76 East Street
The History of 76 East Street
Constructed in 1899 – First United States Consulate and Customs House
That little block building at the corner of East and Gouin Streets which now displays the sign above its entrance as “East Street Pizza Company” has had a varied and distinguished history.
In 1856, the pie-shaped, four-acre parcel of Crown Land, part of the Gouin Subdivision south of Queen Street and east of East Street was purchased by George Johnston and subdivided and sold as lots over the years to: Samuel Whitney, George Desbarats, James A. Gouin, Francis Clemore, Chas McColl, Uriah McFadden and Joachim Biron.
In 1899, Uriah McFadden sold the apex of that triangular piece of land to George W. Shotts for $400. There, a stone block building was constructed to be used as the United States Customs House and Consulate. From 1901 to 1927 George W. Shotts, U.S. Consul and Commercial Agent, worked and resided in that small structure.
The 1901 telephone book lists its location as SE East 1st Queen. The civic address of 76 East Street wasn’t designated until 1910. This is the original building as the site has been in nearly continuous occupancy since 1901.
1901 – East Street
The street ran north from river to Queen Street and was the first street west of Pim.
East Side Occupants (from South North to Queen)
McGugaan Bros & Gemmill Lumber Joachim Biron House United States Consulate, George W. Shotts, consul
West Side Occupants (Queen Street Intersects)
Unfinished House Lt. Col Thomas H. Elliot House Henry Plummer House James E. Davis House Custom House (H. Plummer Collector) Bank, side entrance During its years of existence, 76 East Street has had many occupants and purposes
Occupants of the US Consulate and Customs House
George W. Shotts (b. 1842) – born in Ross County, Ohio. Was the U.S. Commercial Agent (Consul) in 1898-1906 and U.S. Consul 1906-1920 George A. Hunter – U.S. Vice Commercial Agent (Vice Consul) in 1905 James Dawson (b. 1879) – born in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, April 15, 1879. Not a U.S. citizen; served as U.S Vice and Deputy Consul in 1909-1914; U.S. Vice Consul in 1916. William Edgar Chapman (b. 1879) – of Oklahoma City, Consul 1925-1926
In 1927 the Consulate was discontinued and it was used for varied purposes
1927 to 1928 – it was the home of Clifford Marshall who worked as a lineman for the Bell Telephone Company. 1928 to 1930 – it served as a base for a taxi service and the home of Earl J. McEwan. 1930 to 1934 – Collins Tire and Battery Service occupied the building. 1935 to 1936 – it continued its garage use as the Soo Service Station owned by Albert D. Nott. He resided on St. Thomas Street only a short walk down the lane. 1935 to 1937 – with little change, Darcy Best Realty Company & Packard Sales & Service took over the building. 1938 to 1939 – renovated for its first use as a restaurant and home location by Albert Antafy who served the public home-cooked meals. 1939 to 1941 – Mrs. Katerine Spreng ran the restaurant and lived there with her husband Gerald who worked for Greenwood Electric. 1942 to 1944 – it completed its life as a restaurant and was renovated to be the home of Victor and Margaret Hewett. Victor worked as a waiter for the American Hotel. 1944 to 1954 – Robert (Bob) and Elsie Metcalfe purchased the shop having worked as a vulcanizer for Collins’ Brothers and as a mechanic for Ray Brothers. 1955 to 1986 – Sykes and McCullough Ltd. Real Estate Insurance and Doug Sykes Insurance and Real Estate Inc. established their offices there. 1986 to 1989 - it was sold to Aurora Butkovich and Cecilia Mihelic and was designated as Mrs. B’s. 1989 to 2018 - Chris Soltys took over ownership of Mrs B’s. 2019 Jane McGoldrick took over ownership and the shop proudly bears the designation of East Street Pizza Company
The Prohibition Years 1916 to 1920
The U.S customs house was built just north of the loading docks used by boats crossing the St. Mary’s River between the twin Sault Ste. Maries. Ontario made consumption of alcohol illegal both at home or in bars on September 1, 1916. Michigan enacted Prohibition on May 1, 1918. “By one count, this meant the closure of 25 saloons in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan”, says the authors of The Border at Sault Ste. Marie. However, smuggling activity across the St. Mary’s River was minimal for almost a decade. Then, in 1927, Ontario ended Prohibition.
