1924 General Motors Proving Ground

Had the pleasure of watching a promotional video for the General Motors Proving Ground -- how and when it was designed and built.  Started me thinking there may be quite a few here in Fowlerville interested in one of Michigan's largest employers.  

In 1924, farmland and bluffs were purchased northeast of Brighton and construction began on the proving grounds.  Following is an article published in The Fowlerville Review, February 24, 1924:

Three years later, the following advertisement ran in the paper for quite a few weeks for the tested and proven (at the proving grounds) Chevrolet, sold by Gannon and Finlan:

1971 Community State Bank Ad

Sticking with the theme of Halloween coming up, here's an advertisement for the Community State Bank from the October 27, 1971, issue of "The Fowlerville Review," for "bewitching car loans."

There's a great deal of information and pictures on the Community State Bank on this blog.  If you make use of the search box and put in words such as "Community State Bank" or "George Tait," you will find various articles previously written.

1929 Halloween Cake

Halloween is upon us.  Well, it has been for quite some time with all of the grocery stores offering up candy way too early!  But, anyhow, this is a first for me.  In 1929 the Rossetter Bakery made a Halloween cake, filled with goodies.  Here's an advertisement from the October 23, 1929, issue of The Fowlerville Review:

A few years back, I had the great pleasure of having lunch with Thelma Rossetter.  We enjoyed a meal at Olden Days.  Our lunch grew cold as she reminisced of those years with the bakery.  I was able to include some of her memories in The Fowlerville Chronicles. 

1929 Kroger Advertisement

I grabbed this advertisement out of The Fowlerville Review from the June 26, 1929, issue.  This Kroger store was located in the northeast quadrant, possibly right next to the pharmacy.  I never did find an address.  One of its employees and eventually manager was Stirling Douglass.  Some may remember him--he was very active in the community.  He eventually opened his own grocery store as well as running the Twin-Q Inn in the 40s. 

Wouldn't it be lovely to get groceries at these prices!

1923 Grand River Avenue Paving

Over the years, I've been asked when the "silent policeman" was removed from the center of the main intersection and also when Grand River Avenue was paved.  (For those not familiar with the silent policeman, you can search that on this blog or read my novel "Juniper and Anise" and find out.)

In the November 7, 1923, issue of The Fowlerville Review, the following article was published on the front page:

It was some time after that a street light was installed at the intersection.  There are two pictures in "The Fowlerville Chronicles" showing the "silent policeman" -- the cover and under 1918.

1920 Milking Machine

If you've spent any time perusing this website, you've probably figured out I love the ads from long ago.  Today, I pulled up the digitized files of The Fowlerville Review (which can be accessed at the Fowlerville Library) and randomly scrolled through the 1920s.  The following ad for a milking machine caught my eye:

Eugene D. Defendorf ran a hardware/farm implement supply store and was very active in the community.  He sat on the school board as well as being involved with local organizations.

2015 Johnson Auction

Along about the first first or so of doing this blog, I started taking "squint shots" -- close-ups of architecture in particular.  One of my pictures was of some woodwork at the roof peak of the house at 310 South Grand Avenue.  Never knew until years later it was uninhabited, but used only as a storage facility for Johnny Johnson's immense photography and filming collection.  

I used to see Mr. Johnson walking more often than not when I would come into town.  I started missing him lately and found out he had passed away this summer.  Well now there's going to be an auction Saturday, October 10, at that same house I took a squint shot years ago.  Sometimes, things like this make me a bit sad, even if I never met him.

(Article found in current issue of Fowlerville News and Views)

1999 Braun Receipt

So, the other day, I got ambitious enough to clean out my closet.  That feeling hits about once a year, fortunately, so I'm always finding something interesting.

This time around, I rehung some of my old (and full of memory) good dresses.  One was wrapped in plastic and at the top by the hanger was a stapled receipt.

How many of you also miss Braun's Dry Cleaners?

P.S. More posts to come in the near future.