What are the odds? I'm browsing historic photos in the Grand Rapids Public Library, (a site that is absolutely convinced I'm a robot, btw), when I stumble across this image:
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| https://digital.grpl.org/Detail/objects/122671 |
Here is the accompanying text from the listing:
"Aerial view of the Kent Printing Company at 49 Coldbrook NE, and the surrounding neighborhood including the houses at 41 and 51 Coldbrook. In the background are buildings on Plainfield near Leonard NE, including the Shipman Coal Co., later the Choo Choo Grill, and others on the west side of Plainfield. The photo also includes the railroad yard behind the building, houses on Leonard and Barnett streets, the water treatment plant and the Grand Rapids Chair Company."
I had already spotted it, but in case it doesn't jump out at you, here's a closeup of what caught my eye:
That Jerkinhead roof over the round top window and the tall chimney on the roof could only belong to one building, the Lemon Drop Candy Kitchen. Okay, well that's my name for a model of what in reality is now the Choo Choo Grill but in this image it was the office for the Shipman Coal Company. Google either of those for good images. The modern structure is where Walthers got the inspiration for the round window awnings and they also included two door types, one matching the current structure and one matching the older use, a nice nod to the structure's fit in multiple eras. This image is from March, 1938.
So what am I doing perusing the historic images of Grand Rapids? Looking for an image of the elusive Gerber reefer, of course, but that's a post for another time.
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