Walt's Health Foods & the Miner Building: Jackson, Michigan

Walt’s Health Food Shop on the corner of W. Michigan Avenue and Mechanic Street has quite a legacy. The structure – referred to as the Miner Building – sits unpretentious and humble, but there is quite a history behind it.

In 1842, a building was constructed on that site and was torn down in 1870 to make way for the new one. The building was built in 1870 and had a few extra stories, which have since been removed.

There was once an attorneys office, doctor, and grocery store...and even City Hall for a time in 1914.

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According to MLive, building owner John W. Miner added an elevator in 1923 and vaults in 1934 to protect city records. City Hall stayed in the Miner Building for 43 years.

The United Cigar Store opened up on the bottom story and replaced in 1930 by a Walgreen’s, Jackson’s first. Walgreen’s introduced milkshakes to Jackson and was also legally able to provide “medicinal whiskey” during Prohibition. Della Rumler’s Catholic Shoppe moved into the basement in 1950 and stayed there for many years.

Walgreen’s hung in until December 1962.

In 1963 the Miner Building was renovated by demolishing the top two floors. Hunt’s moved its sporting goods into the building in 1965.

Hunt’s became THE place for local kids to acquire their sportswear and gear. Hunt’s closed in 1978 and that’s when Walt’s moved in. Walt Shuberg Sr. Was manager of the health food section of Henry’s Food Market until it shut down in the 1960s.

According to an MLive article, “one of the first tenants of the Miner Building was George Thurtle, who opened a grocery store there in 1887. Benjamin D. Legg took over the store in 1897 and.....sold groceries, flour and feed.”

In 1978, the buildings next door were torn down in order to provide a new parking lot. One of those buildings contained Lobby Lunch, the Western Union Telegraph Co., a hat shop and shoe shine parlor.....now all gone.