Clarkston Curiosities

Clarkston Curiosities

Did You Know?

The man after whom the village was named, Nelson W. Clark, left the village in 1873, moving to Northville to pursue his fish hatchery business.

In the 1930s, as a part of Clarkston's "Fall Festival", a "Pet and Horribles" Parade was held on Washington and Buffalo Streets. In the 8/24/1945 issue of the Clarkston News Clarkston was holding the "biggest pet, costume and horribles parade ever" on September 5 as a part of the Labor Day celebration.

The young women who worked as waitresses at the Green Acres Inn (which stood in the area behind Madison Ct. south of West Church Street) wore black uniforms which they changed three times a day.

The Green Acres Inn had 10 - 12 guest rooms.

"Independence Leads, Largest Potato Crop of Any in the County. There were 1,141 acres planted with potatoes in Independence last year producing 121,596 bushels." The Post newspaper, 2/13/1902.

Clarkston had a baseball team at the turn of the 20th century. "Clarkston, Mich. July 8. Fully five thousand people attended the Fourth of July celebration at Clarkston Saturday. The day was opened promptly at 4 o'clock by a salute of thirteen guns. The visitors began to arrive as early as 7 o'clock and the procession started for the grounds at that time. The home team occupied the first part of the procession followed by the band and the Waterford and Walled Lake bands. The game in the morning was a good one and was won by the home team by a score of 8 to 3. The exercises were held in Walter's grove beginning at 1 o'clock." 7/09/1903, The Pontiac Post.

In 1942, M - 15 was designated as a military highway and only parallel parking was allowed. Clarkston News 4/17/1941.

The Clarkston chapter of the "Modern Woodmen" it was noted in several issues of Pontiac newspapers in the early 1900s were very prompt with insurance checks to the heirs of the recently deceased.

There was a housing shortage in the Village of Clarkston at the turn of the 20th century. "The Farmers Come To Town. Clarkston Village Offers Inducements As A Home For the Retired - Building Prospects. Clarkston, March 22. - This spring finds an unusual number of farmers moving into this village and as a result the demand for houses more than exceeds the supply. A house no more than becomes empty then there are a number of applicants for it. There will be a few new residences erected here as soon as the weather will permit out door work, but there will be a chance for a lot more to be put up to an advantage as an investment. The excellent prospects of the electric railroad will serve to increase the popularity of this village as a resident town and more especially in the summer months, owing to the excellent surrounding country which is most adaptable for resort and camping places. Milan Vliet who owns a large amount of the land on the east side of Deer Lake has sold quite a number of lots and it is probable that new cottages will be put up on them this summer." The Oakland County Post, 3/23/1905.

The Clarkston News of 9/06/1940 reported a "Holiday traffic jam" through the Village.

Sidewalks were installed in 1952 in the Village. "Clarkston is now a big town. So the village is laying permanent sidewalks. The town will no longer roll up the sidewalks as night draws on. This will satisfy the jokers...For the taxpayer who is wondering how much it is going to cost. You can quit worrying. Village President Charles Rockwell has assured the writer that the village's share of sales tax diversion, and liquor tax coming to the village from the state will take care of the cost." Clarkston, 4/10/1952.

There was an airplane "Observer Post" manned by volunteer men and women from the Clarkston area on Holcomb Road north of the Village limits in the late 1950s. The Clarkston News, 1/10/1957.

The Ford Motor Company bought the "Garter Farm", on Holcomb Road north of the Village in 1945. The Clarkston News, 4/27/1945.

In 1903, an "evaporator" was constructed "near the site of the old creamery building." The Oakland County Post 6/25/1903. In an October issue of the same newspaper an item noted that Downing and Company would pay the "highest prices" for apples for their evaporator.

Clarkston blacksmith Frank Yeager lost his eye when a coal from his forge hit him in the face.

In an advertisement in the 1/09/1902 issue of The Pontiac Post, Clarkston general store proprietor, G. F. Coon offered "Paper rags taken in exchange for goods."

Burglary was a problem in the Village in 1904. Explosives were used on the safe of E. A. Urch dry goods and grocery store on Main Street In April. "The explosion was heard by the marshal and nearly every one in the village, but nothing was done until early this morning, when Deputy Sheriff Charles Sly tracked the men nearly to Drayton Plains." The thieves who were suspected of having committed crimes in December fled by horse and buggy which were also believed to have been stolen. The Pontiac Post, 4/28/1904.

Several hams were stolen from Meyers and Kirchener's smokehouse in April of 1904. A revolver and a razor were taken when J. H. Alger Hardware "was again entered ", in 1904, after a rear window was broken. The Pontiac Post, 4/28/1904.

In 1904, Clarkston businessmen Cruice and Doty had "a bean picking establishment" in the back of the post office in the Village. Bags of potatoes and beans kept burglars from entering the establishment in April of 1904. The Pontiac Post, 4/28/1904.

A number of Clarkston area residents invested in oil speculation in Leamington, Ontario, Canada in 1905. The promise of great profits never materialized according to reports in area newspaper of that time.

There were great expectations for an "electric road" from Pontiac through Clarkston and on to Durand and Owosso at the end of the 1800s into the beginning of the 1900s according to reports in area newspapers. Promoters obtained easements but the trolley tracks were never constructed.

Winter horse races were an annual event in the winter on the ice covered mill pond at the turn of the 20th century. In 1902, James Wooster, owner of the New Wooster, (the name at the time for the inn on the northwest corner of North Main Street and West Washington Street), was the sponsor of two in January, 1902, according to items in the Pontiac Post.

Clarkston had a building boom in the late 1930s. "Saturday last, Mr. L. H. Cole, President of the L. H. Cole Oil Co., distributors of Gulf Products, took over one fourth of the south end of the Subdivision known as Clarkston Estates No. 2, which was formerly the Robert Reed Farm, amounting to ninety lots." The Clarkston News, 10/15/1937. This property was west of M - 15 south of the Village limits.

When Judge John Morley lived in the house at 35 Buffalo, he had a "cell" on the second floor where he kept prisoners until they could be transferred to the jail in Pontiac.

A ballot question to pave Village streets passed 148 to 28 in 1938. The Clarkston News, 6/10/1938.

Important commodities in Clarkston at the turn of the 20th century were sheep ( and wool), beets, potatoes and fur. "Few realize the fur that is marketed here. Last week Frank Walter sold 340 skunks, 1400 muskrats, 32 mink, 35 coon, 1 fox and 1 badger over $600 worth." The Oakland County Post, 1/01/1903.

In 1949, Green Acres Inn, ( which then stood on the property south of West Church and west of Madison ), became a rest haven. The Clarkson News, 2/11/1949.

"H. L. Travis was in Pontiac, yesterday, to view some houses there with the idea of planning his new one after them." The Oakland County Post, 2/02/1905. Travis built the home now standing at 177 North Main Street.

"The first rural delivery carrier appointed at Clarkson, Oakland county, and one of the the first in the state is Albert A. Hammond, who has had charde of Route No. 1 since September 1, 1900." Reportedly the route was over thirty miles long. The Pontiac Post, 7/30/1903. Note: the Pontiac newspaper regularly gave accountings of how much mail was handled.

According to a story in the 1/01/1932 issue of the Clarkston News, Butler Holcomb built the fifth log cabin in what was to become the Village of Clarkston.

Henry Ford had a car especially built for Clarkston resident Fanny Irish. Ford had become friends with Fanny and her father, Washington Irish during his many visits to the Village.

Clarkston insurance agent, John Harvey Dresser first came to Clarkston from his home in Dresserville, New York, to teach school. He returned to New York in the summer where he worked as a captain of a barge on the Erie Canal.

Whist and Pedro were card games which were very popular in Clarkston in the early 1900s according to items in the Pontiac newspapers.

Clarkston drugstore owner, Nicholas Bonaparte Smith's son was a United States Congressman during the early 1900s. His sister, Zoe, spent her winters in Washington, D. C. as his secretary.

According to an item in the 4/06/1905 issue of the Oakland County Post, the "matter of the appointment of a proper person for marshal is giving the trustees much concern owing to the unwillingness of nearly all the eligible and properly qualified citizens, to act in that capacity."

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