Former Edsel dealership
across Woodward from Northern High School
Former Edsel dealership
(seen in distance, above)
Formerly the
Clair Wood Bar
and the location
of the bus stop.
From Ed Golick:

In the '50s, Rube Weiss was an English teacher at Northern High School. He also was a very talented actor who played Shoutin' Shorty Hogan on Soupy Sales' nighttime variety show Soupy's On! and was a regular on The Lone Ranger radio program.
Every day after school, Rube would meet his good friend Sonny Eliot at the Clair Wood Bar to shoot pool and imbibe.

For a time, Rube played Santa in the Hudson's Thanksgiving Parade. (Former WOMC disk jockey Tom Ryan took over as Santa when Rube passed away.)

The building is now a Savings and Loan, and
the Edsel dealership is home to Detroit Public Schools Security Department.

I found out a few years ago that my office at Northern used to be Rube's office, too.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW
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Nearest Intersection:
Woodward and Clairmount (Owens)

CLICK HERE to see who guessed correctly
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I question the date of the photo as being taken in 1956 since there
is an Edsel dealership in the background. Edsels went on sale in September 1957.

Bob Wiedendorf

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Yes, the intersection close to this would have been Clairmount and Woodward Avenue, thus the Clair-Wood Bar. The photo is looking southbound. Also, the Edsel dealer on the right of the photo would have been on the west face of the street. It was opened and closed VERY quickly (1958-1960). As I recall, it was one of the first Edsel dealers opened in Detroit and it was really finished off nicely in light yellow brick with a brightly-lit showroom. I was there when it was opened, but after all these years, I've forgotten the name. I remember going over to see the new Edsels with my dad right before the event. Woodward seemed sooooo much BIGGER to me as a kid! It looks so narrow in the photo.

Nearly across the street from the Edsel dealer was a huge Detroit Parks & Recreation center (I have forgotten what it was prior) and it had a huge indoor swimming pool. My sisters and I used to attend an annual splash party that was put on here for children by a social group in the 1950s and  early 1960s.

And... the DSR... ohhhh I could tell you so many stories! I lived on the northwest side, but I attended a  Parochial school on the east side near where my dad had commercial property. So I rode the bus every day for many years. The Second and Third Street runs that began on McNichols and went south, then the Crosstown run on Forest and Warren Avenues. I think I still have a stack of bus transfers from the 1950s and 1960s!

Best Regards,
Leon "Lee" Dixon

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The name "Clair Wood Bar" is a dead giveaway for anyone who's lived in Detroit for any time.

I've only lived here since 1962, but I'm pretty sure the traffic light in the background is at the intersection of Woodward and Clairmount, looking south. You can see the Fisher Building in the background on the right.

Not seen in the photo and on the left, just south of that intersection is Northern High School, and across the street (to the west, or right, where the Edsel dealership is) is what until recently was the Northern High School Annex.

So, do I win an all-expenses paid trip to Hamtramck?  :)

Keith Alexander

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To answer your quiz as to what intersection is pictured in the photo, I believe that would be between Clairmount and Taylor streets. The Edsel Dealer is Wagner Edsel at 9001 Woodward Detroit, Michigan. The Clair Wood Bar is, no doubt, a reference to Clairmount St.; however, the view looks south down Woodward toward the city and the Edsel dealership is on the west side of the street, so, the intersection is either Woodward and Taylor or Woodward and Clairmount. The intersection is North of the Edsel dealership and the map that I've attached shows the address as being closer to Taylor, but Clairmount isn't north of Taylor. Hmmmm?  Do I win?   :)

Joe Niedzielski

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The nearest intersection is behind the "1411" bus at Woodward and Owens/ Clairmont. The picture is looking south on Woodward. The Edsel  dealership is on the northwest corner of Woodward and Taylor. On the same  side of Woodward beyond the Edsel dealer is the Temple Beth-El at Woodward and Gladstone with the Mount Royal Hotel on the north side of the temple.  Also, Northern High School must have just let out which would account for all  the people on the street.

Dick Glenn

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CORRECT!