“Bartley F. Yost, the incumbent U.S. consul in the Canadian Sault, concluded that whatever shipments might arrive in that community for any destination other than the government-owned liquor store were likely to be shipped off to the United States”, says the book. The smuggling problem worsened when LCBO stores were established across Ontario, including the Sault. It was no longer necessary to bring hooch in from Scotland or Quebec. It could now be legally purchased right in town, and there seemed to be little interest on the part of Canadian authorities to stop it from crossing into Michigan through places like Batchawana Bay or Kensington Point.
The International Transit Company reported a 30 percent increase in Americans using its St. Mary’s ferry to visit the Ontario Sault after Prohibition was lifted.
“One witness at a trial in the Canadian Sault revealed that Canadian smugglers often transported beverages to the ‘stone pile’ identified by Yost at the International border mark in the St. Mary’s River. There, Americans under the protection of unidentified American Authorities would meet them and purchase their merchandise”, Mount Abbot and Mulloy wrote. From his base at 76 East Street, Yost believed that the U.S. Coast Guard was actively involved in the illegal booze-running trips across the river.
When the consulate complained about this to the customs collector in the Michigan Sault, months passed before there was a response. The response was that those responsible had been transferred. There was a silver lining in all of this though. Prohibition helped ensure that the regional headquarters of the U.S. Coast Guard, responsible for Lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan remained in Sault Ste. Marie.
Representatives of the municipal heritage committee will approach the owner of 76 East Street to discuss designating the building, which is said to have the same exterior features as originally built, except for the paint and some windows that have been changed over the years. The heritage designation must ultimately be approved by Sault Ste. Marie City Council.
The Garage
In the fall of 1956 my father, Robert (Bob) and mother, Elsie Metcalfe, purchased the building. Having worked as a vulcanizer for Collins’ Brothers and as a mechanic for Ray Brothers, Dad opened his dream in 1946 as the East Street Garage and Tire Shop. Bob Metcalfe was the consummate mechanic having learned his trade in the 1930’s in a blacksmith shop/garage in Walpole Saskatchewan, cutting his teeth on Model A’s and T’s and farm equipment. He knew engines inside and out. With his ear to his long squared stick, listening for ailments as if with a doctor’s stethoscope, he could analyze the problem of a car or truck engine then determine its needs, calculate repair time and costs. With the dexterity of a surgeon he could have the patient up and running out the door in the allotted time at a fair rate. A door into the garage, office and vulcanizing area separated home life from Dad’s workplace. Two steps down led into the garage bay. It was a 20’x40’ wooden structure with a large sliding door. Within it was housed all necessary equipment. A large 50-gallon air compressor, tire machine, and drill press were along the office side wall. The work bench was almost the full length of the back wall except for the door opening into the storage room holding tires, parts and supplies. On it and hanging from hooks on the wall was every imaginable wrench, screwdriver, and tool needed to work on an automobile. A riveting press for affixing brake linings to brake shoes, and a sand blaster for cleaning spark plugs along with a bench grinder with wire brush and huge vices were bolted to the bench. In one corner was a lift and engine stand in case an engine had to be pulled and torn down. The service bay could contain only one vehicle. Two large floor jacks lifted vehicles from both ends and large frame stands were used to support them for enough clearance so that dad could slide safely under them on his dolly to do the necessary repairs.
