1961 Lintemuth Farm Equipment

 

The building still stands on West Grand River, now housing the Zizka-Grand-Lockwood insurance agency.  If you look at the picture from 1961, at the right hand side, you can see a name plate at the top of the building.  I stopped by the building the other day and took the following picture of that plate that still remains:

1961 Heinrich's Mobile

After reading this article, I decided to venture the northwest corner of Fowlerville and Howell/Mason roads.  Within a few minutes, I was having the pleasure of talking with Randy's office manager and asking her about any older pictures of the gas station.  And, as luck would have it, they have created a collage of pictures and I was able to take digital pictures of the collage.  The quality of these pictures is a little questionable since they were taken through the frame glass -- so, if you would like to see close-ups, head to Randy's gas station and ask about them.

 

The first two are from the 1950s, then one each in the mid-1970s, around 1980, late 1980s or early 1990s, and 2005.  Here are the pictures I took:

 

1961 Celebration of Curtis Home

 

Benjamin Curtis is credited with proclaiming the Reason House -- a wooden structure located at the southwest corner of South Grand and West Grand River avenues -- as "Independence Hall."  The Reason House was built around 1852 and burned in February, 1878.  It was an early-morning fire that brought everyone running to help but the building could not be saved.

 

In its place a brick structure -- then referred to as the Commercial Hotel -- was built in 1880 at the same corner.  It stood until 1937.  By the 1930s, the hotel was in dire straits and basically falling down, according to those few that still remember it.  It was finally torn down by the Lansing Wrecking Company and a Hi-Speed gas station took its place.

 

But back to Clyde Curtis.  In 1961, Mr. Curtis was a grocer located where the North Grand avenue entrance to Maria's School of Dance can now be found.  The following year, a more modern and larger location was built by Mr. Curtis where Curtis Grocery now stands.  Following are two pictures of that building under construction, provided by Ann Utter:

 

1961 Article on Plank Road

US-16 no longer exists -- it is now known as Grand River Avenue from Webberville through Howell.  When I-96 was finished in the early 1960s, the term "US-16" was removed from maps.

The above article, published in the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review gives some wonderful information on the early development of Grand River Avenue.  I sometimes try to visualize what the town would have looked like if the main route had been somewhere close to Allen Road.  Fowlerville has the buildings it has today due to numerous fires throughout history -- if the location had been on slightly higher ground, would the winds have wreaked more havoc and would the town look so very different?  Something to ponder . . .

An additional tidbit of information; in between the times the plank road was being used and it was paved in the early 1920s, Grand River Avenue was known as "the gravel" because of the make-up of the road with stones and dirt.  Imagine the bumpy ride that must have been!

1961 Fenton's Drug Store

Following is a great article on Fenton's Drug store -- if anyone has memories of this storefront, I would love it if you would leave a comment or e-mail me and I will do an update:

1961 Bohm and Hillman Congratulations

As we make our way through page 13 of 16 of the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review, the following congratulatory ads are shown:

Bohm's Gulf Service was located at the southeast corner of South Ann street and West Grand Avenue.  I believe what used to be the service station building has been incorporated into the side of the old Ford garage (now housing Granny's Greenthumb). 

Also, many may know Frank and Ann Utter.  Fred Hillman was Ann's father.

1961 Austin & Blue

Austin & Blue, Inc. seems a bit of a mystery to me --

~~What did Austin & Blue make?

~~How long were they in business?

~~Where were they located after moving from Second street?  I'm not sure I recognize this building anywhere in Fowlerville.

If anyone would like to shine a little information on this subject, please feel free to make a comment here or e-mail me and I will do an update.

1961 History Lesson on First Store

Following is an article that can be found in the 1961 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review:

I did a little bit of research on www.familysearch.org on "Almon Whipple" and found there were two of them -- father and son.  Sometime between 1800 and 1803 Almon Whipple was born in Massachusetts.  By 1836, he was located in Livingston county.  In the 1850 census records, Almon was approximately 50 years old and married to Mary Whipple, a gal 20 years his junior.  They had two boys -- Franklin, who was seven at the time, and Almon, two years old.

