THE MICHIGAN DAILY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9= 1962
EIGIff PAGES
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ARCADE THEATER-The Arcade Theater burned out one Sunday
afternoon in'December while the students cheered and the Parrot
restaurant met the same fate within hours,
Parrot, Arcade Theater
Burned Amid Cheering
N,
Oldest Man
Still Believes
In Students
The oldest merchant of State
Street has lived in the shadow of
campus all his life and has never
lost his faith in students.
"Students are the best of our
young people coming to get an
education," he said. "Everything
has been cordial" in contacts with
them over his 79 years.
However, the average student
is worthy of great trust if he is
religious. "You can't trust some-
one if he doesn't believe in some-
thing higher," he said.
Remembers Fence
This man who grew up on Fifth
Ave. and attended school on the
site of the present Newberry Hall
can remember when there was a
fence around the 40 acres of cam-
pus.
He has seen many changes in
the University and the students.
For one thing the students are
much less aware of tradition and
the past than they were in the
early part of the century. Now
some students do not even know
about their grandparents.
The students dress is very dif-
ferent now also. In the old days
one could tell if the students were
rich or poor. As most clothes were
made to order, dress styles were
much more individualistic than
they are today. Before, there were
14 tailor shops, now there is one,
maybe two, left in town. In gen-
eral, the girls still dress better
than the boys.
More Healthy
The girls are more healthy than
they used to be as they are out-
side more, he said. However, the
boys are less athletic.
The real change in the Univer-
sity is the raised academic stand-
ards, he noted. This makes the
students much more serious than
they used to be.
A nostalgic memory held is the
change of the colors from light
blue and pale yellow to the more
contrasting dark blue and gold.
Although this man's memories of
State Street and the University
could unravel for hours, they be-
come more and more difficult to
relate. For with each memory is
the personal touch of this man
who doesn't wish to be known as
the oldest merchant. Why? Be-
cause he doesn't want to advertise
himself, just his merchandise.
Establishments
Closed with 'U'
When State Street was first a
student center, the whole area
would close up with the school and
reopen in the fall. Now the year-
round character of the University
and its faculty sustain the stores
through the dry season.
Tree Longest Resident
Sunday, December 26, 1928-all
the students that were not in bed
from the flu epidemic were out
walking around the campus when
the fire engines broke the Sunday
stillness.
The Arcade Theater, dominating
the corner of N. University and
Thayer Streets had broken out in
flames. By the time the students
reached the site the flames were
Merchants
Encourage
Prosperity
The State Street Merchants As-
sociation is organized to promote
the economic growth and stability
of the State Street and N. Uni-
versity stores.
Composed of business men who
work in these stores, they work for
greater cooperation between the
members and work closely with
the city of Ann Arbor, the Cham-
ber of Commerce and the Univer-
sity.
They also believe in the spirit
of State Street, a spirit which is
known almost around the world.
Orders come in from Europe and
the Orient from former University
students for books, sweatshirts
and clothing.
State Street area with the serv-
ices and merchandise it offers
ranks far above most other uni-
versity and college shopping areas.
Arid it's not that people remem-
ber State Street but that they
come back to it for a morning of
shopping before the game. And
the students, of course, continue
to take advantage of the shopping
opportunities on State Street.
Jacobson's
Began in 1924
The Jacobson store was estab-
lishe on its present site in 1924
and later earned the title of the
"largest campus shop in the coun-
ty," although the ratio of student
to adult trade has evened out in
recent years.
The :store was built on the site
of some sort of place that received
deliveries because the signs lead-
ing to it were found on the brick
walls in the last renovation.
Originally smaller than at pres-
ent, the store has branched out in
areas formerly ocupied by Collins,
Robert's Millinery and the old Uni-
versity Press.
GIVE
this rsta
-- ma
SLATED'S
YOUR COLLEGE BOOKSTORE
1
ter.
it:
How to start the new ear brit
You could probably use more money now .. . and the older you S84,c
get, the more you're going to need money. Spending all you getOFFYU
t will get you nowhere. You have to save ahead to get ahead. StartA S
the new year right by opening a savings account at our associa-
tion where savings earn excellent returns. You couldn't make a U,,To41
brighter New Year's resolution.
