216 E. Main
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Address: 216 E. Main
Date Built: 1873 Builder: Sylvester Brower 1st business: V. D. Young Groceries In 1873, Vatchel D. Young opened a grocery store here. In 1884, it was the meat market of Foreman & Aldrich. In 1891, it was the meat market of John J. McNaughton and Newton Coons; when the partnership dissolved, Newton Coons continued. Charles McCarty and Co. Meats, Groceries and Produce moved four doors east to this location (from 208 E. Main) in 1897-1907. McCarty dealt with everything a farmer had to sell. His ad read “Dealer of Staple and Fancy Groceries, Fruits, crockery, salt, lime, hair, plaster, bricks, drain tile. Buyer and Shipper of fruits, butter, eggs, potatoes, beans, corn, oats, wood, wool, hides, furs, dressed pork and beef, poultry and game.” He also made loans on Real Estate. He operated out of this east side location and his wholesale produce warehouse on West Main Street. McCarty was a busy man. He was a director of the Lowell State Bank next door. In 1890, he (McCarty), Frank Twining King, Francis King, and Reuben Quick purchased the defunct Superior flour mill on the west side of the Flat River and organized the stock company ownership as the King Milling Company. The meat markets which followed McCarty Meats in this location were: Staal Bros. (Claude and Hiram Staal), Taylor & Staal, Fashbaugh & Jones, and Lee Jones Meats (1914). The Sanborn Maps of 1918, 1929 and 1938 list “Feed” as the business at this location. We know that in 1925, John Brezina had a creamery and sold Massey Harris Implements so he must also have sold feeds. In 1931, W. E. Hall sold feed, eggs and operated a creamery. From 1938-1945, it was the Cream Station of Mr. and Mrs. John Fahrni. Dr. J. W. Trumble purchased it from them and William Frost managed the creamery until 1949 when the building was sold to Oliver Farm Supply, 1949-1954. They sold and repaired Oliver farm equipment and DeLaval milking machines. In 1969, the building front was renovated, and Ralph and Barbara Fluger moved their Lowell Bakery from next door. Jim Brzezinski’s Lowell Bakery was here during the 1980s. Quality Tax Service, Flat River Bait & Tackle, Back Alley Bait, and Michigan Tax and Accounting followed. Bettie’s Pages bookstore opened in Feb. 2020. Images Photo of a Meat market in Lowell donated by Sherry Stahl; perhaps it is the Staal Meat Market at this location or where Main Street Inn is now. Charles McCarty & Co. Meat Market was here 1897 until 1907. The associated slaughter-house was on McCarty property on M-21 just east of Highland Hill. McCarty also built a warehouse in the back alley to use for his dealings in wholesale produce, fruit, furs, lime, brick, etc. The warehouse burned down in 1914. In 1893, McCarty was Village President of Lowell. McCarty-Henry House. He built the house at 112 N. Jefferson; first it was known as the McCarty House and later the Henry House. His daughter Bessie, and her husband, M. Norton Henry, the druggist, lived there until 1962. The lot originally extended all the way to Main Street. Fluger’s bakery, 1969 |
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