By Staff
Recently, I was loaned two old Dowagiac city directories, 1931 and 1938.
I saw where the White Brothers Dodge and Plymouth car dealership was at 207 Commercial St. in what is now the Huntington Bank building.
Reading this brought back a Charlie memory.
The garage workshop was in the back of the dealership, with entrance from the alley. That was from Commercial to Main.
At the time, we lived at 207 New York Ave. and the alley was in back of our house.
Once, when my dad and I were in our back yard, a mechanic from the garage asked my father if he would help get a car started that needed a push (remember how people used to do this?)
Well, my dad had not driven a car for many years, and when the car started he shot down that alley like a greyhound dog after a rabbit and tore up a good share of a hedge that was along the west side of the alley just before you got to Main Street.
I guess my dad didn't realize the change in automobiles since his earlier driving years ago.
As I recall, he got the car "corralled" just before entering Main Street.
Also, in 1931, Mrs. C.B. Farrow, 337 N. Lowe, was listed as a fortune teller.
As I recall, she was known as "Madame" Farrow.
On weekends, I can remember all the Illinois and Detroit cars parked there to get the numbers she would pick for them for the illegal numbers game back then, which is now the legal lottery in Michigan and many other states.
In 1931, Milt Williams had a restaurant at 147 S. Front.
Helmer Erikson had the Lilac Inn on M-40 South. Daniel Fleiss had the Chat and Chew Lunch at 216 S. Front. Paul Easton and Norah Long had the Park Cafe at 203 S. Front.
Shookman's grocery was on N. Front, where it was later the 3-R food, as I remember.
The R.A. Lewis Monument Co. was at 440 E. Division, which was in later years Brezen Insurance on Riverside Drive.
Lyle Stevens had a garage at 103 W. High St. and sold Chryslers and Plymouths.
Schuyler Frost was Lyle's garage mechanic. He later had his own garage on Front in back of the Co-ops building.
Earl Whitmore and Lee Flynn had a dairy which I think was out on Middle Crossing at the Flynn farm.
They had a real cute ad: "You can whip our cream, but you can't beat our milk!"
W.F. Lyon had a furniture store at 238 S. Front, and his funeral home was at 307 Pennsylvania Ave., which was also his residence.
In 1931, at the corner of Division and Penn Avenue, was the Baptist Church.
Going south on Penn at 103, L.R. Crawford had a shoe and harness repair; 107 was Robinson Funeral Parlor; 109, C.J. Baker Blacksmith; 111, phone company storage; 115, Ray Potter Blacksmith; and 117 L.L. Bascome's Tailor Shop.
Across the street, Clyde Hart's watch and clock repair at 114; and, at 118, Full Gospel Assembly.
Also listed in 1931 were Chester Murphy, John Vinton and Otto Weiss as Michigan Central Railroad "gatemen."
These must have been the guys who sat up in that little high building near the tracks and raised and lowered the crossing gates as trains came through.
On page 36 of the new book of old Dowagiac pictures you can see that little building by the tracks on Beeson Street near the Round Oak.