Walking Tour-20 North Main Street-Walking Tour
(East Side of Street)

This brick ranch style house was built in the late 1960s on the site of earlier commercial buildings. In 1860 the tax records cited Jedediah Yager/Yeager & Van Winkle for a part of the property. Yager/Yeager was one of Clarkston's first blacksmiths. By 1872 Yeager had moved his shop to a site on W. Washington St. The Map of the Village of that year has a building footprint on this property with the label H. Lewis & Crosby, blacksmith. They were at this location operating a blacksmith shop and livery at least until 1900 when Lewis moved to a home at 114 Oakland Ave. in Pontiac. According to an article in the 5/15/1902 Pontiac Post, William H. Lewis died of consumption in 1902. Mrs. Lewis continued to own the property for a time renting it to other blacksmiths. Successive blacksmiths, owners/proprietors, were Charlie Sly, William Jickells & by 1914 Floyd Andrews. Reportedly Andrews moved the Greek Revival style building which was on the northeast corner of N. Main & E. Washington St. to this site about 1916.

Official Property Description:

• Part of Lots 3, 4 & 5 Block 19 of Nelson W. Clark's Original Plat of the Village in the Southeast 1/4 of Section 20 in Independence Township.
• Lot 35, 42 & of the Supervisor's Replat of the Northwestern Addition & part of the Original Plat.

Significant Property History:

[A Synopsis Of Property Transfers Derived From Abstracts
(when available) And Periodic Changes In Ownership Or
Assessed Value Derived From Township Tax Records]

• Note: All the properties currently located in the Historic District were originally part of a tract registered by Butler Holcomb with the federal government on October 22, 1831. Thus, abstracts for these properties, when they exist, show the original transfer to be from the United States to Butler Holcomb and may also include references to then President Andrew Jackson.
• 1844 Nelson W. Clark, Lot 3 Block 19, assessed value $4.
• 1846 Nelson W. Clark, Lots 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 Block 19, assessed value $8.
• 1847 Nelson W. Clark, Lot 3 Block 19, assessed value $5.
• 1855 Jeremiah Brown, the west 1/2 of Lots 5, 6 & 9 except...
• 1859 as above.
• 1860 Jedediah Yager/Yeager & VanWinkle, west by the highway, north by Millard, east by Park Lake, south by Jeremiah Brown."blacksmith", assessed value $100. [See J. Millard, blacksmith, who 1855-1862 was at 25 Buffalo St., Lot 3 Block 7 until 1860 when he moved to north of the stream/out lot, east side of Main St.
• 1870 Jeremiah Brown, Lots 3, 5, 6 & 9, assessed value $570.
  Lewis & Crosby, west by the highway, north by J. Millard, east by Park Lake, south by J. Brown, assessed value $150.
• 1872 Map of the Village shows a building footprint on the north labeled H. Lewis Blacksmith Shop. There is also a building footprint south of this labeled J. Brown Meat Market.
• 1875 E. Stiff, Administrator for J. Millard, north by N. B. Smith, south & east by Park Lake, assessed value $350.
• 1900 Emma Brown, Lots 3, 5 & 6, assessed value $600.
• 1904 Lewis & Crosby, north by the Holcomb Brothers, south by J. Brown, assessed value $500.
• 1914 Floyd Andrews, north by J. F. Deacon, assessed value $550.
• 1915 Floyd Andrews, north by Oakland Power. as above.
• 1916 as above.
• 1917 as above.
• 1920 Floyd Andrews, north by E. Denby, east 100', south by Lottie/Lettie Bradly, west by Main, assessed value $1000.
• 1924 Floyd Andrews, as above, assessed value $800.
• 1925 Floyd Andrews, 56' on Main by 100' east in the northwest corner of Lot 3, assessed value $700.
• 1926 Guy Brown, as above, assessed value $700.
• 1930 Guy Brown the north 56' of Lot 3, assessed value $900.
• 1950 Harry B. Yoh, Lot 36 except the south 116.71' & Lot 35.
• 1954 as above. (note: in 1920 Lettie Bradley still had part of this property).