1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,139 Mike Delve's world number 411. 2 00:00:03,839 --> 00:00:05,219 I guess that'd be the information. 3 00:00:06,319 --> 00:00:06,819 Anyway, 4 00:00:07,519 --> 00:00:08,900 4114 5 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,699 November fifth 2025. 6 00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:13,695 I I think it's time for my dove 7 00:00:13,695 --> 00:00:14,195 world. 8 00:00:40,049 --> 00:00:41,189 Ah, there it is. 9 00:00:41,925 --> 00:00:44,484 And, yes, there it is. And today, I'm 10 00:00:44,484 --> 00:00:45,945 gonna talk about downtown, 11 00:00:46,645 --> 00:00:49,225 downtown Traverse City, to be exact. 12 00:00:49,685 --> 00:00:51,445 You know, there's people from all over the 13 00:00:51,445 --> 00:00:53,145 world that listen to this, but, 14 00:00:54,309 --> 00:00:56,329 you know, I was gonna make this about 15 00:00:56,390 --> 00:00:57,689 November up north. 16 00:00:58,229 --> 00:00:58,729 And 17 00:00:59,350 --> 00:01:00,869 the more I think about it, I I 18 00:01:00,869 --> 00:01:03,509 think I just wanna make it just about 19 00:01:03,509 --> 00:01:06,090 up north, whether November or not. 20 00:01:06,674 --> 00:01:07,575 And, certainly, 21 00:01:08,274 --> 00:01:11,394 November downtown Traverse City is kinda cool. In 22 00:01:11,394 --> 00:01:13,314 fact, it's a little too cold. We're supposed 23 00:01:13,314 --> 00:01:16,435 to have our first snow today, so I 24 00:01:16,435 --> 00:01:18,674 did instead of walking around down there and 25 00:01:18,674 --> 00:01:21,254 talking about stuff that's going on currently, 26 00:01:21,750 --> 00:01:24,709 I'm gonna kinda go back in time and 27 00:01:24,709 --> 00:01:26,650 do some, some more nostalgia. 28 00:01:27,109 --> 00:01:29,129 Yeah, I know. It's a disease, but 29 00:01:29,989 --> 00:01:31,290 we're gonna do it anyway. 30 00:01:31,670 --> 00:01:32,170 So 31 00:01:32,629 --> 00:01:33,129 basically 32 00:01:33,430 --> 00:01:36,465 Traverse City's downtown, it's one of those typical 33 00:01:36,524 --> 00:01:37,664 Midwest downtowns, 34 00:01:38,444 --> 00:01:41,185 you know, three to five story buildings. 35 00:01:42,204 --> 00:01:44,864 We do have one ten story building that's 36 00:01:45,004 --> 00:01:47,424 a block off of what I consider downtown. 37 00:01:48,209 --> 00:01:49,349 Downtown basically 38 00:01:49,650 --> 00:01:49,730 is 39 00:01:50,450 --> 00:01:51,670 what I consider downtown 40 00:01:51,969 --> 00:01:52,870 is from, 41 00:01:54,290 --> 00:01:55,189 Pine Street, 42 00:01:56,290 --> 00:01:57,989 on the West Side, 43 00:01:58,609 --> 00:01:59,750 down Front Street 44 00:02:00,049 --> 00:02:01,189 to the parkway. 45 00:02:02,635 --> 00:02:04,474 Those that are are local know where the 46 00:02:04,474 --> 00:02:06,334 old Holiday Inn used to be 47 00:02:07,114 --> 00:02:08,415 and Grandview Parkway. 48 00:02:09,194 --> 00:02:11,614 And basically from the open space, 49 00:02:12,875 --> 00:02:14,414 which I'll talk about later, 50 00:02:14,969 --> 00:02:16,990 all the way up till eight on Union 51 00:02:17,050 --> 00:02:20,349 Street, which goes, from north to south. So 52 00:02:21,210 --> 00:02:23,610 just some of the stuff that that used 53 00:02:23,610 --> 00:02:25,370 to be there and some of the stuff 54 00:02:25,370 --> 00:02:27,469 that's there now, what it is now, 55 00:02:28,364 --> 00:02:30,625 you know, kind of a historic 56 00:02:31,245 --> 00:02:33,805 sort of thing and in no particular order. 57 00:02:33,805 --> 00:02:36,764 I I sort of wrote down some bullet 58 00:02:36,764 --> 00:02:38,864 points here, but, I probably 59 00:02:39,724 --> 00:02:42,784 meander a little bit like I normally do. 60 00:02:43,245 --> 00:02:43,745 So 61 00:02:44,659 --> 00:02:45,479 here we go. 62 00:02:46,740 --> 00:02:48,199 One of the most 63 00:02:48,659 --> 00:02:50,039 landmark y buildings 64 00:02:50,340 --> 00:02:50,840 downtown 65 00:02:51,139 --> 00:02:53,539 other than, say, the Park Place Hotel, which 66 00:02:53,539 --> 00:02:56,360 is the 10 story building on State Street, 67 00:02:56,865 --> 00:03:00,564 but on Front Street is probably the currently 68 00:03:00,625 --> 00:03:02,324 Fifth Third Bank building. 69 00:03:03,185 --> 00:03:06,384 It was originally built in the late eighteen 70 00:03:06,384 --> 00:03:07,604 hundreds, I believe, 71 00:03:08,305 --> 00:03:10,724 as the Traverse City State Bank. 72 00:03:11,790 --> 00:03:13,090 It's one of those iconic 73 00:03:13,710 --> 00:03:16,849 domed clock towers and that clock has been 74 00:03:17,710 --> 00:03:20,030 rebuilt and remodeled I don't know two three 75 00:03:20,030 --> 00:03:22,590 times, but still has kind of that same 76 00:03:22,590 --> 00:03:24,669 old look. You've probably seen a building like 77 00:03:24,669 --> 00:03:26,449 it with a clock tower on the corner. 78 00:03:28,245 --> 00:03:30,584 One of the cool things about this building, 79 00:03:31,044 --> 00:03:32,584 and this has been that way, 80 00:03:33,204 --> 00:03:34,484 I don't know, as long as I can 81 00:03:34,484 --> 00:03:34,984 remember, 82 00:03:36,724 --> 00:03:39,525 but the sidewalk out in front of the 83 00:03:39,525 --> 00:03:41,525 bank all the way around the corner for, 84 00:03:41,525 --> 00:03:43,480 you know, probably half a block in two 85 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:44,379 different directions 86 00:03:45,319 --> 00:03:47,400 is heated, and I believe it's from the 87 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:47,900 boiler 88 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:49,740 of the bank building, 89 00:03:50,439 --> 00:03:51,580 and it's steam. 90 00:03:51,879 --> 00:03:55,159 And, what's cool about that or warm about 91 00:03:55,159 --> 00:03:55,900 that is 92 00:03:56,365 --> 00:03:57,985 no snow builds up there. 93 00:03:58,444 --> 00:03:58,944 So 94 00:03:59,564 --> 00:04:01,324 you can you can imagine what that looks 95 00:04:01,324 --> 00:04:02,865 like when it's really snowing. 