Video of Ypsilanti during the summer of 1970 is discovered

I’ve now watched the film a few times, and I’m struck by a few things. First, I didn’t realize that there was, for a time, a grocery store in the building right behind the old Kresge department store on North Washington Street. And, second, I wasn’t aware that the old Martha Washington Theater was already showing porn in the summer of 1970. I thought that didn’t happen until about ’72… So, what are you struck by?

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15 Comments

  1. Posted October 19, 2018 at 1:11 pm | Permalink

    It’s fleeting, but here’s the image of the Food Mart that stood on the first block of Washington Street, just north of Michigan Avenue.

  2. Posted October 19, 2018 at 1:18 pm | Permalink

    And here’s the marquee of the old Art 1&2.

    A little earlier in the film you can also see the crazy alpine canopy over the entrance to the old Michigan Ave. porn shop, which, according to Barry, was added by Ray Dupuis while he was renting the space out to his son Larry to run his pet store.

  3. Lynne
    Posted October 19, 2018 at 1:39 pm | Permalink

    I am struck by how much the town was in good shape compared to the 70’s Detroit where I grew up.

  4. Anonymous
    Posted October 19, 2018 at 2:09 pm | Permalink

    Well, we didn’t have riots in ’68, Lynne.

    I’m struck by the number of shoe stores.

  5. Scotty James
    Posted October 19, 2018 at 3:28 pm | Permalink

    Mark, that’s not the Kresge building – the second floor windows are not correct.

  6. Lisa Bashert
    Posted October 19, 2018 at 3:41 pm | Permalink

    The cheese grater!!! AKA City Hall! And Grinnell’s (was that a piano shop? I know Grinnell was a Detroit made piano). I’m also struck by the Wig Shop where John Normal Collins last victim was abducted. What were Shamfers and McAllans?

  7. Kat
    Posted October 19, 2018 at 8:55 pm | Permalink

    That was a different wig shop, Lisa. His last victim was taken outside Wigs By Joan on North Washington.

  8. Barry LaRue
    Posted October 20, 2018 at 6:04 am | Permalink

    Food Mart was on North Washington behind Bona Sera. The Pub 13 building. They had groceries and a long lunch counter. I bought comic books there as a kid and would get a treat at the soda fountain after a visit to the orthodontist nearby.

  9. Posted October 20, 2018 at 3:16 pm | Permalink

    Thanks for the corrections, folks. I’ve edited accordingly.

  10. Posted October 20, 2018 at 3:20 pm | Permalink

    Here’s the wig shop you’re thinking of, Lisa. It’s where they YES space is now, right behind Mix, on North Washington.

    http://markmaynard.com/2016/10/wigs-by-joan/

  11. Posted October 20, 2018 at 9:46 pm | Permalink

    Seeing as you asked: I was struck by the Beneficial sign. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Michegan (though I have a few MI family connections) but remember Beneficial’s radio jingle. I don’t think I would ever have thought of it again.

  12. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted October 21, 2018 at 8:35 am | Permalink

    .

  13. Linda Yohn
    Posted October 21, 2018 at 2:30 pm | Permalink

    Of course, I’d be fascinated by Radiotronics. I’d love to see this again at a much slower pace and with a group of friends sipping the beer of the ’70s, Stroh’s.

  14. iRobert
    Posted October 21, 2018 at 7:58 pm | Permalink

    HW makes a good point.

  15. Elviscostello
    Posted October 23, 2018 at 4:57 pm | Permalink

    I’d love to see it slowed down as well. My first employer was Morrie Green of Green Jewelers. You can see his big sign. I was just 14 when he hired me to be his janitor 3 days a week.
    Also a good picture of the Masonic Temple on Huron (76). It was next to Edison where you could take burned out bulbs and get them replaced for free. There’s an alley between the two buildings, and below the alley there was a coal tunnel. I was in DeMolay at the Masonic Temple, and we cleaned the tunnel out and made a rifle range for our team.

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