Grease jobs and oil changes, replacement of exhaust systems, brake lines, shocks, ball joints, whatever needed to be done under a car or truck were accomplished. There was no motor dad couldn’t fix. There was no electrical problem he couldn’t find. There were no parts he couldn’t change. He loved what he did and did what he loved. He just loved seeing a car run right! The garage part is gone now being the parking space between Mrs. B’s and the Greenwood Locksmith building (then the home owned by the legendary, last original bandsman of the Legion band Jim Callon, and family). Many times bills were left “on account” (on account of the customer not having the money to pay at the time). He trusted customers to the next paycheck which at times never came and outstanding bills were settled in exchange for other goods and services. I remember Dad bringing in a 30-30 Winchester rifle and our first black and white 19-inch television set which were to square accounts. His work in that little one-bay garage was in high demand and scheduled appointments were handled on time. However he could always find time for emergencies, out calls to stranded motorists and to repair flat tires. Early morning, between jobs and into the night he operated his vulcanizing machine to be retread, recap and patch worn tires to provide them with new life. Since tires were still scarce and expensive after the war years his work afforded his customers many more miles of worry-free motoring for little monetary outlay. The popping of the inflatable ‘boots’, the hissing of the air compressor and the pungent scent of hot rubber I will never forget. It always seemed a miracle to watch an old worn-down tire enter the machine and exit retreated and rejuvenated for another 12,000 miles of life. In its downtime the vulcanizer with its many wheels and gauges served as my rocket ship long before Star Trek and another famous “Vulcan” made the scene. The wooden floor of the office was also the venue of my roller skating career. There, from learning to glide from Grandpa’s rocking chair to the now silent vulcanizer to Dad’s counter, I graduated to the roller derby scene whipping around the circumference of the office stopping occasionally for a refreshing sip of my daily allotment of root beer, frosty cold and inviting awaiting me on Dad’s counter. Once my confidence and dexterity had been acquired I was ready to do the circle tour of the block between East and Brock Street, with Gerry Gamache who lived on the bottom of Bay and East Street.
Elsie handled the books, took calls, held down the garage when Bob was out on service calls or away for parts, kept the office spick and span and always had a smile and conversation to share with customers. Since home was at hand, meals and great pies/baking were always ready. Family life was only occasionally interrupted with a midnight stalled car emergency. 76 East Street could have been called the first “Centre of It All”. Located downtown in the commercial and entertainment center of the Sault between Bay and Queen and Pim and Brock it became the center of my universe. Now from my perspective many years later, as I look back on those formative years this city was not just a great place to “come from” as Morley, Torgov conveyed but was the best place “to be”. Those years were characterized by redevelopment and revitalization following the Second World War with the beginning of the baby boom. Growing up with a merging of the world upheaval of the past with the excitement of the present and the promise of the future meant that every day was an adventure. It was a time to explore, to question, to discover, to put down roots and to reach the stars. Whenever I pass that oh-so-familiar doorstep at 76 East Street it all comes flooding back. Walking up those steps in that unique entranceway, I almost expect to see that vulcanizing machine and smell hot rubber instead of seeing a pizza oven and inhaling the distinctive odor of freshly baked pizzas filling the air. In my mind I can hear the sounds of an engine revving and a car hood slamming shut as another expert repair job is completed.
That historic little building once in the hub of the downtown area, now painted bright red with its neon beacon proclaiming to all that Mrs. B’s Pizza is created within. Invitingly, it entices each customer to experience the smell and taste of a unique delicacy crafted with expert hands and possessing only the best of ingredients. The final product leaving that building is the total culmination of a caring, nurturing process: the foundation of the rising, underlying dough forming the base crust and the addition of a tangy secret recipe sauce and then an assortment of toppings of one’s individual choice of all carefully incubated until it is ready to go forth. That process is, to a great extent, the way my life was experienced in and from that building: absorbing and being absorbed by my world radiating out for two “square” blocks from its center, being shaped, molded and allowed to be a child and to grow as an individual. In the process, I was influenced by the most special people, wonderful places and exciting events that the Sault had to offer.
References
Museum of Sault Ste. Marie, ON
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