Saturday, September 18, 2010

Squint Shot 091810

This little stone building faces north on the south side of Grand River Avenue, at Six Corners halfway between Fowlerville and Howell. This picture and for the next few days were taken before the roof was redone. I had a chance to talk with the current owner and he provided me with a picture of how this building looked in 1966, as well as an article about "Smiling George." The first portion of the article follows:
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There's a "closed today" sign on the small stone service station which stands at the spot commonly called Six Corners on Grand River between Howell and Fowlerville. "Smiling George" Murphy, operator there for the past seven years, closed rather suddenly in early October for health reasons.
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Murphy runs one of the few small gas stations left around the country side, sells regular gas a few centsa gallon cheaper and, naturally, appreciates his customers.
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It isn't exactly a high pressure, hard sell operation.
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In fact, it's one of those places where you can't buy tires, batteries, car washes, grease jobs or oil changes.
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But you can get gas, oil, and occasionally a loaf of bread or a carton of milk.
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The article continues with Mr. Murphy's health issues. The article was published on December 7, 1966. And now that building stands empty.

1 comment:

Brandon said...

Thanks for posting these pictures and history. I've been curious about this little house for a while now and I'm glad I finally found something about it. I was also wondering if you had any info as to how I can get in contact with the owner. Thanks again :)