Curiously, the 1860 census shows no family associated with his name.

1961 Mrs. Charles Cook

Page 12 of the special edition of The Fowlerville Review celebrating the 125th anniversary of the arrival of Ralph Fowler has two interesting items shown above.  The Carr name was very prevalent, and still is, in Fowlerville through the years.  Also, the article of the oldest lifetime resident gives a wealth of information on various well-known names.

1961 Jolly Drive In

Below you will see a congratulatory ad found in the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review, which was published in 1961:



Does anyone remember the Jolly Drive In?  Where it was located? 

If so, would love to have you leave a comment or e-mail me through this site. 

1961 Early Settlers Article

The following family history can be found in the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review:

Romine Hamilton became the owner and operator of C.D. Hamilton Company, the dry goods store which in later years became Ruth's Resale.  The building now stands empty at the southeast corner of East Grand River and South Grand.

1961 Blackmer's to Utter's

Another iconic store in Fowlerville was Blackmer's, opened in 1896.  By 1961, when the 125th anniversary celebration was taking place, the clothing store was owned and operated by Frank Utter.  Following is the article in the special edition of the newspaper, as well as a photograph with S.T. Blackmer in the shoe department and a later picture with Frank Utter:

1961 Fowlerville Lumber Company

As we continue checking out the 125th celebration special edition, following is the article/advertisement for the Fowlerville Lumber company, formerly located at North Ann Street, fronting on West Grand River Avenue.  In both of my books, The Fowlerville Chronicles and Through the Eyes of a Country Editor, and on this site, there are numerous articles on the lumber company, including when one of the buildings from the site was relocated to the Krebs farm after the lumberyard was closed.  Feel free to do lots of searching. 

1961 Article on Liveliness

In the last quarter of the 1800s, there weren't just dances and parties, but also benefits held to support various causes and groups in the village.  One such benefit was reported in the newspaper as follows:

Don't forget the complimentary benefit to be tendered the Fowlerville Cornet Band next Tuesday evening at the Reason House by the ladies of Fowlerville and vicinity.  We have been handed a list of the general committee, which members over one hundred, making it too lengthy for publication.  It embraces, however, a large portion of the most prominent citizens of the township and their wives.  Let every one rally.  Bring your baskets full of edibles and a dollor or two in your pocket.

1961 George Peckens

We have now arrived at the eleventh page of this 16-page 125th celebration special edition newspaper.  As I read the article below, it was just plain impossible to imagine the sight of steer trudging along in the dirt and mud that was Grand River Avenue.  At that time, the road was called "the gravel" and paving did not begin until the early 1920s.  From all the articles I have found, paving in Livingston county of Grand River avenue began in Howell and worked east and west from there.  It was during the years of 1922 to 1924, the downtown area of Fowlerville was paved.   

1961 Sidell Pictures

Yesterday's post offered up the article that went along with these two pictures, published in the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review: 

The Harmon building, where Sidell Hardware was located, was then known as the Sidell block.  Before that it was the Palmerton block.  While doing research for The Fowlerville Chronicles, I found pictures of both the engraved marble piece placed in the outside east wall of the building when it was reconstructed in 1892 calling it the Palmerton block, and then the metal plaque Mr. Sidell bolted over it when it was renamed the Sidell block.  Both pictures are in the book.

2012 EasyRiders

EasyRiders have arrived and will be allowed into the fairgrounds Thursday at noon.  It is just amazing to me some of the attendees arrived LAST Thursday and starting camping out a week before they could even get into the main event.

There are other things going on this weekend also -- the circus is coming to town Sunday and will be at the corner of North Grand and Sharpe on the high school property.  The Howell Melon Fest is also on this weekend.  Lots to do!

