Clawson Historical Museum

02/12/2023

Hello December!
The Clawson Historical Museum is currently decorated for the holidays with our 1920s ornaments, goose feather tree, and lot of other items. You can come enjoy the holiday decor from now until Saturday December 16th. The museum will close for the season on December 16th and will re-open February 14th. Along with re-opening we will have a new exhibit in our exhibit room on Clawson schools as this year was the 100 year anniversary of the school district. It will have lots of photos, information on the schools, artifacts and more. That means that our current Cartography (Map) exhibit will end on December 16th also, so come on in and enjoy maps of Clawson dating back to the 1820s.

The Museum is open today from 2-5pm (Saturday)

29/11/2023

On our last day of the raffle we are featuring . Probably one of the most recognized buildings and businesses in Clawson for its history as well as all of the unique items that the owner curates from around the world. Since Leon and Lulu opened I have heard from many Clawsonites about how happy they are that the store pays homage to its roller rink past. Many of us have fond memories of meeting friends at the rink or going to see now famous musicians like Stevie Wonder play there. You can see old skates on the walls, the wood from the roller rink on the floors, score boards and other throw backs to when it was Ambassador. They sells everything from home decor and and clothing to cards and snacks. It really is a unique place to visit. The roller rink was built in the 1940s along with the theater nextdoor. It was a very popular spot for decades and it was so sad to see it go, but after seeing what Leon and Lulu has done with it I think the community accepts the change. If you want to learn more about Leon and Lulu pop in the shop or you can visit their website https://leonandlulu.com/

Leon and Lulu contributed to both the Cozy and Family basket. In the cozy basket we have a newspaper reprint about the Tigers greatest moments in the newspaper along with 2 coasters and in the Family basket we have a reprint about the Detroit Red wings greatest moments in the newspaper with 2 coasters. If you would like to purchase tickets for either of these baskets you can do so in person at the museum today from 4-7pm or online at the link below. The link will be removed promptly at 7pm so make sure you purchase them prior.

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

28/11/2023

Tomorrow is our last day for the Clawson Small Business Basket raffle. We will be open from 4-7pm for the Clawson Christmas tree lighting (6:30-7:30pm) that is located at memorial park next to the Library. The museum will be decorated with our 1920's Christmas decor and it will be the last chance to purchase tickets for the raffle before it is drawn between 7:30 and 8pm after we close. We plan to do the drawing live on Facebook and will personally contact the winners the next day (Thursday).
Our next small business is Shirley's Delights on North Rochester rd. This cute little shop sells all kinds of yummy desserts including allergy friendly options along with some unique flavors The owner is very sweet and clearly loves sweetening up the Clawson community. If you would like to learn more about their business you can pop in the shop or visit their page https://www.facebook.com/sherliesdelights/. The Family basket has a $20 gift card to this sweets shop. If you would like to purchase tickets for this baskets you can do so tomorrow during the open hours listed above or online at the link below.
Unfortunately we do not have any old photos of this shop from before it was Shirleys Delights but we do know that it was once Silrich Company Gears- Threads in 1955. If you happen to have an old photo of this shop or area we would love to fill in that gap in our collection.

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

27/11/2023

One of the older buildings still standing in Clawson is now &GravyClawson. Most of us recognize this building as the old Faymus Chicken which is where the big chicken on top of the restaurant comes from. Prior to that, this location was Shaw’s market (at one point was Shaw’s grill). The photo of Shaw’s market is from 1959.
Biscuits and Gravy may be a new business to Clawson but they have certainly become popular with their cozy atmosphere and delicious breakfast and brunch options. Our Cozy and Family basket both have a $10 gift card in them, if you would like to purchased tickets for either of these baskets you can do so on Wednesday during the museum hours which will be 4-7pm for the Christmas tree lighting or online at the link below. The raffle will end at 7:30pm on Wednesday November 29th so only a few more days to get your tickets!

If you would like to learn more about Biscuits & Gravy you can visit their website at https://www.biscuitsandgravyclawson.com/

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

27/11/2023

Yay Clawson! The museum even got a shout out!

Michigan, famous for its Great Lakes, offers coasts, forests, and activities. With vibrant cities like Detroit, it's also known for welcoming small towns.

