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E. Kalamazoo St., Cantu & Sons, undated

I know what you’re thinking. “Another Cantu & Sons stamp?” Look, if I published Cantu & Sons stamps in proportion to how common they are, this would just be a Cantu blog with occasional impurities. As I’ve said before, Cantu stamps are by far the most common stamps on the east side.

This variant Cantu & Sons stamp is on the north side of East Kalamazoo Street between Fairview and Magnolia. The most common Cantu stamps are the 1987-88 stamps that just read “Cantu & Sons.” The next most common are the ones from prior to that, reading “Cantu & Sons Cement Cont.” This rather faint one adds “Cantu & Sons Const” to the mix. Unfortunately, it’s undated.

Looking east on Kalamazoo. The stamp is on the closest slab.
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Cantu & Sons, Horton St., 1987

There are lots of Cantu & Sons stamps on Horton Street (and indeed, everywhere in the neighborhood, as I’ve mentioned before) including this one on the east side of the street between Jerome and the northern dead end. Several just like this one are near the 1944 DPW stamp I previously featured.

What’s interesting about this one is the fact that Cantu & Sons apparently got a new style of stamp midway through 1987. Some 1987 stamps, and all 1988 stamps I have seen, just have “Cantu & Sons” and the date; other 1987 stamps, like this one, add “Cement Cont.” My guess is that this represents a name change. They may have dropped “Cement Contractors” as their business expanded beyond cement. Perhaps this was a pivotal moment on their way to becoming the Cantu Builders of today.

Update 3/11/21: I have discovered that Google maps has lied to me, and Horton is an Avenue, not a Street.

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Regent St., Cantu & Sons, 1988

This is another one on Regent St. between Kalamazoo and Elizabeth. Cantu & Sons have stamped more sidewalks in Lansing’s east side (my neighborhood) than any other contractor by a wide margin. Most I have seen are dated 1987 or ’88, suggesting the neighborhood or perhaps the city had a huge sidewalk replacement project at that time. It’s hard for me to imagine now, as during my walks I have seen countless damaged, crumbling, and heaved-up sidewalk slabs and can’t recall ever seeing one being fixed on my own block in 20-plus years of living here.

It’s a little hard to read but the date is 1988, with the stamp reading “1987” and the final 7 manually overwritten to become an 8. I have seen this adjustment on a large number of the Cantu & Sons slabs. You might assume they just never bothered to get a new stamp for 1988, but it’s not so: I have seen ones with a 1988 stamp.

Some of the Cantu & Sons stamps add “CEMENT CONT” as a second line. I can find a “Cantu and Sons Cement Contract” [sic] listed in the 1984 US Small Business Administration Annual Report, with their city given as East Lansing. They do not appear to be in business anymore under that name, but I do find a Cantu Builders on Lake Lansing Rd. Their Web site states, “We have been in business for over 30 years, with our roots in concrete. We have since branched out and are experienced with remodels, painting, siding, commercial and residential building, tile and fine finishes. Although our name has changed a couple times our excellent work and customer service has not.” Sounds like I’ve found them. (Yes, I know cement and concrete are not the same thing.)