96 00:04:03,245 --> 00:04:06,125 There's steam coming off of it, but, an 97 00:04:06,125 --> 00:04:09,104 old building, it's still for Third Bank 98 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:11,319 and you can still go in. There's a 99 00:04:11,319 --> 00:04:13,319 regular lobby, and it's kind of the old 100 00:04:13,319 --> 00:04:15,259 style bank lobby, and 101 00:04:15,799 --> 00:04:18,040 it's, you know, and the cool thing us 102 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,060 kids thought about it back in the seventies 103 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:21,259 was it had a, 104 00:04:21,805 --> 00:04:24,204 one of those revolving doors, and it was 105 00:04:24,204 --> 00:04:25,884 one of those that was motorized, so it 106 00:04:25,884 --> 00:04:27,264 was constantly moving. 107 00:04:27,644 --> 00:04:29,564 I don't even think they have that there. 108 00:04:29,564 --> 00:04:31,824 I I was just by there about 109 00:04:32,125 --> 00:04:33,024 an hour ago, 110 00:04:33,564 --> 00:04:35,870 and I forgot to look to see if 111 00:04:35,870 --> 00:04:38,270 that revolving door is still there or the 112 00:04:38,270 --> 00:04:39,250 the round door. 113 00:04:39,870 --> 00:04:40,110 But, 114 00:04:40,750 --> 00:04:42,589 it may be. It might not. I don't 115 00:04:42,589 --> 00:04:43,089 know. 116 00:04:43,629 --> 00:04:45,730 But, it's probably the tallest, 117 00:04:46,589 --> 00:04:47,569 building. Well, 118 00:04:47,875 --> 00:04:50,194 back then, it was the tallest building. There's 119 00:04:50,194 --> 00:04:52,035 a I think there's a couple six story 120 00:04:52,035 --> 00:04:53,014 buildings now 121 00:04:53,314 --> 00:04:54,375 on Front Street, 122 00:04:55,235 --> 00:04:57,014 or just off of Front Street, 123 00:04:57,555 --> 00:04:58,055 but 124 00:04:58,435 --> 00:05:00,274 as of back then, it was it was 125 00:05:00,274 --> 00:05:01,975 definitely one of the taller buildings. 126 00:05:02,595 --> 00:05:04,089 There was, like I said, there was one 127 00:05:04,089 --> 00:05:06,029 other bank building that was six 128 00:05:06,410 --> 00:05:08,829 stories on the other end of Front Street. 129 00:05:09,209 --> 00:05:11,870 And then, of course, again, the Park Place, 130 00:05:12,009 --> 00:05:12,750 which was, 131 00:05:13,449 --> 00:05:14,990 you said, a a block, 132 00:05:15,689 --> 00:05:16,829 south of downtown. 133 00:05:17,464 --> 00:05:19,625 Ironically, the Park Place had a, 134 00:05:20,504 --> 00:05:23,384 or still does, has a beacon on it 135 00:05:23,384 --> 00:05:24,524 like a lighthouse, 136 00:05:24,985 --> 00:05:26,745 and it was kind of used for that 137 00:05:26,745 --> 00:05:27,245 purpose. 138 00:05:27,865 --> 00:05:29,784 You know, back in the day, it was 139 00:05:29,784 --> 00:05:32,009 built in 1930 or at least finished off 140 00:05:32,009 --> 00:05:32,970 in 1930 141 00:05:32,970 --> 00:05:35,149 it was something else before that but 142 00:05:35,689 --> 00:05:38,009 it's still a hotel and it still has 143 00:05:38,009 --> 00:05:41,129 that old nineteen thirties building look to it 144 00:05:41,129 --> 00:05:42,909 so it's pretty cool. 145 00:05:43,529 --> 00:05:45,610 Anyway going on down Front Street and we're 146 00:05:45,610 --> 00:05:47,229 kind of going west to east 147 00:05:48,685 --> 00:05:49,824 On the south side, 148 00:05:50,605 --> 00:05:52,944 just past Union Street is 149 00:05:53,884 --> 00:05:55,965 a building. I forget what the name of 150 00:05:55,965 --> 00:05:57,965 the building was, but I remember it as 151 00:05:57,965 --> 00:06:00,525 the old True Value Hardware store back in 152 00:06:00,525 --> 00:06:02,759 the sixties, seventies, eighties. 153 00:06:03,620 --> 00:06:05,060 Right there at the on the bottom, it 154 00:06:05,060 --> 00:06:06,899 was a three story building, so it had 155 00:06:06,899 --> 00:06:09,139 offices, I think, on the Second Floor and 156 00:06:09,139 --> 00:06:11,000 apartments up on the Third Floor, 157 00:06:11,539 --> 00:06:14,019 something like that. And that building caught on 158 00:06:14,019 --> 00:06:14,519 fire. 159 00:06:15,064 --> 00:06:17,004 A lot of fires downtown, but, 160 00:06:17,384 --> 00:06:19,064 that one caught on fire and just sort 161 00:06:19,064 --> 00:06:21,544 of gutted it, and then, they revamped it. 162 00:06:21,544 --> 00:06:24,185 And I don't really remember what's there right 163 00:06:24,185 --> 00:06:26,985 now, but, you know, just regular storefronts, little 164 00:06:26,985 --> 00:06:28,985 stores, that you would find in a typical 165 00:06:28,985 --> 00:06:29,485 downtown. 166 00:06:30,529 --> 00:06:31,829 Traverse City is, 167 00:06:33,170 --> 00:06:35,490 lucky in the fact that the downtown is 168 00:06:35,490 --> 00:06:38,069 thriving, so there's not a lot of empty 169 00:06:38,129 --> 00:06:38,949 real estate. 170 00:06:39,329 --> 00:06:41,750 There's a little construction going on, but 171 00:06:42,425 --> 00:06:42,925 it's, 172 00:06:43,225 --> 00:06:44,904 you know, it's it's holding up pretty well 173 00:06:44,904 --> 00:06:45,725 for a downtown. 174 00:06:46,665 --> 00:06:48,745 I don't go down there all that much 175 00:06:48,745 --> 00:06:51,225 anymore and simply because, you know, it's a 176 00:06:51,225 --> 00:06:52,904 lot easier to go to the big box 177 00:06:52,904 --> 00:06:55,785 stores outside of town and all that. I'm 178 00:06:55,785 --> 00:06:57,064 sure a lot of people are that way, 179 00:06:57,064 --> 00:06:59,779 but you know, we're also a touristy town 180 00:06:59,779 --> 00:07:02,120 so they get lots of business and 181 00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:04,339 we do go down there. One of the 182 00:07:04,339 --> 00:07:06,439 other one of the places we go to, 183 00:07:06,980 --> 00:07:09,300 I wouldn't say frequently, but a couple three 184 00:07:09,300 --> 00:07:12,120 times a year is the City Opera House 185 00:07:12,180 --> 00:07:12,680 and 186 00:07:13,324 --> 00:07:16,384 the City Opera House was built in 1890. 187 00:07:16,845 --> 00:07:17,345 And 188 00:07:17,805 --> 00:07:19,985 back in the day, they had vaudeville shows 189 00:07:20,044 --> 00:07:22,444 and all kinds of things going on in 190 00:07:22,444 --> 00:07:25,485 the Opera House. Nowadays, they have little mini, 191 00:07:25,485 --> 00:07:26,944 you know, smaller concerts. 192 00:07:28,925 --> 00:07:30,839 I don't know. Kathy and I went there 193 00:07:30,839 --> 00:07:31,899 and saw Tyrus. 