Browse Items (3 total)
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Richardson's Inn, Howell, Michigan - 1934
This is a photograph of Richardson's Inn. The display also consists of three bronze keys appearing from the Inn.
Richardson's Inn was located at 628 Fleming Street, Howell Michigan. The Inn was on the west side of Fleming near the Pere Marquette passenger depot. At one time, Fleming Street came to a dead end at the Pere Marquette Railroad track. Fleming remains a dead end street at the railroad tracks. The Pere Marquette Depot was moved to the Fowlerville Fairgrounds. The date that the hotel was constructed is unknown. The 1915 Howell plat map and the Sanborn map of 1910 show its location.
Early on, Richardson’s Inn was called the Old Railroad Hotel, and then was called the Howell House. An obituary of William Barnard, 1906, states William and wife Julia Aldrich Barnard operated the hotel known as the Howell House. View Livingston Republican April 1, 1908 Article. In library use only
By 1886, the property was owned by Charles Barber. Charles W. Barber was an early settler (1835) in Green Oak township, Livingston county and a mail carrier for many years before owning the hotel. It was called Howell Hotel in 1901, when Charles died there. His widow, Janett, listed it for sale in 1904. Mrs. Barber sold the hotel to Alfred and Lucy Curtis of Fenton for $1200. In the 1910’s, the hotel was sold to Jake and Florence Prosser. View Charles Barber obituary in the Livingston Republican May 8, 1901 edition. in library use only.Charles Richardson and his wife Hattie acquired the hotel from the Prosser’s on January 20th, 1920. Charles and Hattie lived on East Washington Street in 1920, the census listing no employment for either of them. As owners of the Inn, they rented rooms and served meals, and it was convenient to railroad passengers boarding or deboarding at the Pere Marquette Depot. In the 1930 census, the Richardson’s still "owned" the hotel which was valued at $3000. Charles died in 1934 at age 67 of heart problems. Hattie remarried a couple years later to Dwight Humphrey who died two years later. Hattie was found in the 1940 census with relatives in Mason, Michigan and working as a dressmaker. Hattie died in 1947. There are not mentions of Richardson's in the 1940's newspapers. The hotel went through several different owners, and it's not clear if the hotel remained open as a hotel.
By 1952, Richardson’s Inn was owned by James and Mabel Munroe who rented apartments. Mabel continued to rent apartments after 1957 when James died at home. In 1976, the property was owned by Jack Elder. There are mentions in the Livingston County Press of the property being owned by an attorney from Birmingham, Michigan Austin Howard, and it being exterminated for a rat problem, likely related to the location of Cole's Elevator across the tracks. Richardson's was razed around 1987 after some arsonists set it on fire in February 1987. -
4 Mile House, 4 miles West of Howell on Grand River Avenue, Howell, Michigan, 1933
This is a photograph of the 4 Mile House located on the northwest corner of West Grand River Avenue and Burkhart Road, 1933. The address was 4020 West Grand River Avenue, Howell, Michigan. In 1933, the Inn also had a service station which was owned by Charles Vincent; gas and oil were sold on the premises. A gas pump is visible to the right. The 4 Mile House was a restaurant, and at one time, an inn.
In the Livingston Republican, Charles Vincent announced that on May 7, 1933, the 4 Mile House would have a "Grand Opening", serving beer and lunches. -
Four Mile House Tavern, 4020 West Grand River Avenue, Howell, Michigan, Fire, March 1946
On March 16th, 1946, the 100 year old Four Mile House inn, 4020 West Grand River Avenue, Howell, Michigan was destroyed by a fire. These photographs were taken during and after the fire.
The March 20th 1946 Edition of the Livingston County Daily Press and Argus described the event. "The 100 year old Four Mile House, one of the historic landmarks of Livingston County burned to the ground March 16. Officers were of the opinion the blaze might have been set by boisterous patrons to who the management had refused to sell beer. The building was erected as a toll gate and later became a stage coach stop on the old plank road. For a numbers of years, it had been used as a tavern. John Truhn was in charge of the establishment during the absence of Mr. Shelters (Irving), the owner".
Some time (1942) prior, the front of the building was wrecked by a windstorm, and, the article noted, during the summer months, while awaiting repair, patrons were "served their beer in an open front room".
Mr. Shelter did rebuild the Four Mile House, and it reopened in November 1946.
Grand River Avenue is visible in the photographs; the other building is unknown.
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