26/11/2023

Clawson and all of Michigan is full of talented people and .clawson is has a collective of many local artists work. Every item in this shop is handmade, unique and lovingly made. The owners work hard to support their artist vendors and this shop shows their pride. Our Family and Cozy basket both have items from Cultivate Arts. The adorable grinch gnome and reindeer coaster are in the Family basket and the honey (made by the owner of the shop who is also a bee-keeper, how cool!) and the snowman coaster are in the Cozy basket. If you would like to purchase tickets for either basket you can do so in person at the museum during our open hours or online. You can also learn more about this business and its vendors on their website.
The building that Cultivate Arts is in has been around since at least the 1950’s when it was Guerneys Service shop Sinclair Products. It was later a Mobil Service station which is shown in the picture from 1965.
https://cultivatearts.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

25/11/2023

As the weather continues to get colder there is nothing better than a warm cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate and maybe a delicious baked good to go with it ;) Pop into for a warm beverage and one of their delicious baked goods, have an allergy? They have alternative milks, vegan baked goods and even smoothies. The shop is cozy and quaint and would be a perfect spot to read a book, get some work done or just sit back and relax. Kahve contributed a $20 gift card to our Cozy basket and if you would like to purchase tickets for this basket you can do so in person at the museum during our open hours or online at the link below. If you would like to view Kahve’s menu or learn more about this business you can pop in the shop or visit their website.
https://kahveclawson.com/

The building that Kahve is in was built in 1928 and has had many businesses in its space over the almost 100 years. Before the strip of businesses was added in 1928 this corner was not empty, there were several small little businesses in shack like buildings. The oldest photo is from 1926 and the little building on the left would be roughly where Kahve is today and it was Hodges real estate. The next photo is Blankinship gift shop which was around in the 1950s, the photo is from 1959.

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

24/11/2023

Our next basket items are not from a Clawson business, instead it is from one of our Madison Heights Neighbors who wanted to help support the Clawson Historical Museum. on John R in Madison Heights is nice little shop with great home décor as well as bath and body products and sustainability items. The Items from Spotlight Home interiors added to our baskets is a decorative stone diamond paper weight in the Family basket and a bar of aloe vera soap in the Cozy basket. If you would like to purchase tickets for raffle baskets you can purchase them in the museum during our open hours or online at the link below. You can also learn more about Spotlight Home Interiors on their website https://www.spotlighthomeinteriors.com/

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

22/11/2023

We know everyone is running around today, cleaning the house and getting prepared for tomorrows festivities, make things a little easier on yourself and pick up dinner from . Who doesn’t love a good pizza, pasta, sandwich or any of the other amazing items on their menu, especially if you can take a break from all the cooking. Zeoli’s is a great family friendly restaurant that even has a small party room for anyone looking to have a small party soon. Zeoli’s contributed a $10 gift card to both our Family and Cozy baskets. If you would like to purchase tickets for the baskets, you can purchase them in the museum during open hours or online at the link below. If you would like to learn more about Zeoli's restaurant you can visit their website. https://www.zeolisitalian.com/
In the past this location was Lipson Super Market that was one of the first all-in-one markets where you could get deli items, baked goods, boxed products and produce all in one place. The business was sold in the mid 1960’s to Farmer Jacks. The building was a unique shape and definitely has that nostalgic 1950’s style.
Reminder the Museum is closed today for the holiday but will re-open on Saturday November 25th.
https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

21/11/2023

Right next door to Mangiamo from yesterday’s post is . Like the sign outside there are lots of unique items inside from candles, clothing, home décor to seasonal items. Most items in the shop are one-of-a-kind and they only sell one or a few of, so each item is special. The shop owners are so kind and helpful and really have an eye for home décor, upon walking in I felt like I could go home with everything. Both the Family and Cozy basket have items from Eclectic Home. The adorable holiday cookie presses are in the Family basket and the amazing smelling holiday candle is in the Cozy Basket. If you would like to purchase tickets for this basket you can purchase them in person at the museum during our open hours or online at the link below. If you would like to learn more about Eclectic Home you can visit the shop or their website. https://www.eclectichomeclawson.com/

The building we believe was built in the 1920’s, one of the attached photos from 1928 shows a white building on the right that we believe is this building. In the 1970’s this location was Brown’s Tri-City Real Estate office, the photo shown is from 1975 (you can see the sign for the dentist office nextdoor).

