  Johnamos Member Username: Johnamos Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2007 |
My Great Great Grandfather was Ferdinand Amos. He was an immegrant from Germany (At age 7) who became an Alderman in Wayne county (16th ward). He also was postmaster of Detroit and a friend/colleague of Hazen Pingree. He had a school at the corner of Military and Regular, named after him. He operated the "Amos House" at the corner of Junction and MCRR. Does anyone know anything of the school. The school was torn down in the 1960's I believe. I have 3 pictures and the cars at the curb were like 1960 vintage. Crane v. Amos was a decision by the Michigan supreme court regarding the annexhation of Springwells into Detroit in 1884. I suspect that Ferdinand may have been poisoned. He had many enemies including businesses in Springwells and the MCRR. He died very suddenly (as many people did then) under rather strange circumstances. He had powerful friends and it seems that if there were an inquirey into his death that there would be some record of it. I am also interested in finding out about his youngest daughter b. 1891 (a stage and early television actress and well known Detroiter, Ruth Amos. She had a national CBS Radio show called the Ruth Amos hour, in the 40's. She acted in Detroit and New York and was part of the Vaugn Glaser group that toured. She later married Sheldon Hall. | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2555 Registered: 10-2003 |
Welcome to the Forum, John Amos! From the 1908 Book of Detroiters, a listing for Charles Amos, son of Ferdinand: AMOS, Charles Bristol, manufacturer ornamental brass, iron, wire, structural steel and iron work; born, Detroit, Aug. 25, 1871; son of Ferdinand and Martha (Bristol) Amos; educated in public schools and at Detroit Business College; married at Detroit, Aug. 24, 1896; Elizabeth J. Snook. Served apprenticeship as machine operator with Harvey Sons Co., Limited, 1888-91; employed by American Straw Board Co., Anderson, Ind., as paper machine operator, 1891, and in same year as bookkeeper for the Citizens’ Gas Co., Anderson; returned to Detroit as assistant teller Peninsular Savings Bank; entered manufacture of mineral water, 1892, later acting as commercial salesman; organized Charles Amos & Co., 1900, incorporated, Sept. 12, 1905, of which is president. Mason; member Maccabees. Club: Detroit Yacht. Recreations: Motoring, fishing and outdoor sports. Office: 94 Larned St., W. Residence: 766 Junction Av. Source: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi /county/tuscola/det/detalg-and .htm Have you tried using the Burton Historical Collection at the main Detroit Public Library? They have a super collection of Detroit historical information, including newspaper clipping files. Sounds like your family may have been mentioned frequently in the local papers and so Burton should be a good source. | ||
Johnamos Member Username: Johnamos Post Number: 3 Registered: 10-2007 |
Most of what I learned initially was from the Burton Society. I have been to the Downtown Library and seen what they have on my family and it is quite a bit. There were articles about Ferdinand's illness and about the tight race for his Alderman seat at the time of his death. I have seen the stuff about my father's great uncle Charles Bristol as well. I think Charles had an advantage from being a son of Ferdinand. Ferdinand had 3 living sons. One being my Great Grandfather Walter George who died at aget 25. the other son (other than Charles) ended up at the Pontiac State Hospital. I did not find anything at Burton relating to an investigation of Ferdinand's death. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2168 Registered: 01-2005 |
Here's the image from the 1900 U.S. Census report showing Ruth Amos and her widowed mother, Rose, living at 859 Monroe, in Detroit. Rose shows no occupation.  | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 2169 Registered: 01-2005 |
....and here's Amos in the 1880 census. Living in Springwells Township, but it doesn't give the address in that year's census. Houseful of servants, also.  | ||
Johnamos Member Username: Johnamos Post Number: 4 Registered: 10-2007 |
Thank you for the posts. The 1880 Census was for Ferdinand and Wife and sons. The hotel was the Amos House. At Junction and MCRR. I presume that to be where the Michigan Central railroad tracks crossed Junction. I drove there two years ago. The tracks and the road are still there but not the Amos House. The Amos House was previously the Pennsylvania house. At the time of the 1900 Census, Rose had just sold the Amos House. She took Ruth to New York about this time and eventually returned to marry a police captain named Snook. Ruth was "as I hear" the talk of the town in the 1910's through the 1940's. It was a big deal when she would return to Detroit for a theatre show. I have no idea where she is buried. But I know that she was still alive in 1963 when she gave consent for the burial of her 1/2 brother's widow's burial in the family plot at Woodmere. It surprises me a little bit that she did not end up there too. Other than that consent, I lose all track of her after the mid 1950's. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1918 Registered: 04-2005 |
I found the Amos School on the 1910 Sanborn map, Volume 5, sheet 40. I'd post the image here, but PS seems to be crashing on the maps today. No sign of the hotel yet. Junction and MCRR is also the boundary between different Sanborn volumes, so without a better address, it will take searching through a few of them to find it, if ever. | ||
Crystal Member Username: Crystal Post Number: 54 Registered: 05-2007 |
I love this forum. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1919 Registered: 04-2005 |
 2 story, wood frame construction, it looks like, with a lot of empty lots around it on the other sides. CS3 was working today. Found the Amos House from 1884, will post later. | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 46 Registered: 08-2007 |
amos was in the 67/68 dps directory,good luck in your search. i should trace my old old detroit relatives. | ||
Johnamos Member Username: Johnamos Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2007 |
Here is a picture of the old Amos school  | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3516 Registered: 10-2003 |
 Amos School from WSU/VMC | ||
Johnamos Member Username: Johnamos Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2007 |
Mikem, And everyone for that matter. Thank you so much. Where in the world did you find this picture? This means a great deal to me. Thank you. Can you email me a higher resolution version of this image? Johna@Detailtechnologies.com | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1921 Registered: 04-2005 |
This was the location of the Amos House, NNE of the GTWRR station. Sanborn 1884, vol 1, sheet 37b.  Looks like three story, wood frame construction, with a single story wing along the track. Junction was known as Lover's Lane at that time. I don't think I've seen a photo of the GT station from that time and location, the Amos Hs might show up in the background of it. It looks like that the Amos School was rebuilt since the 1910 map, from a 2 story wood, to 3 story brick building. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4543 Registered: 10-2004 |
Those Grand Trunk Junction tracks are all above grade today. Were those at grade then, and was the roadway lowered at that point, as it was at Clark Street, a few blocks to the east? From its location, might the Amos House have been one of those ubiquitous railroad workers' flophouses/apartments located near the railroads a century ago? | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3519 Registered: 10-2003 |
John, school photo from Wayne State University, Virtual Motor City Do a keyword search on "Amos". | ||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 52 Registered: 08-2007 |
all i can say, is what a good looking school. | ||
Johnamos Member Username: Johnamos Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2007 |
Yes, it was a good looking school. I wonder why they tore it down. I also wonder what the circumstances or ceremony was when they named it after my gr gr grandfather. I did not even know it existed until a little over a year ago. | ||
Johnamos Member Username: Johnamos Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2007 |
The property upon which sat the Amos school. Was purchased by the Detroit Public Schools on June 27th 1894, from Daniel and Elizabeth Scotten for $5,000. The original warranty deed is available for viewing at 3011 Fischer building on the corner of Boulevard and Second. I learned this information from Tim Webb from the DBOE 3011 W. Grand Blvd Room 1047 313-873-6170 I also learned (by a fax) That the school was demolished in 1976 in a land exchange with the city of Detroit. It was constructed in 1895 and had an addition in 1908. It was called Amos elementary at 1310 Military. |
