Knudsen's Danish Bakery

Knudsen's Danish Bakery

Knudsen's Danish Bakery of North Rosedale Park has closed just shy of 100 years in business (1923 - 2018). It was located most recently at 18601 W. McNichols Road. What a span of time! First opened just after the end of World War I until last month in late April of 2018. I thought I might put together an article on the business given it's long run. I invite anyone with information to comment. For as popular a place as this bakery was, there was not all that much on the internet, Lexis or other paid databases. 

I personally remember Knudsens Danish Bakery well as a kid in the mid-to-late 1970s and early 1980s. My uncles and aunts would take turns taking me there for the chocolate glazed donuts or to pick up a cake.  My aunt's house on Westmoreland was very close to the bakery on Westmoreland. Our family birthday cakes would often come from Knudsen's Danish Bakery as well. It is too bad that the institution is no longer with us, but it really had a good run. Not many businesses ever last this long. 

Knudsen's Bakery Front

Knudsen's Danish Bakery was established in 1923 by Danish immigrants. Some articles cite the business as starting in Livonia, but I have had a hard time tracking this down. According to property reports, the Knudsen's building was built in 1954 and held approximately 2,785 square feet. It appears that the business moved to the 18601 McNichols location shortly after 1954. It was probably located in Livonia before then. I believe that the original owner, or one of the original owners was a Louis Knudsen from Denmark. 

Until 1977, the bakery was owned by Elizabeth Knudsen, until she passed away that year. From what I can tell, Elizabeth Knudsen was from North Dakota originally, born the same year as Knudsen's opened, in 1923 in Hannah, North Dakota as Elizabeth Pladsen, who moved to the Detroit area by the 1940 census. 

Eventually, the business was sold to the Dimitrieski family that kept it until they retired in April of 2018.  They decided to retire and the business shut down. The current asking price is $150,000.  I hope that somebody buys the business and keeps a bakery there.  Here are some photos to help remember the Bakery. 

Window View - Knudsens

Parking Lot View - Knudsens

How I remember Knudsen's Cakes - Roses

Jordan's on the River

While I never went there, I remember passing this business all of the time when I was in Rosedale Park. I decided to look a little deeper into the history of this business.  I had no idea that it was in business for such a long period of time.

The owner of the business for 49 years, was Jordan Ristich. He was born in 1905 in Bitola, Macedonia and passed away in August of 2004 in Northville, Michigan.  In 1921, Mr. Ristich was sent by his parents to live with friends in Windsor, Ontario.  He eventually ended up working for Ford Motor Company and then opened his first restaurant across from the Ford Rouge plant. He married his wife, Paraska, who was also from Macedonia.

Jordan Ristich

In 1926, he opened his main restaurant, named Rosedale Lunch, located at Grand River and Fenkell. Mr. Ristich was known within the Detroit community as a person who was willing to help fellow immigrants find work. After the end of prohibition in December of 1933, the restaurant applied for and was given a license to serve alcohol and became "Jordan's Bar & Restaurant." Eventually, Mr. Ristich changed the name of the restaurant to "Jordan's on the River," named not for being near an actual river, but for being on "Grand River Avenue." Mr. Ristich apparently sold the business in 1975 and continued in the restaurant business to some degree in Plymouth.  I was unable to find out online who he sold the business to. 

From what I could find, it looks like Jordan's had great steak sandwiches and hamburgers and was a regular hangout for Rosedale residents. There are numerous stories of margaritas and a waitress named Annette. Here is a great story on National Public Radio about Mr. Ristich around 1944. Jordan's continued on until the mid-2000s or so (2007 or so I believe) and was closed.  If anyone has information on this apparent institution, please comment and I will revise it later.

Rosedale Park International House of Pancakes

By John Berry

I remember vividly frequenting the International House of Pancakes located at 19505 Grand River in Rosedale Park, mostly in the late 1970s and early 1980s. My favorites were the chocolate chip pancakes and/or the hame and cheese omelette. It has long since gone, but it was a great place to eat and was always crowded.  I remember that this IHOP ran an NFL promotion on magnetic team helmets. I think I collected most of them.

Before IHOP, the location, according to newspapers, was a gas station in 1952 through to the building of the IHOP. A business called Garland's Speedway Service occupied the location in 1961-1962.

Traditional IHOP sign 1970s

The IHOP in Rosedale Park opened around 1967 and was part of a nationwide push to open IHOP restaurants.

1967 Hiring Ad

The last article I found showed that the location was in business as late as 1992. I moved out of the area in 1993 so I am uncertain when the location actually shut down.  Below are some more recent pictures of the location.  Apparently, the location became George's Restaurant for a period of time after that. The building appears (please comment if something has opened up) to be vacant right now.

Rosedale Quality Market

By John Berry

Found an old business that existed as of 1948, the Rosedale Quality Market.  It was located at 19646 Grand River Avenue in Rosedale Park.  This business was apparently sold in 1951.

I was unable to find a location with this address today, so my guess is that it was torn down at some point after it was sold.  It is close to Grand River and Bretton Drive.  A photo of the area it would have existed is here:

If anyone has any information on this business or what become of it, please post.

Farrell's Ice Cream

By John Berry

Okay, I admit I am traveling bit from the Rosedale Park jurisdiction here with this article, but I really have fond memories of Farrell's Ice Cream as a kid, circa mid-1970s.  The one I recall was located at Telegraph and I-96.  The photos here, I think, were from my 8th birthday in mid-April 1979.  I remember that every kid wanted to go here for their birthday. I remember I begged and pleaded with my parents and uncles and aunts to have a party here and eventually got my wish.

What a place. I think I recall eating something called the Pig's Trough, some crazy large ice cream concoction. I remember having a hard time walking out of there after all of that ice cream that I ate. I also remember workers in 1920s style caps come running through the restaurant with stretchers and booming drums. What a place.

Considering that this happened 38 years ago, I still remember it vividly.  Here are some photos from the Detroit location at Telegraph in April 1979

The Badge You Got After

Boom Bday Drums

That crazy stretcher bit they did

Rosedale Park and Service Station

By John Berry

This is an ad for Rosedale Park Service Station that apparently existed in the early 1940s and perhaps beyond. Below is a picture of this location now, still somewhat of a service station after all these years at 19215 W. McNichols. I found some reference to an American Motors AMC dealership located at 19215 W. McNichols at some point.

2018 Automobile Service at 19215 W. McNichols.

I wasn't able to find out much about this location, near the corner of Shaftsbury, but apparently they still service cars.

Hinkle's Dry Goods

By John Berry

I know that this business was not in Rosedale Park, but I like to look into the history of other businesses and related - genealogy / historical businesses and I thought this one was interesting. This particular business was in Olde Redford, and located at 21713 Grand River Avenue. The business was known as Hinkle's Dry Goods, but also some records show it as the Hinkle Co. Other records show the store, as of 1947 as "J.L. Hinkle & Son." There may have been more than one location.

From the best of my research, the It was founded in 1910 by Roy A. Hinkle in Detroit/Redford and eventually move to Farmington and then Livonia. The space was put up for lease in May of 1973. Mr. Hinkle passed away in August of 1983.  The Redford Historical Society has a nice history of this area and one photo of a car, in the 1910s advertising "Queen Quality Shoes."

Here is the approximate location of 21713 Grand River Ave. today.  Hard to tell for certain, given that Pharmor's building at 21673 Grand River (to the left of this photo) has taken up some of what used to be the entire block.  My guess is that 21713 Grand River would have been part of the building that is still visible at the top with 3 windows.

If anyone knows for sure, please comment. I would like to document this.