Dearborn in the 1920's and 30's

Ottie Remembers Growing Up in Dearborn

            Reading other's Dearborn memories reminded me of my first times when we moved to Detroit in the early 1920's, maybe 1924.  I don’t recall.  My Father was a Chef and worked at the DAC in Detroit.  In 1926 he and Mr. Lemon helped open the Dearborn Country Club.  He roomed in a white house across from the Country Club.  We lived in a rooming house on Peterboro.  I recall going to the Detroit Library with my Mother.  

            Mother and I took the street car or interurban to visit week-ends.  We finally moved to Gregory to a 4 family flat.  I went to Southwestern grade school.  My Mother decided to open a store on Monroe Blvd. and S. Military called the CozyCream Corner.  Military did not go through at that time.  I think it went to Nowlin.

            My Father stopped being a Chef.  He started to work as a night watchman at the Ford buildings on Oakwood & the twin ponds.  He didn’t do that too long as Mr. Ford would not allow him to have a second job as it was the Depression.

            We had quite a number of important or impressive people come to our store for candy, cigarettes, the soda fountain, groceries & the delicatessen.  My Mother used to make German potato salad to sell.  We also sold steak and other fresh meat.

            I remember Edsel Ford bought cigarettes.  Mr. Ford would not have approved.  Mr. Burns, Ford’s chauffeur would stop with Henry and Benson.  They would have a milk shake or soda.  Mr. & Mrs. Lemon would come.  Mr. & Mrs. Lovett also and some of the higher ups at Ford Motor.

            I wanted to go to the Ford Old-Fashioned Dancing School.  I was sort of on the wrong side of the track, but I did get to go.  Mr. Ford was there one time and I walked with him and naively asked if he knew my Father.  Of course he didn’t.  Mr. Ford fixed up homes on Edison and that area for people working at Ford Motor, as I recall.  

           I went up to the new Dearborn High School in the seventh (7th) grade so they would have enough students to open the new High School.  The basketball and football students seemed like giants.

            I worked in my parents store over the years.  We never had  a phone other than the phone booth in our store.  My Father finally had a car around 1930.  He made deliveries to the Bryants on your side of town.

            I had a great time in H.S. and had many friends on both sides of the tracks.  We knew friends in classes before 1935 and after.  It’s been nice thinking back. 

                                                            Ottie