddog289]

Funny how a thread about a BAR got me thinking of my "Gramps". He drove a garbage truck and lived in Detroit for 62 years. The clock deal made me think of him saying "You can get anything in the BIG STORE" meaning trash day

[1KielsonDrive]

This thread is a good example of why DetroitYes is an excellent forum and why those who scream 'thread hijacking' are full of it. As with most anything in life, this is a stream of consciousness. We might start out discussing one particular subject and go on to dozens of others. But we're all talking and re-living - passing on our memories and history to those who are interested.

[lpg]

This thread is a good example of why DetroitYes is an excellent forum and why those who scream 'thread hijacking' are full of it. As with most anything in life, this is a stream of consciousness. We might start out discussing one particular subject and go on to dozens of others. But we're all talking and re-living - passing on our memories and history to those who are interested.

Correct. Where else can a person learn the details on what is was like to pick up other peoples garbage ?? Some people look down on the job, but look what happens when it is not removed. Somebody had to take away Kovacs rubbish.

[Downriviera]

I always wanted to be a garbage man because I thought they only worked on Tuesdays.

[RickBeall]

My wife's family briefly owned a restaurant in DelRay about 48 years ago. It may have only been open for about a year. My wife was about 6 years old and everyone would put money in the table juke box and she would sing "Fever" with all the gusta a 6 year old can muster.They may have had a chinese cook.

I'm loving your guys stories of Delray.

[1KielsonDrive]

Spent a good part of the night in Delray tonight. Yep, it's a far cry from the Delray I grew up walking, riding and hanging around. Rosie's Bar has no metal on the exterior. It's probably been gone for years. Not that I would've noticed. Dave Usher's expanded his MPC Environmental all over the place. The building that used to house Szoltesz bar is still there - I think. Les still hasn't sold The Delray Cafe. Kovac's was a movie set - with a lot of police protection. Bob and Dolores will probably still cry crocodile tears to the Metro Times. They're making more money closed for filming than open for business. They had plenty of chances to sell. I wanted to drive through Fort Wayne. There was a water main break right at the gate. No trespassing for me tonight. Drove by the old McClouth Steel Finishing plant and headquarters. Also the former Ternstedt, Fisher Guide Division of GM. Al's Lounge building is gone. It may have been gone for years but it doesn't matter. I had difficulty identifying where it stood. Some of my favorite buildings are still there, hidden and off the beaten path. Didn't see one fire tonight. Last year we saw one fire off of Dearborn Street. Oh yeah, the great little Romanian place, The Euro Cafe, on Martin off of Kronk, which closed a few years ago, was leveled. We were wondering what might've happened to the great old back bar.

[reddog289]

1KD, I myself need to take a ride around there, To check things out. I sent my Gramps the link to the story bout Kovacs in the Metro Times. He said that bar was to far to walk home drunk. He did like the link to the story on Amicks, Which he did go to as his father had before him.
I myself have memories of a certain bar out here in the burbs where my father and one of my uncles before they were brother in laws drank, I hung out there myself before I was legal to drink to take my cousins home. Now every once in a while I go there with my daughter who lives close to that bar.
This is a great place to go if you want to know what is going on round here, past presant and future.

[lpg]

I always wanted to be a garbage man because I thought they only worked on Tuesdays.

Now that's funny.

[kryptonite]

1KD, Al's Lounge was on West End at the corner of South St, NE corner. I think it was torn down after a fire in the mid 90's. Al took a trip to Hungary around 1990 and promptly returned to Detroit to close up the lounge and moved back to Hungary. It was not long until there was a fire in his old place. I loved Al's.

Szabo's Market was directly across the street on the NW corner. The building is there still. I go to Holy Cross Church sometimes and Szabo's reopened as a small covenience store for a while but is closed again.

[Gannon]

What about the Pink Elephant? That is home to MY Delray memories...

My mother used to take me and my sister down there occasionally...and I remember her just PUNISING the steel workers on the pool table for drinks, I never saw her place a money bet. All 5'0" of her got respect from those dudes.

[1KielsonDrive]

Gannon, I have a couple of good 'Pink Elephant' stories to relate at another time.