194 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:36,220 Tyrus is a a comedian slash wrestler slash 195 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:37,660 Fox News guy 196 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,500 and from the great Greg Gutzfeld show, 197 00:07:42,084 --> 00:07:44,964 and, we saw his tour in there. That 198 00:07:44,964 --> 00:07:45,704 was cool. 199 00:07:46,564 --> 00:07:47,224 Our local 200 00:07:48,564 --> 00:07:49,625 community theater 201 00:07:50,324 --> 00:07:52,805 had their gala there, and, of course, we 202 00:07:52,805 --> 00:07:55,384 support the the local theater. So we 203 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:57,500 went there for the gala. 204 00:07:57,879 --> 00:07:59,339 So that that was cool. 205 00:07:59,879 --> 00:08:01,579 And we've been to a few other concerts 206 00:08:01,639 --> 00:08:03,100 there. We saw the 207 00:08:03,879 --> 00:08:04,379 Ukulele 208 00:08:04,759 --> 00:08:06,300 Orchestra of Great Britain. 209 00:08:06,839 --> 00:08:08,439 I know that sounds funny. Look them up 210 00:08:08,439 --> 00:08:10,824 on YouTube though. They are they are funny 211 00:08:10,824 --> 00:08:12,685 and and quite talented 212 00:08:12,985 --> 00:08:13,485 musicians 213 00:08:13,944 --> 00:08:15,564 considering they're using ukuleles. 214 00:08:17,384 --> 00:08:20,125 But, that that's been restored and 215 00:08:20,504 --> 00:08:23,225 and, kept up, and and it's, you know, 216 00:08:23,225 --> 00:08:24,925 it's just a neat old theater. 217 00:08:25,545 --> 00:08:26,900 You know, it's got 218 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,319 the balcony. It's got a, you know, got 219 00:08:30,319 --> 00:08:31,060 the the, 220 00:08:31,759 --> 00:08:33,600 I guess, sky boxes. I don't know what 221 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,299 what do you call those little outcroppings 222 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,000 where, you know, two or three people can 223 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:38,500 sit. 224 00:08:39,404 --> 00:08:41,004 Has a few of those and has the 225 00:08:41,004 --> 00:08:42,544 big ivory looking 226 00:08:43,164 --> 00:08:45,404 columns in it and everything. So it's a, 227 00:08:45,404 --> 00:08:47,965 you know, like an old opera house. I 228 00:08:47,965 --> 00:08:49,345 guess that's the best 229 00:08:51,009 --> 00:08:54,230 best way to describe it. The Whiting Hotel 230 00:08:54,370 --> 00:08:56,470 is also a little further down, 231 00:08:56,850 --> 00:08:57,589 or was. 232 00:08:58,049 --> 00:09:00,049 I don't believe it's a hotel anymore. I 233 00:09:00,049 --> 00:09:00,709 think it's 234 00:09:01,089 --> 00:09:03,569 a fancy yuppie apartments. But back in the 235 00:09:03,569 --> 00:09:04,069 day, 236 00:09:04,424 --> 00:09:04,924 yuppie. 237 00:09:05,384 --> 00:09:06,684 Yuppie a word anymore? 238 00:09:07,384 --> 00:09:10,105 I don't know. But, now, you know, back 239 00:09:10,105 --> 00:09:11,544 in the day, it was, you know, just 240 00:09:11,544 --> 00:09:14,424 a cheap hotel, and, I mean, cheap, cheap 241 00:09:14,424 --> 00:09:14,924 hotel. 242 00:09:16,735 --> 00:09:17,644 A lot of 243 00:09:18,700 --> 00:09:21,419 down and out people, in the seventies and 244 00:09:21,419 --> 00:09:23,500 eighties lived in there. You know, they it 245 00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:26,139 was still kept up pretty nicely and, you 246 00:09:26,139 --> 00:09:27,919 know, it was a it was a good 247 00:09:27,980 --> 00:09:29,519 place for that purpose, 248 00:09:30,139 --> 00:09:32,720 but it was, it's definitely a lot fancier 249 00:09:32,779 --> 00:09:34,274 now if it even exists. 250 00:09:35,315 --> 00:09:37,154 Like I said, I heard that they had 251 00:09:37,154 --> 00:09:39,894 remodeled it, and it was more of a, 252 00:09:40,595 --> 00:09:42,774 you know, downtown apartment living. 253 00:09:43,634 --> 00:09:46,695 And, there's probably nothing cheap about it now, 254 00:09:46,835 --> 00:09:47,335 but, 255 00:09:47,899 --> 00:09:49,919 yeah, the good old Whiting Hotel. 256 00:09:51,100 --> 00:09:54,539 Across the street on the, on the north 257 00:09:54,539 --> 00:09:55,039 side 258 00:09:55,740 --> 00:09:58,160 is the old Hannah Lay building, and, 259 00:09:59,820 --> 00:10:00,879 Perry Hannah 260 00:10:01,835 --> 00:10:04,154 was kind of the father of Traverse City 261 00:10:04,154 --> 00:10:05,934 in the late eighteen hundreds, 262 00:10:06,955 --> 00:10:08,955 and he was a lumber baron. He built 263 00:10:08,955 --> 00:10:11,035 a really big house. A friend of mine 264 00:10:11,035 --> 00:10:14,154 owns that, huge house. It's a funeral home 265 00:10:14,154 --> 00:10:14,894 now, but 266 00:10:16,899 --> 00:10:17,399 the, 267 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:19,779 I forget what they they they call it 268 00:10:19,779 --> 00:10:21,059 the Hannah House, but, 269 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:24,039 they also it's a funeral home, 270 00:10:24,340 --> 00:10:25,559 the Reynolds Youngkopf 271 00:10:26,019 --> 00:10:27,000 funeral home. 272 00:10:28,019 --> 00:10:30,600 And it's, you know, they've kept it 273 00:10:31,684 --> 00:10:34,084 restored and, you know, it's been updated a 274 00:10:34,084 --> 00:10:36,264 few times, but, still very 275 00:10:36,725 --> 00:10:38,825 cool old Victorian era house. 276 00:10:39,365 --> 00:10:42,004 But the main store, the big store, the 277 00:10:42,164 --> 00:10:43,225 it was a 278 00:10:43,764 --> 00:10:44,584 three story, 279 00:10:45,870 --> 00:10:47,250 almost block long 280 00:10:49,710 --> 00:10:52,049 department store. You know, like a 281 00:10:52,509 --> 00:10:54,670 you know, they had a department for men 282 00:10:54,670 --> 00:10:56,750 and a department for women and department for 283 00:10:56,750 --> 00:10:58,925 sports and a apartment for this and that, 284 00:10:58,925 --> 00:11:00,925 and the other thing all under one big 285 00:11:00,925 --> 00:11:01,425 roof. 286 00:11:02,045 --> 00:11:03,024 And that lasted, 287 00:11:03,404 --> 00:11:04,465 I wanna say, 288 00:11:05,165 --> 00:11:07,165 you know, it was before my time when 289 00:11:07,165 --> 00:11:08,705 they closed down, but 290 00:11:10,709 --> 00:11:12,789 then then it became the top two floors 291 00:11:12,789 --> 00:11:15,750 became office suites and, there was a a 292 00:11:15,750 --> 00:11:16,250 bank, 293 00:11:16,709 --> 00:11:18,949 offices in there and all this. And then 294 00:11:18,949 --> 00:11:20,329 the bottom row of 295 00:11:20,709 --> 00:11:23,929 of spaces were, you know, just regular storefronts. 