Gus Pirsig’s Groceries and Provisions Store, Parkdale, Michigan

Name/Title

Gus Pirsig’s Groceries and Provisions Store, Parkdale, Michigan

Description

The “Groceries Provisions” store of Gus Pirsig stands along the road in Parkdale, Michigan, just outside Manistee. His name is painted prominently on the building, while the awning appears to read “Gust. Pirsig.” An advertisement on the side of the building promotes Kern’s Success Flour. A man and woman stand near the entrance, with a young boy and girl positioned on either side of the porch. A horse stands at right, almost as if it had been arranged for the photograph. The storefront windows carry advertisements for several familiar early twentieth-century products, including Zu Zu biscuits from the National Biscuit Company, Grape-Nuts, and Postum. Newspaper references place Gus Pirsig in Parkdale as the proprietor of a general merchandise store. In 1915, his store and adjoining residence were destroyed by a fire attributed to a defective chimney. The building shown here may be that earlier store. Pirsig rebuilt, but his Parkdale store and residence were destroyed by fire again in 1920.

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1905 - 1915

Time Period

1900s

Place

City

Parkdale

State/Province

Michigan

Create Date

September 14, 2026