Little House first opened in 1981 at 904 N. Water Street Bay City, Michigan. In 1993 we moved down the street to 924 N. Water Street (our present location) in search of more space. The building was built in the 1800's. I was able to trace its history back to 1881 when it housed the Samuel Littauer Saloon.
The store is located in what was called "Hell's Half Mile", and it stretches from the foot of Washington Avenue south along the Saginaw River past where Bay City Hall now stands. More than 100 years ago, the "mile" included buildings along Saginaw and Water Streets, and became the toughest section of a town anywhere. Many of those building still stand today, some awaiting renovations. Water Street and nearby avenues today are in an area of rebirth for Bay City.
 The area also is a part of the city steeped in lumber-industry lore, tall tales and the tough-and-tumble history of the people that built the city.
Bay City was a boomtown, with lumbering and sawmills bringing in fortunes. With the immediate prosperity came all the vices of human nature. Hells Half Mile included saloons, sporting houses, (places where gambling and prostitution co-existed), and variety theaters where bawdy performances were common. The area contained a network of underground passages that connected of the buildings leading to the nickname "catacombs" for the entire area. Often lumberjacks, who spent all of their money, could sleep in the passageways where the owners put down blankets and mats for 5 cents a night. The basement of Little House still shows traces of the catacombs.
The four photos here are from 4 postcards circa 1908. Click any of them to see larger versions.
For more Bay City information check these websites:
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