296 00:11:24,070 --> 00:11:25,509 I think there was three or four of 297 00:11:25,509 --> 00:11:27,465 them. The thing I remember, there was a 298 00:11:27,465 --> 00:11:29,644 couple of stores in that building, 299 00:11:30,425 --> 00:11:31,884 on the on the Ground Floor, 300 00:11:32,825 --> 00:11:35,485 Bill Maher Sports, and they're long gone. 301 00:11:36,184 --> 00:11:39,629 And Montgomery Ward's catalog store was there and 302 00:11:39,629 --> 00:11:40,909 they you know they had a like a 303 00:11:40,909 --> 00:11:43,789 few appliances or something and and then they 304 00:11:43,789 --> 00:11:46,049 just take you know take and deliver 305 00:11:46,750 --> 00:11:49,329 catalog orders there kind of like Sears 306 00:11:50,190 --> 00:11:52,455 before they you know, had the big store 307 00:11:52,455 --> 00:11:54,075 in Traverse City at the mall. 308 00:11:54,455 --> 00:11:56,535 Sears also had a store. I don't think 309 00:11:56,535 --> 00:11:58,774 it was on Front Street. It might have 310 00:11:58,774 --> 00:11:59,274 been, 311 00:12:00,615 --> 00:12:02,235 you know, their catalog store. 312 00:12:03,325 --> 00:12:04,325 But, not 313 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:07,959 not not the same as, you know, a 314 00:12:07,959 --> 00:12:10,360 big Sears store that they would have, at 315 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,220 a mall or a stand alone 316 00:12:12,759 --> 00:12:13,980 out out of town. 317 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,384 But, then there was another department stores, you 318 00:12:18,384 --> 00:12:19,605 know, quite smaller, 319 00:12:19,985 --> 00:12:20,804 but Milliken's 320 00:12:21,184 --> 00:12:24,225 and Milliken's was I think they might have 321 00:12:24,225 --> 00:12:26,884 had two or three stores in smaller towns 322 00:12:27,664 --> 00:12:31,980 around Northern Northern and, in Central Michigan. I 323 00:12:32,139 --> 00:12:34,079 think one of their stores was in 324 00:12:35,179 --> 00:12:37,659 Clare, and, I think they had one in 325 00:12:37,659 --> 00:12:38,159 Cadillac, 326 00:12:38,860 --> 00:12:40,379 so that would be, you know, south of 327 00:12:40,379 --> 00:12:40,879 here. 328 00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:42,639 But, Milliken's, 329 00:12:43,820 --> 00:12:45,199 been around for, 330 00:12:46,315 --> 00:12:48,875 I don't know, since probably the eighteen hundreds 331 00:12:48,875 --> 00:12:50,735 as well or early nineteen hundreds. 332 00:12:51,834 --> 00:12:52,334 And 333 00:12:52,714 --> 00:12:56,014 they got bought out, by another chain and 334 00:12:56,235 --> 00:12:58,254 closed down sometime in the nineties. 335 00:12:58,930 --> 00:13:00,710 But, the Milliken family, 336 00:13:01,490 --> 00:13:05,910 our governor from, I wanna say, 1969 337 00:13:07,330 --> 00:13:08,950 to almost 1980. 338 00:13:09,649 --> 00:13:10,470 Bill Milliken, 339 00:13:11,170 --> 00:13:12,710 he was part of that family. 340 00:13:13,904 --> 00:13:15,985 And really the only thing I remember about 341 00:13:15,985 --> 00:13:17,985 it is my grandmother and my mom would 342 00:13:17,985 --> 00:13:20,004 take us kids when we were really little, 343 00:13:20,144 --> 00:13:22,144 you know, four or five, six years old, 344 00:13:22,144 --> 00:13:23,125 something like that, 345 00:13:23,985 --> 00:13:26,320 shopping, you know, and they would shop at 346 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,160 Milliken's. You know, the women would get all 347 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,259 their clothes and stuff there, and they had, 348 00:13:30,399 --> 00:13:32,480 you know, kids department, so we got some 349 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:33,860 of our clothes there. 350 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:35,600 And then we always got to go to 351 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:37,620 the tea room for lunch, and 352 00:13:38,235 --> 00:13:40,075 it was kind of up on the Second 353 00:13:40,075 --> 00:13:41,054 Floor and, 354 00:13:41,674 --> 00:13:44,174 like, a balcony overlooking the store. 355 00:13:46,154 --> 00:13:48,794 And the thing I remember about that weird 356 00:13:48,794 --> 00:13:50,860 things you remember when you're a kid. But 357 00:13:50,860 --> 00:13:53,360 I remember the, hot roast beef sandwich 358 00:13:54,139 --> 00:13:55,759 at the Milliken's tea room. 359 00:13:57,179 --> 00:13:59,740 It was, well, as I remember it really 360 00:13:59,740 --> 00:14:00,379 good, but, 361 00:14:01,179 --> 00:14:01,840 you know. 362 00:14:02,620 --> 00:14:04,879 There was another restaurant downtown, 363 00:14:05,285 --> 00:14:08,245 I don't remember exactly what building it was 364 00:14:08,245 --> 00:14:08,745 in, 365 00:14:09,045 --> 00:14:10,745 called Stacy's, and 366 00:14:11,764 --> 00:14:12,585 this lady 367 00:14:13,125 --> 00:14:15,605 ran that place and the unique part of 368 00:14:15,605 --> 00:14:17,225 that was two things, 369 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,200 No politics. So you could, sit there and 370 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:21,940 talk and 371 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,399 and, you know, get all your buddies around 372 00:14:24,399 --> 00:14:26,740 and drink coffee and, you know, whatever. 373 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,759 All you wanted, but no politics. And the 374 00:14:29,759 --> 00:14:31,600 other thing was you had to ring yourself 375 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:32,899 out on the cash register. 376 00:14:34,045 --> 00:14:36,845 She trusted everybody, and you just go up 377 00:14:36,845 --> 00:14:39,665 and, you know, run the cash register yourself. 