E. Michigan Ave., J.A. Iszler, 2004

This is a different (and nicer, in my view) version of J.A. Iszler’s stamp than I posted the other day. It is on the north side of East Michigan Avenue between Clemens and Fairview, in front of Toarmina’s Pizza.

Toarmina’s wasn’t there yet in 2004. Instead, this storefront was currently home to Lopez Bakery, the business I still associate it most with. Lopez was a combination Mexican bakery and coffee bar (I think the coffee bar may have been a separate business that shared space with them). They moved in sometime during my early years in Lansing (I moved here in 1999) and closed in 2007. I never got baked goods from there, but I remember that they also shared the location with a coffee bar and I think I got coffee from there once or twice.

I don’t know what was originally in this storefront, but an advertisement in the December 17, 1926, Lansing State Journal gives it as the address of Universal Grocery. They were advertising a moving sale as they were moving to 1220 East Grand River (which has more recently been various party stores and a City Pulse Eyesore of the Week) in what is now called Old Town. I’m if they were the original occupant of the Toarmina’s address or not. The business appears to have become a dry cleaner in the 1930s and ’40s.

The stamp (there is only one, no twin this time) in context, looking west on East Michigan.

Marshall St., J.A. Iszler, 1990

This stamp is on the east side of Marshall Street just north of Michigan Avenue, next to Mid-Michigan Kidney Specialists. J. A. Iszler is probably John A. Iszler Concrete Contractor, located on West Grand River Highway in Grand Ledge.

The southern stamp of a pair.
The northern stamp.

According to Iszler’s Web site, they are a family-owned business started in 1977.

Looking south from the northern stamp. (It’s next to the spray painted marking.)