Lansing Skyline - Early 1900's

[RustTown]

Here are some pretty interesting pictures of the Lansing skyline back in the early 1900's. It wasn't much, but there was a tight little core a street level that followed the river:

Lansing 1912 looking north up Grand Avenue (from what I'm unsure):

Lansing 1900 looking west from the Stand Pipe (still standing, but without the observation function)

[ZachariahDaMan]

Great pictures, thanks for posting them. Where did you find those?

[RustTown]

Oh, here and there. Nowhere in particular, really.

[NCB]

Those are some really cool pictures!

[RustTown]

The second pic was taken from this old, 140-foot shot tower, that used to function as a observation tower, as well. Needless to say, they took down the spiral staircase that one wrapped around the tower. With insurance finally coming into the picture, I'm sure it posed a serious safety risk:

Here is a similar shot of how the skyline looks today (with the shot tower illuminated in the middle)

[hood]

I had missed this discussion before, but the lugnet tower thing was not the standpipe, it was a smokestack. The standpipe, I beleive was on that elevated park between cedar and larch, it served some function for the water system. It was tore down in the 50's I think.

[statedude3]

I had missed this discussion before, but the lugnet tower thing was not the standpipe, it was a smokestack. The standpipe, I beleive was on that elevated park between cedar and larch, it served some function for the water system. It was tore down in the 50's I think.

Does anyone have a shot of this? Is this the "space needle" looking thing that is on the old city limit signs? I always thought it looked cool from the silouette on the sign, but I didnt know if it ever existed or if it was a futuristic thing.

[RustTown]

No, the standpipe looked almost exactly like the chimney I posted above. The only difference was that it had a winding iron staircase around it all the way to the top, and also acted as a general observation tower. Hood, do some more research for me. I've always been interested to see pics of it, and find out when it was built and demolished. It probably served as the original water tower for the city.

Thanks for the correction, Hood. I had a feeling that the chimney was not the same thing as the standpipe because every view I saw seemed to be from a bit further south, but the general location seemed the same, and I never saw the chimney in pictures with the standpipe. The chimney must have been built in the 40's or something.

[hood]

I have a picture of the standpipe from the "Lansing City on the Grand" book, I just have to get it scanned into the computer, hopefully tioday. The main difference between the smokestack and the standpipe is that the standpipe was some sort of cement on stone and it was verticle, not tapered and it was quite a bit taller, I beleive over 100' but I'd have to check the sanborn maps again. It was tore down in 1949 and built in 1885.

[hood]

Here is a pic of the standpipe from the 1890's:

[statedude3]

where was this located? I love the how smokestacks dominate the city skyline, it's a sign of our industrial history and strength! Between Pruden 'stack, BWL3, BWL Ottawa, and lugnut 'stack, smokestacks are to the Lansing skyline what pointed buildings are to Philly.

[RustTown]

The standpipe would be a block east of the Board of Water and Light Dye Treatment facility on the Grand River. It would be right across the street a bit south of where the "lugnut" chimney still stands.

I agree. I LOVE the chimneys in Lansing's skyline. It gives it so much more character. The coolest view to see all of them in the skyline is coming down south from the Cedar/Larch Street viaduct in north Lansing. I wish I could get a good picture.

[wolverine]

Wow, these old pictures are awesome.

[sabatoa]

Does anyone have a shot of this? Is this the "space needle" looking thing that is on the old city limit signs? I always thought it looked cool from the silouette on the sign, but I didnt know if it ever existed or if it was a futuristic thing.

The space needle thing is still standing. It's on the campus of LCC, it's not big at all, maybe 30 ft tall. I'm not sure what it's used for.

[statedude3]

The space needle thing is still standing. It's on the campus of LCC, it's not big at all, maybe 30 ft tall. I'm not sure what it's used for.

I had no idea that is what that was supposed to be in the signs. That thing always looks goofy to me as I drive up shiawassee or down grand ave. I would just assume it be gotten rid of, if possible.

[RustTown]

Hey, here's another photos showing Washington and Michigan (The "Four Corners") looking southeast. As you can see, the 101 South Washington is visible before it's expansion and subsequent renovations and reconstructions. It almost looked exactly like the Prudden Building (Washington Square Building) across Washington on the other corner:

[RustTown]

Photos from Lansing Police Department history

Lansing Manual "Stop & Go" Traffic Signals (1917):

Cop cars, motorcycle officers, and patrol wagons in 1920's

Parade 1951 down Washington Square (when we still had downtown theaters )

Capitol grounds looking east down Michigan (old romanesque-styled city post office with city hall just out of view to the left) with the Bank of Lansing (Comerica Bank Building) in the background 1951.

The City Hall (left) and Lansing Police Department Headquarters (right) being built completely around the old post office/city hall annex in 1958. The site of the post office is now a public plaza for city hall. At least it wasn't made a parking lot.

Lansing's helicopter patrol in 1974. As you can see, there was mass clearing for urban renewal west of the capitol which is now home to the second phase of the state capitol complex. The helicopter patrol was lost to budget cuts in 1991.

Lansing Dive Team started in 1995

[statedude3]

Great pictures LMich. The old Post Office/City Hall reminds me so much of the G.A.R. Building in Detroit, which I'm currently working to purchase.

[hood]

I was never aware that the post office still stood after the construction of City Hall. That makes the razing of the post office that much more of a loss, I wish we had more of our larger 19th century buildings left in Lansing.

Great pictures LMich. The old Post Office/City Hall reminds me so much of the G.A.R. Building in Detroit, which I'm currently working to purchase.

So your actually planning on buying that building? That sounds great, good luck!