Muskegon of the Past

[Eridony]

Great photo! You can see the Square under construction next to Krautiem's. I did not realize the Second Ave first floor windows were originally different. They have looked like they do now for as long as I can remember. Thanks for posting this.

[Larry Spataro]

I noticed there was a building under construction, but I didn't know what it was. What was the Square?

Here is a different view of the same intersection. I'm guessing this was from sometime in the 1950s.

I never knew Western was a one way street.

[Eridony]

The Square was a high end men's clothing store. It closed in the early 1980's.

All the streets were one-way at one time. Western and Clay were changed back to two-way after the Mall was built. Changing back Muskegon, Webster, First, and Second is just the final step of a process of turn-back that started in the med 1970's.

[Larry Spataro]

Ah, thanks. I never knew Western and Clay were one way streets. It's not very surprising though since many cities had their downtown streets flow in one direction during that period.

Here is another photo of the Michigan Theater. From the look of the cars I'm guessing the theater hadn't been around for very long when this was taken.

[rightseat]

This would have been shortly after it opened. They added the message marquee within a couple of years of opening. this picture predates that.

[Eridony]

A Postcard from 1911

In this shot you can see "The Square" that Larry mentioned.

[Eridony]

For anyone who misses the mall:

[Larry Spataro]

For anyone who misses the mall:

[Eridony]

Here is another mall picture that really wasn't long ago at all:

Larry, maybe you know the reason why Daniels, the Century Club, and part of this bank were left outside the covered area of the mall?

[Larry Spataro]

Here is another mall picture that really wasn't long ago at all:

Larry, maybe you know the reason why Daniels, the Century Club, and part of this bank were left outside the covered area of the mall?

[rightseat]

I not sure of this information, but as I remember from one of my college marketing classes, it was due to the fact the Century Club didn't want to be a part of the downtown mall and the same with the Daniels business. The original mall was to connect with the LC Walker Arena. The point is that not everyone wanted to be a part of the mall. But I am scratching some old brain cells here. I'm just glad it's gone, the mall, but not the destruction of all the buildings. I like old buildings, the history it holds. Where I live the beams are over 200 years old. Some pieces of wood that where removed from the rebuilding of the Century Club, the rings in the wood were narrow and tight. Just beautiful wood. We'll never see wood like this again.

[Eridony]

I not sure of this information, but as I remember from one of my college marketing classes, it was due to the fact the Century Club didn't want to be a part of the downtown mall and the same with the Daniels business. The original mall was to connect with the LC Walker Arena. The point is that not everyone wanted to be a part of the mall. But I am scratching some old brain cells here. I'm just glad it's gone, the mall, but not the destruction of all the buildings. I like old buildings, the history it holds. Where I live the beams are over 200 years old. Some pieces of wood that where removed from the rebuilding of the Century Club, the rings in the wood were narrow and tight. Just beautiful wood. We'll never see wood like this again.

[Eridony]

Speaking of the mall, here is a postcard of one of the casualties of urban renewal.

[Eridony]

A postcard of Western Avenue that includes the Russell Block on the left:

Saint Mary's Catholic Church in 1870:

[Eridony]

The Muskegon Life Saving Station (now the coastguard station):

Western Avenue in the 1950s:

Mislabeled postcard calling Pere Marquette a state park: