The Lowell Area Historical Museum presents a new weekly online series. Missing Along Main explores the buildings that once occupied Main Street but are no longer there.
313 and 315 E. Main
Part 1: Entire building history plus west side businesses
This building was located where the empty space now exists between the Farm Bureau Insurance building and Rogers Neighborhood Realty. Built 1871-1873 it has been called the Music Hall, Masonic Hall, Johnson Block and the Reed Block over the years. It was originally built for Fort’s Western Medicine Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Fort was the patentee and salesman who traveled all over towns and villages in Kent County selling his cure-all remedies at retail. E. M. Fort’s card advertised: “Fort’s Enemy of Pain, Sugar coated Root and Plant Pills, and Strengthening Plaster or Salve, are unsurpassed by any in market.” “Remember that Fort’s Western Liniment is the best in the world for man and beast, and scarcely ever fails to perform a cure when directions are strictly followed.”
His business became so popular in Lowell that some town capitalists established a company with Fort as Secretary and Business Manager. Much of the stock was purchased by Farrand, Sheley & Co. of Detroit which was the largest wholesale drug house in Michigan.
Fort’s was chartered in November 1870 with a capital of $100,000. They began in an office over the Lowell National Bank with the following officers: President C. R. Hine; Vice President E. Lee, Jr; Secretary E. M. Fort; Treasurer J. W. Norton.
Fort’s Western Medicine Mfg. Co. built this three-story two storefront building to use as their headquarters and to manufacture their medicines. But the company soon moved to Grand Rapids.
In 1877 and 1878, Lee Hildereth, a gunsmith, had his shop in the western storefront of the building. Hildereth had been a Civil War soldier serving as the chief bugler for General Miles. He was a member of the 26th Michigan Infantry Co. I. He played in Lowell’s first band.
H. A. Young opened a grocery in 1879 in the west storefront. It remained a grocery store for at least 25 years under many proprietors. In 1881, A. B. Johnson purchased the building and ran it as a grocery. At this point the building became known as the “Johnson Block.” His grocery was known as The Old Reliable. In 1887 S. D. Goss, Grocery, leased it and in 1890-F. B. Clark, Grocery. 1892 A. B. Johnson ran Fancy Groceries and Fruits. In 1894, Johnson leased to Loren Barber and George Craw, Grocery, and next it was just Craw’s.
In 1910, N. F. Johnson was the building owner, and he made extensive improvements. A cornice was added to the outside front. On the first floor, large archways were built in the brick wall dividing the two stores. New white maple floors were laid. The second floor was fitted for modern flats with closets, bathrooms, electric lights and steam heat. A fire-escape of the stairway-type ran from ground to roof.
After the improvements, C. H. Johnson opened The Modern Theatre in the west storefront. The entertainment was vaudeville and moving pictures of an early sort. In 1917 Storey’s new Ford garage was set to open here.
The Michigan Motor Garment Co. opened here in 1919. It was a Greenville-based company that began expanding and chose Lowell for a new factory. Machines and equipment were installed in June and operations began the next week. The factory was set up in the west storefront of Lowell’s tallest building. The company had a great start with twenty-four workers and another twenty-six on the waiting list. They specialized in sewing coveralls. The coveralls were marketed to men, for work and outdoor activities, and for children, for playtime.
Business seemed to be going great for a while. But a year later everything fell apart. In 1921 the Lakeview factory “mysteriously” burned to the ground. A factory was started in Stanton but went into receivership just five weeks later. The Michigan Motor Garment Company went into receivership and the Grand Rapids Trust company was appointed as receiver on July 19, 1921.
Beebe’s Market (groceries and meat) was here in 1924. On opening day if customers purchased a $1.00 item, they received a free ticket to the Strand Theatre. In 1932 it became M. E. Chapman, Groceries.
In 1947, Bud Moore opened Moore’s Restaurant and operated into the 1960s. In 1967, it was Power’s Chuck Wagon which later became the Dolphin Restaurant.
The second floor from 1878-1881 was occupied by William Pullen. Pullen, a tailor, moved out of his building at 305-307 E. Main and into the second story of this one so that Jacobsen & Co. could transform his building into “The Boston Double Store.” After the Boston store failed, Pullen moved back into his original building. While he was here, the Lowell Band met in this tailor shop; Pullen played the baritone; Lee Hildereth played “alto.”
The 3rd floor was a public hall used for dancing, parties, Worden’s Orchestra, Epworth League meetings, etc. The building was called the “Music Hall” from 1873 until 1900. It had a seating capacity of 700 and was lighted by electricity, (1891).
In 1899, the Masonic Lodge obtained a long-term lease of $100 per year for twenty years or more (1899—1950). The building which had commonly been referred to as the “Music Hall” changed to the “Masonic Hall”. Besides a large lodge room for its 200 members, a banquet hall, reception room and ante rooms were added.
In 1911, cement blocks were made by Archie Lewis in the basement of this building for the new Kellogg Vinegar Plant building to be built next to the Kellogg evaporator on South Broadway.
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