Steed's Drug Store Remembered

Steed's Drug Store started out as Coit Pharmacy in 1920 at 1724 Coit Ave, on the corner of Coit and Palmer, two blocks from Plainfield Ave and Creston High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

The business was purchased from Louis F. Storz by Clayton F. Steed (my Grandfather) on April 1st, 1927. 

Storz first operated a drug store at 1233 Plainfield Ave near Leonard in 1913 or 1914. In 1917 he moved to 1636 Coit Ave, which I believe is a parking lot now for the Bethel Reformed Church that can be seen in the photo above. The photo of the "house driving by" below was previously located in the same area.  After three years he moved to 1724 Coit Ave. 

Clayton owned the store until the early 1960's when Jack Steed, his son (and my Father) took it over. It remained open until 1971. 

Special Thanks to Ruth Van Stee of the Grand Rapids History and Special Collections Center at the Grand Rapids Public Library for researching the past ownership for me.

 

The building through the years 

drugstore-old.jpg (51811 bytes) drugstore-1940s.jpg (53519 bytes) drugstore-1950s.jpg (72039 bytes) drugstore-1960s.jpg (50301 bytes)  StoreFront-LastDays.jpg (69008 bytes) Building-90s.jpg (65597 bytes) BuildingToday.jpg (79861 bytes) BuildingToday2.jpg (93020 bytes)

 

Clayton, Violet, Jack, Bob and some of the girls that worked there.

clayton.jpg (44050 bytes) Clayton-Violet-Backroom.jpg (70000 bytes) Violet-Thiels.jpg (60182 bytes) Clayton-backroom.jpg (33463 bytes) Clayton-Jack.jpg (56484 bytes) JackBike.jpg (78389 bytes) Jack-Army2.jpg (32148 bytes) JackArmy.jpg (29711 bytes) Jack-door.jpg (70520 bytes) Jack-Steed1.jpg (84671 bytes) Jack-cooler.jpg (28301 bytes) Jack-cooler2.jpg (27087 bytes) JackCooler3.jpg (44539 bytes) MaryLou-Jack.jpg (60190 bytes) DadStore.jpg (39596 bytes) Jack-Steed2.jpg (46601 bytes)  bob at the drug store.jpg (148307 bytes) FristFountain2.jpg (87821 bytes) FountainGirls.jpg (139953 bytes) FountainGirls2.jpg (47806 bytes) Worker1.jpg (26239 bytes) Worker2.jpg (39728 bytes) Worker3.jpg (32191 bytes) Worker4.jpg (25421 bytes) Worker5.jpg (24691 bytes) Newspaper.jpg (145689 bytes)  

 

Some Inside Views

InsideView1.jpg (96320 bytes) InsideViews2.jpg (52068 bytes) FirstFountain1.jpg (77143 bytes) MagazineRack.jpg (63101 bytes) 

 

Misc - Barber Pole (Ted's) and a House Driving by. 

BarberPole.jpg (43962 bytes) MovingHouse.jpg (43978 bytes)

 

Misc papers

Rx-label.jpg (22137 bytes) FilmReceipt.jpg (47266 bytes) FilmEnvelope.jpg (28666 bytes) RxReceipt.jpg (51615 bytes)

 

Original Business Sale and Mortgage papers (1927)

MortgagePapers1.jpg (248249 bytes) MortgagePapers2.jpg (133374 bytes) MortgagePapers3.jpg (139123 bytes) MortgagePapers4.jpg (165261 bytes) MortgagePapers5.jpg (115659 bytes) MortgagePapers6.jpg (44733 bytes)

 

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