378 00:14:39,804 --> 00:14:41,665 That saved her from, getting 379 00:14:43,325 --> 00:14:44,384 a getting a 380 00:14:47,410 --> 00:14:49,350 cashier. Yeah. There we go. Jeez. 381 00:14:50,129 --> 00:14:51,269 I'm kinda just 382 00:14:51,730 --> 00:14:53,830 theater the mind going on here. 383 00:14:54,290 --> 00:14:55,730 So what do they call it? A mind 384 00:14:55,730 --> 00:14:56,230 dump? 385 00:14:57,730 --> 00:15:01,009 Another interesting thing about Downtown Traverse City is 386 00:15:01,009 --> 00:15:02,149 we had two theaters, 387 00:15:03,004 --> 00:15:06,284 and they were basically mirror images of each 388 00:15:06,284 --> 00:15:06,784 other, 389 00:15:07,325 --> 00:15:08,544 one block apart, 390 00:15:09,164 --> 00:15:11,264 one, on the east 391 00:15:11,884 --> 00:15:13,584 eastern block between Union 392 00:15:13,964 --> 00:15:16,544 or western block between Union and 393 00:15:17,245 --> 00:15:17,745 Park 394 00:15:19,170 --> 00:15:22,690 Street. And then, the State Theater, which was 395 00:15:22,690 --> 00:15:24,850 be it was about the same spot on 396 00:15:24,850 --> 00:15:28,710 the block, but one block to the east 397 00:15:29,490 --> 00:15:29,990 between 398 00:15:30,450 --> 00:15:31,750 Union and, 399 00:15:34,004 --> 00:15:35,705 or maybe it was no. It was, 400 00:15:36,164 --> 00:15:39,384 Michigan was between Union and Cask, and then 401 00:15:39,684 --> 00:15:42,085 between Cask and Park was a State street 402 00:15:42,085 --> 00:15:43,144 or state theater. 403 00:15:43,845 --> 00:15:45,304 The the Michigan theater 404 00:15:45,970 --> 00:15:48,690 had a vertical sign because there's more letters 405 00:15:48,690 --> 00:15:50,610 in Michigan, but it was one of those 406 00:15:50,610 --> 00:15:52,629 old style thirties, forties 407 00:15:53,090 --> 00:15:55,350 vintage theaters, you know, the red 408 00:15:55,889 --> 00:15:58,210 marble looking stuff. I don't know what it 409 00:15:58,210 --> 00:15:59,669 was, but red 410 00:16:00,815 --> 00:16:03,715 blocks and, you know, really large blocks and, 411 00:16:04,095 --> 00:16:06,575 you know, the neon and the flashy lights 412 00:16:06,575 --> 00:16:08,654 and the overhang and a little pull off 413 00:16:08,654 --> 00:16:10,174 on the street so you could, you know, 414 00:16:10,174 --> 00:16:13,134 get dropped off right under the overhang and 415 00:16:13,134 --> 00:16:15,529 had the marquee kind of sticking out into 416 00:16:15,529 --> 00:16:17,209 the street, and they they said they looked 417 00:16:17,209 --> 00:16:20,089 identical except for this state had a vertical 418 00:16:20,089 --> 00:16:22,970 sign and the or a horizontal sign and 419 00:16:22,970 --> 00:16:25,230 the Michigan had a vertical sign, 420 00:16:25,690 --> 00:16:28,909 but, again, they were mirror images. Underneath the 421 00:16:29,695 --> 00:16:33,134 Michigan Theater was a roller skating rink called 422 00:16:33,134 --> 00:16:34,274 the Fun Factory, 423 00:16:35,214 --> 00:16:37,294 and that was, you know, in the seventies 424 00:16:37,294 --> 00:16:39,695 and eighties. And it was a small, you 425 00:16:39,695 --> 00:16:40,195 know, 426 00:16:40,575 --> 00:16:42,514 indoor roller rink, low ceilings, 427 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,240 but, you know, back in the seventies, that 428 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:47,019 was cool. I remember 429 00:16:47,639 --> 00:16:50,600 every time disco duck would come up, when 430 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:52,460 we were skating, you'd you'd 431 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,059 run run around, 432 00:16:54,679 --> 00:16:56,360 squat down on your skates, and 433 00:16:57,004 --> 00:16:59,404 I don't know. Maybe I'm aging myself here, 434 00:16:59,404 --> 00:16:59,904 but 435 00:17:00,845 --> 00:17:02,544 that was quite fun. 436 00:17:03,164 --> 00:17:05,184 Rumor has it that is intact 437 00:17:05,565 --> 00:17:09,565 still. It's been closed for probably thirty years 438 00:17:09,565 --> 00:17:10,065 plus, 439 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,080 but from what I understand the, the floor 440 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,320 is still there. The the wooden floor from 441 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:18,400 the skating rink is still there and the 442 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,100 DJ booth is still there. 443 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:22,980 They were using it for, like, wedding receptions 444 00:17:23,039 --> 00:17:24,900 and stuff for a while, but 445 00:17:25,525 --> 00:17:26,424 from what I understand, 446 00:17:26,804 --> 00:17:27,785 it's still there. 447 00:17:28,325 --> 00:17:30,664 Of course, the Michigan Theater is no longer. 448 00:17:31,204 --> 00:17:33,944 That got remodeled into kind of a 449 00:17:34,244 --> 00:17:35,304 little mall 450 00:17:36,325 --> 00:17:37,704 sort of space, 451 00:17:38,339 --> 00:17:40,900 you know, two stories of little shops and 452 00:17:40,900 --> 00:17:42,759 whatnot called Front Row Center. 453 00:17:43,220 --> 00:17:45,779 I think it's been changed one of the 454 00:17:45,779 --> 00:17:48,339 names been changed, but it's still there. There's 455 00:17:48,339 --> 00:17:49,880 still a few things in there. 456 00:17:50,259 --> 00:17:51,400 It's kind of cool. 457 00:17:52,434 --> 00:17:55,414 The State Theater is still intact. 458 00:17:56,275 --> 00:17:57,255 Michael Moore, 459 00:17:57,955 --> 00:17:59,815 you know, that guy. He, 460 00:18:03,075 --> 00:18:05,875 had a film festival here in Traverse City 461 00:18:05,875 --> 00:18:06,775 for many years, 462 00:18:07,079 --> 00:18:08,779 that has since gone defunct. 463 00:18:09,559 --> 00:18:10,619 But, that 464 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:11,819 film festival 465 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:12,859 organization 466 00:18:13,319 --> 00:18:13,819 owned 467 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,519 the State Theater. Now I think it they're 468 00:18:16,519 --> 00:18:17,500 their own thing, 469 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:19,259 but it's a nonprofit. 