Port Sanilac’s main corner, circa early 1930s. The camera stands in the middle of the crossroads, looking toward Platts Drug Store, advertised as “Sanilac’s Oldest Store.” Founded in the 1860s by the Platts family, the pharmacy by this time sells soda, cigars, and Kodak film. The joke sign “IF U DONT STOP HERE WE & YOU BOTH LOSE” hints at small-town humor.
A row of boxy sedans hugs the curb, their chrome fenders catching the summer light. A new traffic light guards the junction, signaling how the automobile is reshaping even quiet Thumb villages. Off to the right, simple frame houses and a broad shade tree anchor the neighborhood.
Just a few blocks east lies Lake Huron, where fishermen and summer cottagers keep Port Sanilac busy in warm months. This scene likely predates Port Sanilac’s modern harbor, built in the 1950s, when tourism started to overtake lumber and fishing. For local families, errands to Platts meant medicine, newspapers, and a place to trade news. In one frame, you see how commerce, transportation, and community life meet on Michigan’s sunrise shore.
