  Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1954 Registered: 12-2005 |
Crowley's Department Store as viewed from across Farmer St. on the old Kern Block, June 1968. (full size)  Crowley's Department Store display windows, July 1968. (full size)  Crowley's Department Store as viewed looking southeast from Gratiot and Farmer, July 1968. (full size)  Kennedy Square and the old Kern Block as seen from the 8th floor of Crowley's Department Store, June 1968. (full size)  Buildings on the east side of Randolph, between Monroe and Macomb Streets as viewed from Crowley's, July 1968. Building on the right is the former Odd Fellows Temple, built in 1874. (full size)  | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7835 Registered: 02-2004 |
Those pice are beautiful! That is the colorful magic of Kodachrome. Man, I miss the classic days of Downtown Detroit where the shops all around. | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 10433 Registered: 10-2003 |
Is the Oddfellows still standing? I thought it was. Wow, look at the people on the streets. Even though Detroit has lost more than half it's population there should still be more people on the street today than there is. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2481 Registered: 12-2005 |
Nice '68 Dodge Charger in that third pic, thin-line whites, rallye wheels. | ||
Pffft Member Username: Pffft Post Number: 1764 Registered: 12-2003 |
I've always wondered, what did "Cancellations" mean, in terms of "Cancellations Men's Shoes" ...?? | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 1388 Registered: 11-2003 |
And that little parking lot to the right of the oddfellows in the last picture has been there now for forty years (at least). | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1559 Registered: 10-2003 |
actually, 75 years and counting. it was previously the site of the hotel ste. claire, razed in 1933. follow the link for more history: http://www.buildingsofdetroit. com/places/stclaire | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3760 Registered: 01-2005 |
Great shots and memories. Wish you had a photo of the old wooden escalators inside the place. (Yes, escalators that had wood steps. Amazing that the place didn't burn down.) | ||
Detroitsky Member Username: Detroitsky Post Number: 11 Registered: 06-2007 |
Rsa, actually after the Ste. Claire was razed a small one story structure was built there. I believe it was a restaurant, but I could be wrong. | ||
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin Post Number: 5951 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thats like the lot between Caddy SQ apts and the Lawyers BLGD......as far back as i have looked there has NEVER been anything built on that lot.... | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 1136 Registered: 10-2003 |
Cancellation meant discontinued. Liquidators would purchase leftovers of canceled lines....maybe last year's styles....and re-sell them. Basically the same idea as "Liquidation Outlet" type stores, but for some reason became very popular in the footwear trade in the early 50's. This might help: http://imnotsayin.blogspot.com /2007/12/jacks-cancellation-sh oes.html | ||
J_stone Member Username: J_stone Post Number: 438 Registered: 10-2003 |
Interestingly, there is a Temple of Oddfellows in downtown Ludington as well. I saw that last year and found it odd.. Amazing Pics BTW - thank you so much. | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 2827 Registered: 07-2004 |
The barber shop on Randolph is still a barber shop today. Never seen the Crowley's Building in such bright light. It really was a beautiful building. Also, it's always great to see the past in color. Thanks, Mikeg. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3772 Registered: 09-2007 |
quote: No, I'm pretty sure it's a pet groomer now. (Message edited by DetroitRise on October 15, 2008) | ||
Hamtragedy Member Username: Hamtragedy Post Number: 315 Registered: 10-2007 |
The St. Bernard with a case of Hamm's beer around his neck in the last picture (the vacant lot on the right) is awesome. | ||
Detourdetroit Member Username: Detourdetroit Post Number: 411 Registered: 10-2003 |
...much... | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 7836 Registered: 02-2004 |
Detroitrise, The barber shop on Randolph St. is still there. It's now black owned and operated. | ||
Crawford Member Username: Crawford Post Number: 404 Registered: 10-2006 |
Where is this exactly? Crowley's is the garage portion of the Compuware block? | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1959 Registered: 12-2005 |
