Some notes on 118 S. Main.

Most recently the home of Arcadian Too Antiques, soon to be home of Ann Arbor coworking.

Being on Main street (a half block south of Huron) means the lot where the building stands has been platted from the beginning, and has been pretty much in continual use.

From the mid-1800’s to about 1900 the address was 18 South Main. This caused me some confusion because there also was a 118 S. Main which was a residence.

The earliest picture I found of the area is from ca. 1860. Our building is not entirely in the picture, as it is a picture of the “American Block” which (as you will see) later became the “Bank Block”.

Here, I’ve noted what I believe is the location of 18 S Main:

Notice that there’s a row of leather goods shops. I think that the theme continues along the street, and the noted building is also a boot and shoe shop.

Sometime between 1860 and about 1867 the American Block was torn down and the handsome building you see today was erected. When they replaced the American Block they stopped at what is now the north side of the building lobby.

Here’s a ca. 1867 picture of the site:

Let’s zoom in on the little building to the right:

Aha! A name with which to search. Jacob Vandawarker was a shoemaker, who arrived in Ann Arbor in 1834 and did very well for himself and his family. I believe the sign says “E Vandawarker” which would likely be his son Edwin, continuing on with the family business. There is also a Frank Vandawarker, but Frank went to medical school and didn’t get involved in the family business until his father’s death in 1881.

Also, the Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory for 1867 says “Vandewalker, Ed., boot and shoe maker, Main.”

At some point between 1867 and 1872, E. Vandawarker’s shop moved to 6½ Huron.

From about 1870 to about 1892, there were a series of small businesses housed in the space, which also had living space in it. About 1872, it was the home of “Ann Arbor Trading Association” doing business as “The Farmers’ Store”. In the late 1870s “Jonathan Sprague, tailor” was listed at 18 S. Main. The 1892 Glen V. Mills Directory of the City of Ann Arbor says that “Allmendinger Band, Henry Otto, leader” occupied the location. I haven’t been able to find anything out about the band yet.

At some point between 1892 and 1910 EF Mills, which provided “ladies’ furnishings” moved from 20 S Main to 118 S Main.

Past and Present of Washtenaw County, Michigan (1906) says that Goodyear was at 118 S Main in 1888, and bought out Mills in 1902 (and then moved to 120 S Main). But the 1910 directory gives Mills at 118. I don’t really trust the information in this book, because I have yet to see Goodyear’s location in 1888 (unless Goodyear gave over some space to Otto’s “Allmendinger Band” in 1892).

And that’s as far as I got. More research is likely to benefit only me; it’s pretty clear that the space has long housed retail establishments — starting with boots and shoes, moving to tailoring, general merchandise, ladies’ merchandise, antiques… and also briefly hosted a band office. It is not officially part of the Goodyear building (Bank Block), but over the century and a quarter(?) of its existence has become intertwined with it.