Comments on: The Boston Store

By: ccexplorer

ccexplorer — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:54:14 +0000

Boyd – Thanks for dropping by and sharing your story. Do
you know when the store was closed down for good? I still think that
it was open to some degree when I first came up here in the 1990′s
but that’s probably just my memory playing tricks on me. I’ve been
past the store again recently and noticed that the present owners
look to be continuing some major repairs to the old building. It
now sports a brand new steel roof and it looked like some facade
improvements have been done as well. Maybe there’s yet another
chapter left to write about this old store?

By: Boyd

Boyd — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:46:20 +0000

Just came across this. My family owned this store in the
mid 70′s. I worked there for a while when I was a kid stocking
shelves, sweeping the floor, bagging, etc. It was your basic
country grocery store with a butcher in the back. We did sell gas,
but not sure of the brand. The pump and building were directly
south of the entrance door. If you look at the first picture you’ll
see a small grassy area in the parking lot. That’s where it was.
That is the same sign we had. In fact, we had relatives in Boston
and would go past the store often and it’s the same sign they had
back in the 60′s. We also owned the large sandstone warehouse that
is just to the SW of the store. Glad to see this picture. Brings
back memories.

By: mark

mark — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:57:32 +0000

speaking of bunny bread signs here is a link to the one that is now displayed at the u.p. children’s museum in marquette-http://www.yoopersteez.com/blog/upper-peninsula/bunny-bread-sign-a-marquette-icon/

By: Chicaugon Lake Jim

Chicaugon Lake Jim — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:52:30 +0000

The sign also reminds me of the old “Bunny Bread” signs that you can still find around Iron County, MI.

By: Bill In Indiana

Bill In Indiana — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:24:05 +0000

When Standard oil divested itself of a large number of company owned stations in the late 60′s early 70′s??? the practice from what I remember was to remove the oval, and leave just the post standing. So the oval may have come from a scrap yard or some defunct station in another location, thus explaining the lack of a post, and the home made looking hanger.

By: explorer

explorer — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:38:13 +0000

Boston Road was indeed old US41, before its realignment to its present condition in 1932. (Before then the current US 41 didn’t even exist – it was just swamp) Most likely at that time the store was probably a gas station as well, and I would guess of the Standard Oil variety. That would explain the sign similarities.

By: Bill In Indiana

Bill In Indiana — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:19:57 +0000

It looks like this sign was made from a portion of an old Standard Oil Gas Station sign…Like This One….

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9385421@N08/3920517516/in/pool-vintagechevron

By: dcclark

dcclark — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:13:45 +0000

Tourist supplies are probably useful when you meet the tourist herds (which signs on I-75 mention).

By: Jay Balliet

Jay Balliet — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:59:29 +0000

I agree with Dale. I’d guess maybe 50s though.

Pretty sure we’ve been past this store. I can’t imagine how many “tourist supplies” they’d be able to sell. Seemed pretty out of the way. Unless maybe this is possibly Old 41 (if there is such a thing).

By: Dale Beitz

Dale Beitz — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:16:48 +0000

Considering the condition of the sign, I would have guessed its origins go back to the 60′s rather than the 80′s or 90′s.