470 00:18:20,025 --> 00:18:22,184 And they play old movies in there, and 471 00:18:22,184 --> 00:18:24,585 they play live events, you know, where they 472 00:18:24,585 --> 00:18:26,765 stream live events in there. And 473 00:18:27,464 --> 00:18:29,945 and it's it's a cool old theater. It 474 00:18:29,945 --> 00:18:32,365 still looks like the nineteen thirties 475 00:18:32,940 --> 00:18:36,460 vintage theater with the marquee and the flashy 476 00:18:36,460 --> 00:18:39,339 lights and the posters on the outside and, 477 00:18:39,339 --> 00:18:41,839 you know, so that that's quite a a 478 00:18:41,899 --> 00:18:43,279 time capsule there. 479 00:18:44,619 --> 00:18:46,859 They still have the ticket booth outside on 480 00:18:46,859 --> 00:18:47,440 the sidewalk 481 00:18:47,740 --> 00:18:50,434 and all that. Like I said, it's pretty 482 00:18:50,434 --> 00:18:50,934 cool. 483 00:18:52,995 --> 00:18:55,975 But, let's see. I've got my notes here. 484 00:18:57,235 --> 00:19:00,674 Let's see. Horizon Books. Horizon Books wasn't that 485 00:19:00,674 --> 00:19:02,355 big a deal when I was a kid. 486 00:19:02,355 --> 00:19:03,815 It was a a small, 487 00:19:04,450 --> 00:19:05,830 you know, one storefront, 488 00:19:07,250 --> 00:19:09,590 little bookshop, and, you know, a little, 489 00:19:11,330 --> 00:19:13,029 you know, a little family owned, 490 00:19:13,730 --> 00:19:15,029 no big deal bookshop, 491 00:19:15,330 --> 00:19:15,830 and 492 00:19:16,690 --> 00:19:17,910 they were on the 493 00:19:18,674 --> 00:19:19,494 South Side 494 00:19:20,034 --> 00:19:21,414 Of Front Street and 495 00:19:23,554 --> 00:19:26,054 across the street from them or nearly across 496 00:19:26,274 --> 00:19:28,674 the street was the JC Penney building and 497 00:19:28,674 --> 00:19:30,934 that was another you know full blown department 498 00:19:30,994 --> 00:19:34,529 store, had a basement floor, a main floor, 499 00:19:34,529 --> 00:19:35,990 and a and an upper floor. 500 00:19:36,529 --> 00:19:38,470 So it was a rather large 501 00:19:39,649 --> 00:19:40,149 space, 502 00:19:40,529 --> 00:19:41,909 and, of course, JCPenney, 503 00:19:42,450 --> 00:19:44,769 pulled out of downtown and moved out to 504 00:19:44,769 --> 00:19:45,829 the the mall, 505 00:19:46,210 --> 00:19:48,869 what we affectionately call the new mall. 506 00:19:49,595 --> 00:19:51,375 Actually, they're still there for now, 507 00:19:52,154 --> 00:19:54,394 although Macy's moved out of the mall, but 508 00:19:54,875 --> 00:19:57,115 and Sears is long gone and all that. 509 00:19:57,115 --> 00:19:58,255 But, anyhoo, 510 00:19:58,714 --> 00:19:59,355 the the, 511 00:20:00,234 --> 00:20:00,734 bookshop, 512 00:20:01,355 --> 00:20:03,134 which everybody thought they were nuts, 513 00:20:03,799 --> 00:20:04,859 And this was probably 514 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,339 twenty five, thirty years ago at least. 515 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:08,440 They, 516 00:20:09,079 --> 00:20:11,099 moved across the street to 517 00:20:11,799 --> 00:20:14,700 the JCPenney Building. And in the downstairs, 518 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:15,500 they 519 00:20:15,825 --> 00:20:18,544 made a little, coffee shop cafe sort of 520 00:20:18,544 --> 00:20:21,184 thing, and they'd have live music and book 521 00:20:21,184 --> 00:20:23,924 greetings and book signings down there. And then, 522 00:20:24,065 --> 00:20:25,825 you know, they just had the the, you 523 00:20:25,825 --> 00:20:27,524 know, the run of this huge 524 00:20:27,984 --> 00:20:28,484 building, 525 00:20:29,130 --> 00:20:31,230 and it's still one of the best bookstores 526 00:20:31,369 --> 00:20:31,869 around. 527 00:20:32,570 --> 00:20:35,369 It's, it's really quite cool. And they were 528 00:20:35,369 --> 00:20:37,210 going to close it down not too long 529 00:20:37,210 --> 00:20:39,930 ago because the owners wanted to retire, and 530 00:20:39,930 --> 00:20:41,070 I think the employees 531 00:20:41,450 --> 00:20:42,269 took it over 532 00:20:42,605 --> 00:20:44,924 or helped the owners, you know, keep it 533 00:20:44,924 --> 00:20:45,424 running 534 00:20:45,884 --> 00:20:48,605 so that, they could sort of retire. I 535 00:20:48,605 --> 00:20:50,365 I don't know the full story on that, 536 00:20:50,365 --> 00:20:53,025 but Horizon Books is still there 537 00:20:53,565 --> 00:20:55,484 and it's kinda right next to the State 538 00:20:55,484 --> 00:20:58,720 Theater. So there's kind of that vibe going 539 00:20:58,720 --> 00:20:59,940 on down there of 540 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:01,140 of the old 541 00:21:01,599 --> 00:21:04,019 the old thirties forties thing. 542 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:08,340 Something with some family connection 543 00:21:10,875 --> 00:21:11,375 On 544 00:21:11,914 --> 00:21:14,815 the north no. South side of 545 00:21:16,154 --> 00:21:19,195 of front street, there's a building and it's 546 00:21:19,195 --> 00:21:20,174 a it's a very 547 00:21:20,954 --> 00:21:24,095 not very, but it's a unique looking building. 548 00:21:24,910 --> 00:21:25,410 It's 549 00:21:26,109 --> 00:21:29,009 it's got an upstairs and a downstairs, so 550 00:21:29,630 --> 00:21:31,170 you have to go up a few 551 00:21:31,950 --> 00:21:34,589 few stairs to get to the upper level 552 00:21:34,589 --> 00:21:36,029 one and then you kind of go down 553 00:21:36,029 --> 00:21:38,450 below the street level to the thing below. 554 00:21:38,965 --> 00:21:39,865 Well my grandfather, 555 00:21:41,285 --> 00:21:42,424 on my dad's side 556 00:21:42,805 --> 00:21:44,904 had a restaurant there, Doll's restaurant 557 00:21:45,924 --> 00:21:46,424 and 558 00:21:46,725 --> 00:21:48,485 that was in the upper part with the 559 00:21:48,485 --> 00:21:48,985 big 560 00:21:49,445 --> 00:21:52,325 big and there's these big windows with you 561 00:21:52,325 --> 00:21:54,450 know rounded tops on it, and the and 562 00:21:54,450 --> 00:21:56,309 the building still looks the same. 563 00:21:56,690 --> 00:21:59,490 It's been many things since that. This was 564 00:21:59,490 --> 00:22:01,829 in the forties that grandpa had that restaurant, 565 00:22:02,849 --> 00:22:04,710 and, you know, one of the funny things 566 00:22:05,089 --> 00:22:07,089 about my grandpa is, he didn't believe you 567 00:22:07,089 --> 00:22:08,630 should put ketchup on anything. 