Detroit 1942

Stosh · November-22-09, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Jman

Oh, you mean the "new" water tower. lol

When was it constructed? As far back as I can remember, it's been there.

**Jman** · November-22-09, 09:11 AM

I don't remember the water tower at all but I moved out of H.P. in 1961.

Stosh · November-22-09, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Jman

I don't remember the water tower at all but I moved out of H.P. in 1961.

Rummaging through the DTE historical imagery, it's been there at least since 1949. Don't know how long it's been there though.

**Mikeg** · November-22-09, 12:07 PM

This one is titled The Ritz Tavern/near the outskirts of Detroit.

I found three 1947 advertisements for watering holes with the name "Ritz" that are more likely candidates for that photo than the place on Woodward:

Attachment 3991

Attachment 3992

Attachment 3993

Stosh · November-22-09, 12:32 PM

I know at least one of those exists, the Ritz on John R. in Hazel Park.

I can't say what's in it now though, or the interior.

**Detroitnerd** · November-23-09, 10:00 AM

OK, here it is, if anybody is still interested.

The original view of a street off Halleck:
Attachment 4018

A shot this weekend of MacKay north of Halleck.
Attachment 4019

I think it's a match.

Also, I'd like to point something out to historians of the area. My landlord tells me that back around the 1950s, salesmen would come through street by street selling those metal posts to replace the wooden posts on the porches. I guess they made a bundle because everybody wanted to "modernize." FWIW.

**gnome** · November-23-09, 11:04 AM

excellent work with your drive-by shooting.

The Do Not Enter sign sort of says it all.

**old guy** · November-23-09, 11:42 AM

Wow, looks like you nailed it. Couple more years and there probably wouldn't have been enough evidence left to find that.

**Ray1936** · November-23-09, 12:19 PM

Excellent, Detroitnerd! Kind of a sad view today compared with 65 years ago, eh?

**old guy** · November-23-09, 01:03 PM

A few more from FSA.
Attachment 4021

Attachment 4022

Attachment 4023

**Detroitnerd** · November-23-09, 01:28 PM

Thanks for the encouraging words, guys. Always a pleasure to play "photo hunt."

**MikeM** · November-23-09, 03:23 PM

Yes, good work. I drove by there a few hours ago. Here's Klinger looking north of Halleck:

Attachment 4026

You can see the gap in the line of houses where McClean is.

Must be MacKay looking at what's left, plus the fact that the photo of the other house is in the 2600 block, between MacKay and Jos Campau.

**Detroitnerd** · November-23-09, 03:26 PM

Must have been a heck of a neighborhood in the old days!

Resurget cineberus!

**EastsideAl** · November-23-09, 03:33 PM

Great work on MacKay St. folks!

Now, if only we could fix the street itself...

Originally Posted by old guy

A few more from FSA.

Are the bottom two shots there of long-gone Hastings St.?

**Detroitnerd** · November-23-09, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Are the bottom two shots there of long-gone Hastings St.?

I sorta doubt it. In one you see the wires for a streetcar, and I don't believe Hastings had one.

And in the other one the well-dressed guys look white, which would have been an odd sight on Hastings Street. Then again, check out how the old lady is eyeballing them!

Also, I picture Hastings Street as continually crowded at all times of day.

**MikeM** · November-23-09, 04:19 PM

Looks like Chene.

**old guy** · November-23-09, 04:32 PM

No, actually it was described in the original photo as a black neighborhood and described the one gentleman as wearing a zoot suit. I can only assume the photographer also saw them from the front to know he was wearing a zoot suit.

Let's see, Knox Furniture ?667 something...uh.... nah.

**Hornwrecker** · November-23-09, 04:50 PM

Hastings did have a streetcar line; the northbound Harper line, southbound used Beaubien, replaced by buses in 1947. The Oakland line went north on Hastings going up to Piquette, buses in 1951

**old guy** · November-23-09, 04:59 PM

The furniture store address is actually 3667.

**Detroitnerd** · November-23-09, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

The furniture store address is actually 3667.

That's between Mack and Canfield.

**MikeM** · November-23-09, 05:23 PM

More specifically, it was between Brady and Livingston.

No Knox Furniture in my 1940 directory. 3665-3667 Hastings was Abraham Schaengold, pawnbroker. This side of the pawnbroker there would have been a Kroger, 2 homes, and a restaurant.

**Detroitnerd** · November-23-09, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

That's between Mack and Canfield.

Unfortunately, my Arrow Street Guide is post-freeway!

**MikeM** · November-23-09, 05:50 PM

I don't know if these are photos of two different streets. There is no 3667 on Chene. However, the sign in the first picture looks like it might read "Cut Rate Dept Stores". There was a Cut Rate at 3701 Hastings and 1231 Holbrook. 3701 Hastings was the northwest corner of Livingston. Across the street at 3708 was Schwartz Bros Drugs. I think the first photo is Hastings.

**EastsideAl** · November-23-09, 06:39 PM

Which would place it a couple of blocks north of this famous photo from several years later of John Lee Hooker in front of Joe Von Battle's record shop at 3530 Hastings, just south of Mack Ave.