Richards Automotive

Richards Automotive. Northeast Corner of Nine Mile Road and Harper Avenue. , Originally part of a French settlement, the earliest deed for this property was recorded in 1809. It was part of the land upon which Gazet Tremble laid claim based on improvements dating back to 1796., In the early twentieth century, William Perry along with relatives and friends purchased land along the north side of Defer (Nine Mile) Road between what is currently known as Harper and Greater Mack. The land they purchased was platted in 1920 and became part of the Lake View Gardens Subdivision. Will Perry gave his daughter, Gertrude, property located at the northeast corner of Nine Mile Road and Harper upon her graduation from high school in 1920., In 1926, Gertrude Perry married Russell Richards. Within two years, the young couple purchased additional lots and established a Standard Oil filling station at this site. One steady customer was Edsel Ford's chauffeur who would come to the station every Saturday to buy gas. Edsel's children, Henry II, William Clay and Benson, usually came with him. According to Richards' family lore, the boys would jump from the car and let the air out of the tires, then refill them using the air regulator with the accompanying ringing bell., Russ' station was open 24/7 until world war two restrictions demanded shorter hours. The end of the war didn't bring back the long hours, but it did bring renewed prosperity and the business flourished. In 1946, Russ opened the Firestone Home and Auto Store where he sold items ranging from refrigerators to toys. This venture was short-lived and the store closed in 1947. Russ' assistant manager, Bob Blemaster, suggested selling auto parts and providing machine shop services to make use of the new storefront, and thus began Richards Auto Parts. In 1949, Russ added a machine shop. The gas pumps were removed in 1957 and construction of the warehouse was completed by 1958. In 1960, the name changed to Richards Automotive Services. Although several additions were made, the original outline of the station could still be seen in the building's final days., From the 1950s through the 1980s, Richards Automotive evolved into a local chain with four east-side locations. In the 1990s, the business climate began to change as larger chains established a low-price reputation by selling small items below cost. Eventually, Richard's Automotive scaled back to its original St. Clair Shores location and remained profitable until closing in 2005. By 2007, the site was cleared and a Flagstar Bank was constructed The bank remains in operation as of 2015.