568 00:22:09,224 --> 00:22:11,545 And, no, I don't like ketchup on anything 569 00:22:11,545 --> 00:22:12,365 but pasties. 570 00:22:13,304 --> 00:22:14,845 That's a whole another story. 571 00:22:15,464 --> 00:22:15,964 But, 572 00:22:16,585 --> 00:22:18,825 one time somebody, came in there and ordered 573 00:22:18,825 --> 00:22:21,545 a steak and then wanted ketchup. My grandpa 574 00:22:21,545 --> 00:22:22,365 threw them out, 575 00:22:23,789 --> 00:22:25,569 But like I said, that was in the 576 00:22:25,630 --> 00:22:27,950 in the forties, I think, shortly after World 577 00:22:27,950 --> 00:22:30,369 War two that he had that restaurant. 578 00:22:31,230 --> 00:22:33,409 I don't know how long it lasted, and 579 00:22:33,710 --> 00:22:35,230 he really didn't get a whole lot of 580 00:22:35,230 --> 00:22:37,470 history on it before he died or grandma 581 00:22:37,470 --> 00:22:37,970 died. 582 00:22:38,575 --> 00:22:38,894 But, 583 00:22:39,855 --> 00:22:42,015 that was our family's claim to fame on 584 00:22:42,015 --> 00:22:43,154 Front Street there. 585 00:22:44,174 --> 00:22:46,575 Again, I mentioned Stacy's that was up the 586 00:22:46,575 --> 00:22:48,414 street a little ways. It was kind of 587 00:22:48,414 --> 00:22:50,275 a coffee breakfast thing. 588 00:22:51,900 --> 00:22:54,619 There was another place called the Beanpot and 589 00:22:54,619 --> 00:22:55,359 that was 590 00:22:56,220 --> 00:22:58,000 kind of at the end of 591 00:22:58,380 --> 00:23:00,400 Front Street on the East side 592 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:03,820 and it was, you know, a corner location. 593 00:23:03,820 --> 00:23:05,440 I think it was on Park Street 594 00:23:05,794 --> 00:23:07,714 maybe or you know might not even been 595 00:23:07,714 --> 00:23:09,654 Park Street, but it was on that block. 596 00:23:10,515 --> 00:23:13,154 And I just remember the bean pot having 597 00:23:13,154 --> 00:23:14,054 like everything 598 00:23:14,355 --> 00:23:17,234 that they sold was just really good. They 599 00:23:17,234 --> 00:23:19,255 had Coney dogs, they had 600 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:21,859 of course bean soup was kind of their 601 00:23:21,859 --> 00:23:24,740 claim to fame, but they just everything they 602 00:23:24,740 --> 00:23:26,819 had in there was just awesome. This was 603 00:23:26,819 --> 00:23:28,980 in the eighties and of course that's long 604 00:23:28,980 --> 00:23:31,059 gone. I think it's a real estate office 605 00:23:31,059 --> 00:23:31,559 now, 606 00:23:31,940 --> 00:23:32,440 but 607 00:23:32,740 --> 00:23:33,400 it was 608 00:23:34,065 --> 00:23:35,444 definitely one of those 609 00:23:35,744 --> 00:23:36,964 places that 610 00:23:37,424 --> 00:23:39,284 was quite cool, I thought. 611 00:23:40,625 --> 00:23:42,304 Anyway, I'm probably boring the hell out of 612 00:23:42,304 --> 00:23:44,224 you, but, you know, I'm enjoying it. So 613 00:23:44,224 --> 00:23:46,224 I guess that's what, what matters here. And 614 00:23:46,224 --> 00:23:47,984 if I'm enjoying it, you might be enjoying 615 00:23:47,984 --> 00:23:48,484 it. 616 00:23:50,250 --> 00:23:53,930 And actually not technically in downtown, but damn 617 00:23:53,930 --> 00:23:56,730 close was the Paul Bunyan well I guess 618 00:23:56,730 --> 00:23:58,029 it's part of that stretch. 619 00:23:58,650 --> 00:24:00,269 The Paul Bunyan building 620 00:24:01,130 --> 00:24:03,210 and probably even the locals are going, what 621 00:24:03,210 --> 00:24:05,704 are you talking about? Paul Bunyan building. 622 00:24:06,404 --> 00:24:07,625 That's where WTCM 623 00:24:08,884 --> 00:24:10,184 radio is. And, 624 00:24:10,724 --> 00:24:12,585 back in the day, that was AM 625 00:24:13,204 --> 00:24:14,265 fourteen hundred, 626 00:24:15,045 --> 00:24:17,704 and then they switched to AM five eighty, 627 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,480 and I have an FM station one zero 628 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:22,579 three point five country station 629 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:23,859 and 630 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,539 that was all run out of this little 631 00:24:27,759 --> 00:24:29,519 well, looks pretty little but it's a lot 632 00:24:29,519 --> 00:24:31,440 bigger on the inside when you go in. 633 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:31,940 But 634 00:24:32,345 --> 00:24:33,964 this little building, everybody 635 00:24:34,424 --> 00:24:36,984 affectionately called it the Paul Bunyan building or 636 00:24:36,984 --> 00:24:38,924 at least the guys on the radio did. 637 00:24:40,345 --> 00:24:40,845 And, 638 00:24:41,464 --> 00:24:42,904 the the people that own that, 639 00:24:43,305 --> 00:24:45,224 or owned that started that back in the 640 00:24:45,224 --> 00:24:46,045 day. The 641 00:24:46,779 --> 00:24:47,279 Biederman, 642 00:24:49,339 --> 00:24:50,799 the Biederman's. In fact, 643 00:24:51,259 --> 00:24:53,440 Les Biederman, the the old man, 644 00:24:53,900 --> 00:24:55,980 affectionately called him the old man. He was 645 00:24:55,980 --> 00:24:57,200 a hangout at Stacy's 646 00:24:57,579 --> 00:24:59,579 restaurant all the time, and he was a 647 00:24:59,579 --> 00:25:02,634 reason for the no politics rule that, 648 00:25:03,335 --> 00:25:05,174 that I forget what her name was. It 649 00:25:05,174 --> 00:25:07,355 ran Stacy's. Her name wasn't Stacy. 650 00:25:08,055 --> 00:25:10,055 She was a Hungarian lady and, 651 00:25:10,535 --> 00:25:11,515 really a spitfire. 