The Gardner Building

In the summer of 1878, John Mee built a substantial brick building on the southeast corner of River and Oak Streets. Well-known local jeweler, Clark D. Gardner leased the main floor for his jewelry store which, after many years had finally found a permanent home. The store was to remain there for the next 95 years. The room measured 24 by 50 feet and was described as "without exception the finest (jewelry store) north of Grand Rapids." It was painted black with gold trim and also had the distinction of being the first store in the city to have single pane display windows. Previous to that time store windows were made up of smaller panes of glass in frames because the average businessman could not afford the price of the large single panes. At his grand opening, Gardner displayed what was considered to be the finest stock of jewelry and elegant silverware ever to appear in this part of Michigan up to that time.