302 E. Main
302 E. Main Street
This block, once known as the Old Wooden Row, was the first business block in Dansville (Lowell). Built between 1846 and 1870, it contained 11 wooden buildings along the south side of Bridge (Main) Street between Monroe and Washington Streets. This was the first building east of Monroe St. It has been called the Langley building, Hiler building, Reed building, and Wepman building through time as the owner of the building changed. The exact date it was built or by whom has not been determined. In 1866, William Pullen had a clothing store on the 1st floor and his tailor shop on the 2nd floor. Edmund Lee was renting space in Pullen’s new brick building across the street. When Lee vacated, Pullen then moved across the street (1869). In 1870, the building was known as Langley’s building and the intersection Langley’s corner. O. A. Robinson opened the Star Restaurant serving lunches featuring oysters from 1870-1873. On the 2nd floor was Mrs. A. A. Warwick’s cloak and dress making shop. Milo and Julia Hiler came to Lowell in 1863. Mrs. Hiler bought out the millinery store of Mrs. Worden Mason in 1865 and began operating a millinery business. She purchased this building about 1873 and continued her millinery and fancy goods business here on the 1st floor until her death in 1901. She sold hats and fancy goods including materials, silk embroidery floss, tassels, linen table sets, table mats, lunch cloths. Milo Hiler was a photographer and had his gallery above on the 2nd floor. Some of his ads read as follows: M. Hiler’s Art Gallery, M. Hiler’s “Private and Public Views”, Milo Hiler, Photographer, East Side, Lowell. He displayed his daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tin types, colored portraits, and stereoscopic views at fairs and won prizes. He is famous today for making the set of 12 Stereoscopic Views of Lowell with the early history of Lowell printed on the reverse side of them. In 1888, he advertised this set of 12 cards for $1.50 per set and urged every household in Lowell to get them. He traveled around to lumber camps north of Lowell and did stereo views especially in Montcalm, Ionia and Isabella Counties. He photographed “the boss” load of logs from B. W. Hay’s camp. In 1888, Hiler’s Gallery was newly fitted up. He had a reception room; an operating room with a north skylight that held the camera, posing chairs and accessories; a dark room; and a printing room. In 1898, the building was painted white and a new glass front installed. The building was sold at auction in 1904. It was purchased by H. H. Reed who was using it for his Second-hand and furniture store. Reed also bought Mr. Hiler’s personal and household effects so that Hiler could leave for California to live. When the fire of 1907 damaged this building and the next one to the east which he also owned, Mr. Reed was well-insured. “Mr. Reed, who is a confirmed Spiritualist, had been repeatedly warned against fire by mediums and recently made ample provision of insurance.” He had $1,800 insurance, enough to repair the two buildings. He continued his second-hand store. In 1910-11, The Lowell Cigar Store featuring Lowell Chief 5c cigars, was upstairs. It was owned by Bill Metz. Ben Wepman purchased the building in the 1920s. He was a fur buyer and sold second-hand goods. He wanted to replace his two out-of-kilter buildings with a new brick one in 1927. But instead, in June of 1930, Ben moved his business to the Main Street bridge east of the old Post Office and these buildings were demolished. N. E. Borgerson bought the empty Wepman lots and by 1938 Fairchild’s Filling station opened at this location. Images: A view of the Hiler building (left) and Lowell State Bank (right). Mr. Milo Hiler, Photographer and Mrs. Julia Hiler,Millinery had their businesses in this building from 1873 until her death in 1901. Photos, 1893. Milo Hiler is standing on the roof having gone out the window of his 2nd story studio to photograph a parade in 1896. The fire of 1907 destroyed five buildings of the Old Wooden Row. 2nd building on this location: Fairchild’s Arnolds Gas & Oil Station, 1940 1938 Sanborn map This photo is 1958. |