652 00:25:12,934 --> 00:25:13,595 Look up 653 00:25:14,389 --> 00:25:16,470 on YouTube. There is maybe I'll find it, 654 00:25:16,630 --> 00:25:18,950 and I'll send you the video, or I'll 655 00:25:18,950 --> 00:25:20,470 put the video in the show notes over 656 00:25:20,470 --> 00:25:21,769 at mikedell.com 657 00:25:21,990 --> 00:25:22,389 of, 658 00:25:23,029 --> 00:25:26,069 this lady at Stacy's restaurant here in Traverse 659 00:25:26,069 --> 00:25:26,569 City. 660 00:25:27,909 --> 00:25:28,409 But, 661 00:25:29,654 --> 00:25:30,715 anyway, the Bitterman's, 662 00:25:31,894 --> 00:25:32,715 his son, 663 00:25:33,255 --> 00:25:36,134 is now the the is running it. Actually, 664 00:25:36,134 --> 00:25:37,894 I think somebody else is running it now, 665 00:25:37,894 --> 00:25:40,075 and the son retired recently, but 666 00:25:41,095 --> 00:25:43,130 it's still family owned. It's a it's a 667 00:25:43,130 --> 00:25:45,650 locally owned radio station. It's not, you know, 668 00:25:45,650 --> 00:25:47,849 a big conglomerate, but they've picked up other 669 00:25:47,849 --> 00:25:48,349 stations. 670 00:25:48,730 --> 00:25:50,750 It's called mid Midwest Broadcasting 671 00:25:51,049 --> 00:25:53,150 is the name of the company now, 672 00:25:53,609 --> 00:25:54,430 and they, 673 00:25:55,529 --> 00:25:56,589 built a huge, 674 00:25:57,815 --> 00:26:00,934 well, huge three story, big office building kinda 675 00:26:00,934 --> 00:26:02,714 right next door to their building 676 00:26:03,015 --> 00:26:04,555 called Radio Center. 677 00:26:05,335 --> 00:26:07,654 And a lot of their other stations are 678 00:26:07,654 --> 00:26:09,275 on the Top Floor of 679 00:26:09,660 --> 00:26:10,160 Radio 680 00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:11,600 Center. Although, 681 00:26:12,460 --> 00:26:12,960 WTCM 682 00:26:14,140 --> 00:26:15,680 AM FM and 683 00:26:16,299 --> 00:26:16,799 WKLT, 684 00:26:18,059 --> 00:26:19,119 the rock station, 685 00:26:19,740 --> 00:26:21,740 is also in the Paul Bunyan Building and 686 00:26:21,740 --> 00:26:23,900 then they have an oldies station and I 687 00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:26,555 think a jazz station and a sports station 688 00:26:26,555 --> 00:26:29,595 and and a classic country station and a 689 00:26:29,595 --> 00:26:31,275 few other things that are up there at 690 00:26:31,275 --> 00:26:33,835 the Top Floor of the Radio Center Building 691 00:26:33,835 --> 00:26:36,555 and then the Bottom Floors are offices that 692 00:26:36,555 --> 00:26:39,035 they rent out and storefronts on the Bottom 693 00:26:39,035 --> 00:26:40,769 Floor and all that. 694 00:26:41,390 --> 00:26:43,869 And kind of kitty corner across the road 695 00:26:43,869 --> 00:26:45,089 from radio center, 696 00:26:45,789 --> 00:26:47,569 at Park And Front 697 00:26:48,750 --> 00:26:51,230 used to be Murray's Boats and Motors, and 698 00:26:51,230 --> 00:26:53,069 it was right on the river. The the 699 00:26:53,069 --> 00:26:56,234 river Boardman River kind of runs behind the 700 00:26:56,234 --> 00:26:58,234 buildings there on the north side of Front 701 00:26:58,234 --> 00:26:58,734 Street, 702 00:26:59,515 --> 00:27:01,674 and there was a marina there, 703 00:27:02,075 --> 00:27:02,575 called 704 00:27:03,434 --> 00:27:05,615 Murray's Boats and Motors, and they sold, 705 00:27:06,394 --> 00:27:07,295 I think, Mercury 706 00:27:08,279 --> 00:27:11,340 outboards and boats and all that stuff. 707 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,200 Both my dad and my uncle worked there 708 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:14,859 as mechanics 709 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:16,220 back in the day, 710 00:27:16,759 --> 00:27:17,980 way back in the day. 711 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:19,100 And 712 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:19,980 that 713 00:27:20,704 --> 00:27:23,684 got torn down, and another radio guy 714 00:27:24,704 --> 00:27:27,984 built another big building there. Another three story 715 00:27:27,984 --> 00:27:30,785 building, and I think he he called that 716 00:27:30,785 --> 00:27:31,285 broadcast 717 00:27:31,664 --> 00:27:32,164 center. 718 00:27:33,390 --> 00:27:34,109 But then, 719 00:27:34,430 --> 00:27:37,390 before it was completely finished, he ran out 720 00:27:37,390 --> 00:27:39,549 of money and somebody else bought it out, 721 00:27:39,549 --> 00:27:41,390 and I don't know what the building's called 722 00:27:41,390 --> 00:27:43,330 now. But on the bottom floor is a, 723 00:27:44,269 --> 00:27:47,170 rather large credit union office or 724 00:27:47,630 --> 00:27:48,849 credit union branch, 725 00:27:49,285 --> 00:27:52,404 and then there's apartments and whatnot on the 726 00:27:52,404 --> 00:27:53,704 upper floors. But 727 00:27:54,005 --> 00:27:57,204 kinda interesting that, two radio titans, you know, 728 00:27:57,204 --> 00:28:00,025 and I use the that term in lowercase, 729 00:28:00,884 --> 00:28:01,704 in the area, 730 00:28:02,519 --> 00:28:04,619 built those two big buildings downtown. 731 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:08,700 And I'm trying to think of what the 732 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,539 guy's name was that, 733 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:12,460 he he had the other 734 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,440 big radio station, w c c w no. 735 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:17,500 That wasn't it. 736 00:28:18,775 --> 00:28:19,275 WLDR. 737 00:28:20,055 --> 00:28:21,994 There we go. That's what it was. 738 00:28:22,775 --> 00:28:24,855 He had that one and a few others 739 00:28:24,855 --> 00:28:26,154 and and all that. 740 00:28:26,775 --> 00:28:28,955 But, you know, so that was Front Street. 741 00:28:29,414 --> 00:28:31,755 Let's see. I've been going twenty eight minutes. 742 00:28:32,339 --> 00:28:33,240 Maybe tomorrow, 743 00:28:33,940 --> 00:28:34,919 I'll pick up 744 00:28:36,099 --> 00:28:38,179 on pick up on Union Street, so the 745 00:28:38,179 --> 00:28:39,559 other part of downtown. 746 00:28:41,460 --> 00:28:44,519 And, part of Union Street's called Old Town 747 00:28:44,734 --> 00:28:46,255 for whatever reason. But, yeah, I think I'm 748 00:28:46,255 --> 00:28:49,295 gonna call this one a podcast, and I'll 749 00:28:49,295 --> 00:28:51,855 probably just hit stop and and record part 750 00:28:51,855 --> 00:28:53,295 two here so I can take a day 751 00:28:53,295 --> 00:28:53,795 off. 752 00:28:55,690 --> 00:28:59,290 So standby for tomorrow. I'll, I'll have, the 753 00:28:59,290 --> 00:29:02,110 Union Street part of Downtown Traverse City.