Posted on by bunnyhugger

E. Michigan Ave., BBRPCI, 1988

I heard that there was a fire at the house behind Liz’s Alteration Shop (on the south side of East Michigan Avenue between Leslie and Regent), so I walked over to see how bad it looks. Unfortunately, the answer is pretty bad. Liz McMurray, who was featured in the 2022 People Issue of the City Pulse, owns the property and lives in the house, but she was out of town when it happened. The firefighters were fortunately able to save some important sentimental items including her family Bible.

I decided I might as well get this shot of a BBRPCI stamp while I was there.

According to the city’s records, the house and the attached shopfront were both built in 1912. Liz’s Alteration Shop has been there since 1978.

Everything looks normal from this angle. The stamp is near the closest flower pot, there.
Unfortunately, here you can see how bad the attic and second floor look. I read that it did not damage the shop.

Posted on by bunnyhugger

Horton St., Cantu & Sons, undated

An awful housefire happened the day before yesterday, on the west side of Horton Street between Michigan and Jerome (125 Horton). The family lost four pets and all their possessions, and the house was ruined. I walked past it today and it had already been demolished. It was a nice old house, built in 1914. The whole business is very sad.

The southern stamp, barely legible in the mud. (It was raining.)

To mark the end of the house’s time in the neighborhood, I collected the only stamps from the sidewalk out front. They are both Cantu & Sons, probably a pair. The southern stamp is undated. The northern stamp may have been dated originally; it’s hard to tell because of how worn it is. I have seen Cantu stamps in this style from 1986 and ’87, so this likely dates from around then.

The northern stamp is easier to read but does not appear to have been dated.