I.~JISA V/NGS AND LOAM
.LLL 1WXLI5. L LU ASSOC/ATION
MAIN OFFICE, I!BERTYAT DIVISION NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE, STADIUM AT PAULINEm ORGANIZED 1890
Member: Federal Nome Loan Bank System - Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
I
licking at the posters which prom-
ised films of Charlie Chaplin. in
the "Circus."
A few hours later, down the
street, the Parrot restaurant, cam-
pus landmark, also broke out in
flames.
Taxed Equipment
Although the two fires were ap-
parently unconnected, they taxed
the equipment of the Ann Arbor
Fire Department beyond its capa-
city and provided an afternoon of
cheering to University students.
According to a bystander, the
students would "stand in front of
one fire and cheer and then, when
something seemed more interesting
at the other-would run down the
street and cheer there."
"The Michigan Daily" carried
the story in their next issue. They
reported that damage was esti-
mated at $150,000 according to
Fire Chief C. J. Andrews. Two men
were hurt, a fireman who fell off
a ladder and the movie operator.
However, four businesses were dis-
turbed by the Arcade fire, which
cpmpletely gutted the theatre and
finished the history of the Ar-
cade.
Moe's Burnt Out
Moe's sports shop was burnt out
and moved to 314 S. State for a
year or so, MacDiarmid's Candy
Shop had smoke and water dam-
age but would continue in busi-
ness as would the, similarly dam-
aged Craft ,Type shop.
The most unique damage was
that reported by the Fransicco
Boyce Photography Shop-that of
"smoke fogged printing paper."
The Parrot resumed business
following the Christmas recess to
LONGEST RESIDENT-The oldest tree on State Street is the
majestic oak in front of the Methodist Church on State and Huron.
It is the last of the oak grove that was there when the first
settlers arrived and is described in the old deeds as the "Oak
Grove" running from St. Andrew's Church property to State
Street. Ancestors of the present squirrel population were also
mentioned in the first accounts.
Former Team Head
Runs Cloth ing Store
Peter Van Boven Sr., '21, opened
a men's clothing and furnishings
store in the fall of 1921, after
finishing a successful season as
baseball captain of the Michigan
nine.
Baseball was a more popular
sport, he reminisced. About 10,000
students and townspeople would
come to the games at Ferry field.
After his baseball career Van'
Boven knew almost every student
by name.
This, the prosperity of the per-j
iod, a good business sense and
the growing popularity of Van
Boven's specialty, the "natural
line" fashions, brought good busi-
ness to the store.
Moved Store
In 1924 they moved the store
to its present site in the Arcade
and by 1926, Van Boven was able
to buy out his silent partner, Ann
Arbor banker Earl Kress. In 1929,1
he bought a branch in Detroit and
has spent three days at each store
for every week since then.
The crash in 1929 brought hard
times to the store but it came
through. Durin World War II,
when materials were hard to get,
they branched out into officers
unforms to keep going.
With the inflation of the fifties
their merchandise tripled and the
store became what it is today, a
quality clothing store serving Ann
Arbor, Detroit and the surround-
ing states.
Recalls
Van Boven can recall supply-
ing the students of the twenties
with spats, derbys and Chester-
field coats by the hundreds. "It
was a more dressy era then," he
said. However, the store has never
really changed its styles in its
history. "Our customers wouldn't
let us," he stated.
continue serving
1960, when it was
Charcoal House.
students until
replaced by the
EXOTIC GIFTS!
FROM THE ORIENT
Waiting for you - at the
INDIA ART SHOP
330 Maynard Ann Arbor
GIFTt
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FROM
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SAFFELL
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HAS
A DOUBLE n
MEANING
QUAIYand STYLE 4
The Following Members of the 3
STATE STREET MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION
present this 3
SPECIAL STATE STREET AREA SUPPLEMENT I
Ann Arbor Bank Checkmate
Ann Arbor Federal Liberty Music
Savings and Loan Morrill's 3
Wagner's The Quarry
Van Boven Shoes Slater's
Van Boven Inc. Collins Shop Inc.,
Randall's John Leidy
Bay's Arcade Jewelry Saffell and Bush
Kresge's Campus Smoke Shop
Haller's Jewelry Forsythe Gallery
Jacobson's Hi Fi & TV Center
Moe's Sport Shop The Virginian