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The first lumber business in Birmingham was operated by Ira Slade who became Village President in 1889. His grain, lumber and coal yard was located on the east side of the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway tracks, just north of Maple, a site recently occupied by ALBAN'S BOTTLE AND BASKET north of KROGERS. Mr. Slade's book keeper was Edward R. Smith, Sr.
Sam Slade, Mr. Slade's son, was a singer and actor who toured the U.S. In later years, he would appear as Abraham Lincoln each February 12th, when Detroit Radio Station WWJ featured a special dramatization commemorating Lincoln's Birthday. When Ira Slade passed away, Sam sold the business to Mr. Smith in 1893. At the time, Sam was appearing in Detroit with a touring theatrical company. Consequently, Mr. Smith went to the theater where he and Sam signed the necessary documents transferring ownership.
This 1912 photo shows Edward R. Smith, Sr., wearing a derby hat, at work in the office of his coal, grain and lumber business. Notice the old style local battery telephone and the MICHIGAN STATE TELEPHONE COMPANY directory with a bell on the cover. The Lumber Yard's phone number was ONE! And it continued to be ONE, into the late 1930's when the last owner, Ralph Moulthrop, closed the business after the construction of Hunter Boulevard (now Woodward Ave.) took much of his property. He purchased the firm from MELLEN-WRIGHT-STEPHENS who had earlier purchased the enterprise from Mr. Smith.
Photo Digitally Enhanced by Jack Kausch
The above illustration shows the third coal and lumber business that was located on the site. Mr. Wright was the father-in-law of F. J. Mulholland who, for a number of years, operated a top of the line Dry Goods Store in Birmingham. Henry Stephens, whose name appears last on the big sign boards owned a large lumbering business at Waters, Michigan. Old timers who used to pass through Waters on the way to the northern part of the state will remember the BOTTLE FENCE which was a creation of Mr. Stephens.
According to the WPA Book, MICHIGAN, A GUIDE TO THE WOLVERINE STATE, "in 1916, Henry Stephens built the BOTTLE FENCE that parallels (old U.S. 27) in two sections near the center of the village (of Waters). About four feet high and 200 feet long, this brick and concrete structure is studded with approximately 15,000 wine, whiskey and beer bottles. The builder bought the bottles from children at 3 cents to 5 cents each and many of them he threw away in order that they might be found again and resold to him. There are also three flower pots, six feet in diameter, likewise decorated with bottles. The basement of the Stephens home contains a room completely lined with bottle caps in mosaic patterns with the names of Stephens's lumbermen contemporaries worked into the design."
As you can see from these photos, taken in the mid 50's, the Stephens home was long gone at that time and the bottle fence had been badly damaged by vandals.
The white stucco office building visible at the right side of the black and white photo, above the fence pictures, still stands. When Hunter Boulevard was constructed in 1939, the office building was moved from its original location to 346 Park Street. The lumber yard owner at that time, Ralph Moulthrop, remodeled the building into a two family residence. He later sold the house to Merlyn Smiley, a long time Birmingham Teacher. Mr. Smiley susequently transferred ownership to THE OAKLAND COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY. As their need for space grew, they enlarged what had once been the MELLEN-WRIGHT-STEPHENS office building. The one-time Lumber Yard structure is now the white portion at the front of the present MEDICAL SOCIETY building.
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