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

20/11/2023

Reminder, The museum will be closed this Wednesday for the holiday but we will re-open on Saturday November 25th. There are two more days before the raffle ends that tickets can be purchased in the museum (Saturday Nov 25 and Wednesday Nov 29th). If you are interested in being apart of our raffle but will not make it in on either of those days they can also be purchased online at this link. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Welcome to City of Clawson, MI

20/11/2023

Most of us are either celebrating the holidays by going to be with family or friends or maybe we are even the hosts. Whichever you may be, we all want to bring a dish or appetizer that "wows" everyone's tastebud's. can help with that! Michelle is the owner of the cutest little shop at 139 West 14 mile rd. She sells Charcuterie boards (what an easy way to show up with a beautiful appetizer!) pasta's, sauces, bread making kits and all kinds of delicious goodies to make your holiday and everyday cooking easier. Michelle even hosts cooking demonstrations that would make a great gift to give or a great date night. The building she is located in was an addition to the 1920's building next door (Eclectic Home, see tomorrows post) some time around the early 1950s. It was the Dental office for F.E. Busch D.D.S. from the 50's through the 70's. The aerial photo posted is from the 60's.
Both the Family and Cozy basket have items from her shop. Her pizza/ Focaccia mix along with a pizza sauce are in our Family basket and her pasta and Ricotta tomato sauce are in the Cozy basket (it all looks so delicious!). If you would like to purchase tickets for these baskets they can be purchased in the museum during our open hours, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2-5pm, we will be closed this Wednesday November 22nd for the holiday but will be open on Saturday November 25th. If you would prefer to purchase tickets online you can click the link below. If you would like to learn more about Mangiamo you can visit the shop or their website. https://www.mangiamo-clawson.com/

https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/index.php

19/11/2023

Another great and long standing restaurant in Clawson is on the Main. This location has been a Tavern since the 1950s serving residents great food as well as a nice place to sit with friends and have an adult beverage. We were so happy that we got to work with a business that has been around for so long and received a $15 gift card in the Family Basket so you can also enjoy a parents night out (or anyone who wins the basket). The photo of the Main Street Inn is from 1985 when the building was much smaller but still served the community well. To learn more about Tavern on the Main you can visit their website
https://www.tomclawson.com/

You can purchase tickets for this basket at the museum during our open hours or by clicking this link https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

18/11/2023

Along with all of the great items from Clawson small businesses, our baskets also have gift cards to some of the amazing restaurants as well! We were lucky enough to work with of Barbeque to add a $20 gift card to the Cozy and Family basket! The owners are so sweet and love serving their customers amazing BBQ. They would be a great lunch or dinner stop while you are doing all of your holiday shopping (we all know you cannot possibly cook after a big Thanksgiving or Christmas food shopping trip ;). At one point in history the building that House of Barbeque is in was The Clawson Cue Club! Here is a photo of the interior from 1962. You can check out House of Barbeque on their website at https://houseofbarbecue.squarespace.com/

You can also purchase tickets for the Cozy or Family baskets in the museum during our open hours or online at this link https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

17/11/2023

One of our raffle baskets was created by Clawson antiques. We clearly are big fans of antiques here at the Clawson Historical Museum and were thrilled we got to work with a shop that shares our love of saving antiques and preserving history. They sell all kinds of great items from vintage home decor, holiday decor, kitchen products to toys. Prior to the small shopping center being there this location was previous Malone Lumber yard. The photo attached is from 1970. If you would like to check out Clawson Antiques you can visit their page or pop in an take a look around. https://www.facebook.com/ClawsonAntiquesMichigan

You can purchase tickets for this basket at the museum during our open hours (Wednesdays and Saturdays 2-5pm) or online https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/index.php

16/11/2023

As many of us got to experience last weekend there are lots of talented people living in Clawson. We were lucky enough that one of those talented people contacted us to be apart of the holiday small business baskets and we think these handmade wool Christmas decorations make the basket special. Skeins created these two beautiful pieces but she also makes others as well as portraits of your pet, what a great Christmas gift for a pet lover! The Grinch's hand is in our Family basket and Santa is in our Cozy basket. You can purchase tickets for the baskets by clicking this link https://www.cityofclawson.com/your_government/historical_museum/

