Lansing's Washington Avenue: 1900-1960s

Once upon a time, Washington Avenue in Lansing had it all:
Bakeries
Bars
Boarding Houses
Clothing stores
Department Stores
Drug stores
Five and Dime stores
Fur shop
Gift shops
Hotels
Jewelers
Hotels
Movie Theaters
Restaurants

Literally something for everyone.

Sure in the 2020s there are still many things and places to see and do, but sorry - it doesn't compare to what once was. Night time was a special treat. In the early 1900s, the many colorful signs that decorated the streets during the day, brightly shined during the dark of night, turning a walk down Washington Avenue into a romantic night time stroll.

When the malls opened in 1969, that was it. Washington Avenue became a thing of the past in the minds of many as they all flocked to the new shopping centers to see the "wonders" of these new malls.

A refurbishing was in order, and a new name was given to that parfticular downtown area: "Washington Square".

Nowadays, there are events, many more apartments and eateries for the public and it's still got a lot of action for everyone. But the romanticism of that particular place in time - the early 1900s - is long gone.

Scroll down a ways to see some images of how Washington Avenue looked over 100 years ago...