1961 Sidells

The following lengthy article gives a great deal of information on how what is now the Harmon building became the Sidell block:

Their motto -- "If you don't trade with us, we both lose" -- could be found in nearly every advertisement placed in the local newspaper during their era.

Tomorrow's post will show the two pictures that went along with this article.

1961 Railroad Article

We are on page 10 and 11 of 16 of the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review.  The next two pictures show information on how the railroad helped the village grow, Ellen Goudy (Scripture) millinery shop, and the 1890 fair:

1961 Power Street Garage Update

A few days back, I asked at the end of a blog post if anyone knew anything about the Power Street Garage.  You can read this article by clicking here.

The other day I received an e-mail from one of my wonderful readers regarding the William Smith Power Street garage.  I wondered if the building still existed and it does.  As you are driving down Power Street, between Ann and Detroit, you can spot a stone building behind a red/brown brick house.  That used to be the location of this repair shop.  It has been beautiful kept up -- painted and some siding added at the ends of the building.  Following are three shots I took today; 1) west end, 2) southwest corner (both from Detroit street), and 3) southeast corner (taken from Danny's Pizza Shack driveway):

As a reminder, I will be at the village offices Tuesday morning from 9 am until 10-10:30 (depending on if anyone shows up) if you are interested in checking out our historical collection.

Also, as a side note, I have received some great e-mails, some with pictures and always with wonderful information, and I will be getting those posted to the site as soon as we finish up looking at the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review, published in 1961.

1961 Fowlerville Hardware

Following is a great article of information on what is now the Fowlerville Hardware:

A couple of items of interest in this article:

~~The plans can be viewed by stopping in the hardware store and asking Doug Burnie (son of the above-mentioned Douglass Burnie), and

~~The Orr Theatre closed in 1959, so had stood empty for a couple years at this point.

1961 Woods Drugs

In 1961, Woods Drug store provided information for the special edition of The Fowlerville Review for the 125th celebration of the village's beginnings.  Following is that article, with a picture of James Spencer, the former owner of this drug store:

A couple years before the 125th celebration, the following picture was taken of the Woods Drug Store.  It was one store front in from the northeast corner of North Grand and East Grand River.  It is now Maria's School of Dance.

1961 Community State Bank

As we continue to check out the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review, this wonderful article can be found on page 9:

The Community State Bank acquired a long-standing banking exchange in Fowlerville; one started by Milo Gay in partnership with John Ellsworth.  Click here for one of the best articles on this site for Mr. Ellsworth.  You can also plug these names into the search box and read numerous other articles.

As you can see, there are numerous well-known names listed.  If anyone would like to add some anecdotal information on board members and employees, that would be just great!  One of my readers has graciously sent information on Marguerite Vaughn, which can find by searching on her name.

1961 William Smith Garage

In all of my research over the last few years, I have never come across information on the William Smith Garage on Power Street.  If any of my wonderful readers would like to comment on where this garage was located, as well as anything else that comes to mind, I would love it.  Does the building still exist but look different? 

Following is the congratulatory advertisement that can be found in the 1961 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review:

1961 Article on 1891 Fire

The 1891 fire, that took out the entire northeast block of wooden buildings as well as jumping over North Grand Avenue and burning the Palmerton block as well as most of the buildings north of it, has been one of the most-reported on events in the village of Fowlerville.  This was one of four major fires that devastated buildings at the main four corners -- 1) the Palmerton block in 1876, 2) the Reason House in 1878, 3) this 1891 fire, and 4) the 1904 fire that destroyed most of the building in the southeast quadrant.

The following article, probably researched and written by Nellie Glenn, was published in the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review, and offers a great deal of information on who owned which buildings:

In my book, The Fowlerville Chronicles, as well as the recent biography, Through the Eyes of a Country Editor, there is additional information on this fire as G.L. Adams wrote extensively about it (although he was in Washington at the time and Mrs. Adams published the paper the week of the fire) and then the aftermath of rebuilding the town.