You can also learn more about this small Clawson business on their page https://www.facebook.com/knottyskeins

13/11/2023

Our Clawson Small Business baskets have had a lot of interest so far. We appreciate all of the businesses that helped support the museum by joining our baskets. The raffle ends on November 29th and from now until then we are going to highlight these businesses, the items they contributed and even some history about the business, its building or location. To start we will highlight a business that we have worked quite a bit with since it opened regarding the history of the home. Our first business is , who opened in a 1923 bungalow at 288 West 14 mile rd in Clawson in 2021. Amanda the owner is passionate about history and antiques and you can feel it in her shop. She has also recently added classes to their shop where you can learn about antique furniture and how to restore it. DeeDees contributed 2 tea and candle sets to our baskets (1 in Cozy and 1 in Family). They include a bag of loose leaf tea, tea filters, a lemongrass candle and a matchbox. Imagine sitting back with a warm cup of tea and a warm burning candle. If you are looking for some beautiful home antiques or furniture, pop in and say "Hi" to Amanda. You can learn more about their business on their website.
https://www.deedeesfinevintage.com/

11/11/2023

The Museum is open today from 2-5pm for tours and the small businesses baskets are on display and tickets can be purchased at the museum or online. The raffle goes until November 29th (Christmas tree lighting) so plenty of time to join the raffle!

08/11/2023

Today is the Day! The Clawson Small Business holiday basket raffle starts! The baskets will be on display from today through November 29th and tickets can be purchased at the museum (cash only) or online using the link below. Each ticket is $1 and counts as 1 entry. If purchasing online please indicate in the note section which baskets you would like the tickets added to and you will receive an email within 24 hours from the curator confirming your ticket entry. Below are images of the baskets as well as information about the items in the baskets. The raffle will end on November 29th after the Christmas tree lighting at 7:30pm and the baskets will be available for pick-up/ drop-off on November 30th. These baskets are full of great items from Clawson businesses (and even one Madison Heights business wanted to join in) and would be a great way to try new local things or even to give as a gift. If you have any questions you can contact the curator at the museum by phone 248-588-9169, email: [email protected] or Facebook message.
Businesses that contributed to the baskets, We thank you very much!
https://www.facebook.com/knottyskeins
https://houseofbarbecue.squarespace.com/
https://www.tomclawson.com/
https://kahveclawson.com/
https://www.zeolisitalian.com/
https://www.mangiamo-clawson.com/contact-us
https://www.deedeesfinevintage.com/
https://www.eclectichomeclawson.com/
https://cultivatearts.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
https://biscuitsandgravyclawson.com/
https://www.spotlighthomeinteriors.com/
https://leonandlulu.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063760345598 Sherlies Delights Inc (Facebook)

01/11/2023

We hope everyone enjoyed their snowy Halloween!
Here is a photo from 1965 looking west on 14 mile rd from Main st. Happy we didn't get this much snow.

Also, everyone keep an eye on your Facebook and Instagram's next Wednesday the 8th. We will be posting photos of our upcoming holiday Clawson Business Baskets. The raffle will start next Wednesday (8th) and end on Wednesday November 29th after the Christmas Tree lighting. We have got a lot of really great items and gift cards from Clawson (and even one Madison Heights Business wanted to join in!). You won't want to miss your chance to win one of these great baskets!
Have a great week everyone and Happy November!

18/10/2023

Lets take a look at another "Now and Then" Clawson photo. In one photo from 1900 is George Robinsons general store that was open until 1941 and another from today of the lofts above Ace and the Liquor store. In the background of the 1900 photo is most likely part of the old mill that was located near NE corner of 14 mile and Main. The photo reminds me of an old western movie which is far from how it looks today.

The museum is open today (Wednesday) from 2-5pm.
Reminder that we will be closed this Saturday prepping for the Trick-or-treat trail on Sunday from 6-7:30pm.