On this 1961 aerial photo, Crowley's buildings are marked with a "C". Kern's is "A", Sam's (old opera house) is "B", Hudson's is "D", Downtown (Skillman) Library is "E", Odd Fellows Temple is "F", National Theater is "G", B. Siegel's is "H".  (Message edited by Mikeg on October 15, 2008) | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1960 Registered: 12-2005 |
Barlum (now Cadillac) Tower from the roof of Crowley's, June 1957. (full size)  The view up Farmer Street from Crowley's, October 1956. The J.L.Hudson Department Store is on the left; the roof of the Downtown Library (now the Skillman Branch) is at bottom. (full size)  The view up Library Street from Crowley's, July 1968. Library Park is at the lower left, sandwiched between the Downtown Library (not shown), Farmer St. and Library St. (full size)  Crowley's had a bridge over Library Street that connected their two buildings. This July 1968 photo taken from the bridge shows the rich detailing on the building's facade. (full size)  The northeast corner of Monroe and Farmer Streets, July 1961. (full size)  The "Monroe Block" buildings opposite the old Kern Block, June 1968. (full size)  The intersection of Woodward and Gratiot, looking west from the eighth floor of Crowley's, June 1968. (full size)  The J.L. Hudson Department Store from the roof of Crowley's, July 1968. (full size)  (Message edited by Mikeg on October 15, 2008) (Message edited by Mikeg on October 16, 2008) | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 2662 Registered: 09-2006 |
What is the name of that relatively tall building facing Cadillac Square behind those buildings on Monroe in picture 6? And when did all of those buildings on Monroe get demolished? Shame that's all parking lot now. | ||
1kielsondrive Member Username: 1kielsondrive Post Number: 347 Registered: 08-2008 |
Thank you for posting these wonderful photos. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 1961 Registered: 12-2005 |
This final series of photos collectively provide a 180 degree panoramic view from Crowley's eighth floor roof. Looking northwest, the Broderick tower dominates this July 1968 view. (full size)  To the north, buildings on Broadway include the Phillips Building (now the Harvard Square Centre), July 1968. (full size)  This northeast view down Gratiot shows Stroh's Brewery, the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice (under construction) and the Detroit Police HQ building, July 1968. (full size)  Another view to the northeast shows the roofs of Greektown, St. Mary's twin spires and Lafayette Park in the distance, July 1968. (full size)  The Detroit River is visible in the distance to the southeast in this June 1968 photo. Portions of the old County Building and the Water Board building are visible on the right. (full size)  Another view to the southeast is framed by the Water Board building on the left and the rear of the Cadillac Square apartments on the right. The south corner of the old County Building is visible in the distance. The "STOP" sign in the lower right is for eastbound traffic on Farmer at Bates. (full size)  | ||
Drjeff Member Username: Drjeff Post Number: 32 Registered: 06-2007 |
Great photos! Thanks! | ||
Pffft Member Username: Pffft Post Number: 1765 Registered: 12-2003 |
Beautiful photos... Thanks Douglasm for the "Cancellation Shoes" explainer. I've always wondered that... | ||
Navi Member Username: Navi Post Number: 7 Registered: 09-2005 |
Wow these are great! Thanks for posting them. | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 1201 Registered: 11-2003 |
These Kodachromes are HOF material. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 1583 Registered: 01-2007 |
I really like the old and worn advertisements painted on many of these buildings, highly visible in the full size views. It's wonderful how the photographer took the time to reach the roof top to get these fantastic shots. There is much to look at here, and much to ponder. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 1137 Registered: 10-2003 |
Pffft..... ....no problem. A retail footware chain I spent 10 years with out here in the Pacific Northleft started out as a cancellation store just after WW II. Mikeg.... .....thank you for posting those beautiful pictures. Brought back fond memories of working downtown retail from 1967 through 1969...... | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 1995 Registered: 03-2008 |
Thanks for posting all this! Is it just me, or is Campus Martius equally as busy today, as it was in that first set of pictures? |