18/10/2023

*Updated image and title

Dear Clawson Small Businesses,
The Clawson Historical Museum is planning to have a holiday gift basket raffle for the Christmas tree lighting on Wednesday November 29th. We talked about what types of items should go in the baskets and agreed that Clawson has great small businesses with wonderful products that would be better to fill the baskets with than a large retail store. We wanted to reach out and see what businesses would like to be apart of our raffle baskets. We are not looking for you to give away your products but thought you might be willing to give us a little discount on them while also letting us know what item from your shop would be a great representation of your business. We would like the baskets to be holiday/ business themed, so if you are a home goods store and have a small item possibly holiday related (if the item does not list your business name on it we will attach your business card so everyone knows where the item came from), gift cards so we can get people in your doors shopping, eating and such. We would love to hear your perspective on it. We plan to have the baskets made up by Wednesday November 8th so we can start letting people know that the raffle is happening and what is available and will allow anyone to buy raffle tickets from the 8th through the night of the Christmas tree lighting November 29th. We will then draw tickets and distribute those baskets in time for people to use the items for the holiday as well as shop your stores. We hope everyone likes this idea and that it can benefit the museum (raffle ticket sales go to the historical society) while also benefiting Clawson's wonderful businesses.
Any business interested can Facebook message the museum or email us at [email protected]

11/10/2023

First we would like to thank everyone who braved the wind and cold on Saturday to come support the Clawson Historical Museum at our Garden Party. We had a great turn-out and we got to meet a lot of long-standing Clawsonites as well as some that are new to the city.

Another fun event coming up this weekend is the Clawson Firehouse open house!
This Sunday October 15th from 12-3pm. There are lots of fun activities for the family and a great opportunity to learn about fire safety! The fire house is located on 111 Gardner ave in Clawson.
To honor fire prevention week, here is a 1927 photo of the Clawson Fire department along with the departments first fire truck!

The museum is open today (Wednesday) from 2-5pm.

07/10/2023

It's a little windy but we are open for business! We have fresh made donuts, cider, Swiss rolls and pumpkin shaped cookies. There is a scavenger hunt for the kids in the garden to earn a sweet treat and they can also paint a rock for the museum garden. Then you can get out of the wind by coming in the museum for a tour. Our exhibit on cartography (maps of the area dating back to the early 1800s) is open and a lot of fun to look at.

04/10/2023

The October 2023 Museum Newsletter is now available online. We featured a few other small villages that were not as fortunate as Clawson and never became cities.

13/09/2023

Now and Then photo.....
John and Harriet Prickett immigrated to Oakland County Michigan in 1846 from London, England. They built their farmhouse at the South-East corner of 15 mile and Livernois. They ran a cider mill on the property for some time. by the late 1800's they sold the property and farm to Adam Most, who also owned the land that we know as Clawson Park. In the not-so clear photo is their home that was built some time in the 1850s. The home has been long gone and at one point was the location of a local K-mart which was demolished in 2012

06/09/2023

We haven't done a "Now and Then" photo recently, so why not on this rainy day. Most of us recognize this downtown building but not as one of the past locations of the Clawson post office. The lower photo was taken in the early 1920s. It is the first volunteer fire department snapping a photo in front of the post office. For this building being over 100 years old it looks very similar as it once did.

The museum is open today (Wednesday) from 2-5pm

04/09/2023

We hope everyone is having a great Labor Day.
We recently had a request for a photo of the interior of the Chuck E. Cheese that was in Clawson Center in the 1980s (prior to Caesarland). They would specifically like to know if there is a photo of the stage show they had called Hot Fudge. I guess the Clawson location was only 1 of 5 locations to have this unique show. Unfortunately the museum does not have one, so we thought we would check with the wonderful community to see if anyone might be able to help this fellow Clawsonite. Thank you for any help!

28/08/2023

The Clawson Historical Museum will be closed this Saturday September 2nd for Labor Day weekend. We hope everyone has a great weekend and the kids enjoy their first week back to school!

26/08/2023

Clawson Fest is hopping! Lots of great vendors and businesses! All the food smells so good!

26/08/2023

Today is Clawson Fest!!!!!
Come enjoy great food, businesses and crafters!

We also got the pleasure to help Dee Dees Vintage celebrate their home turning 100 this year!

Anyone who owns a home in Clawson (or even a business in an old building, parts of the downtown will be 100 in a few year and Weiss and Biscuits and Gravy have surpassed 100) and would like a 100 year certificate as well, we will gladly make one for you as well. We didn't add these in the initial plaque program as I didn't think of it but are always on board to make any program we have better.

The museum will be open today from 3-5pm and unfortunately our basement displays will be closed just for today due to a little water.