Waiting at the stop light on the corner of Genesee and Washington, I glanced over at the old Mason Building, and noticed the faded lettering of WSGW. I almost forgot they started in that building. WSGW’s first broadcast was August 11, 1950 from their studios at Genesee and Washington Avenues on the third floor of the Mason Building in downtown Saginaw. The station was started by John Lord Booth, of Detroit who founded Booth American Company. In 1973 Booth built new studios at 1795 Tittabawassee Road with then sister station WIOG.
The Mason building on the corner, if not the not the oldest building in downtown, it is definitely one of the oldest buildings still standing today. The Kahan-Dominium building, also known as the “Bliss Block” or the “Mason Building,” was designed by celebrated Saginaw architect Ludwig V. Bude and built by Bliss, Fay & Co. in the 1860s. Underneath the aluminum facade is a beautiful old brick building.
I am not sure if the Mason Building is slated for demolition along with the other historic buildings on the block, but people always tell me we should be more like Bay City, and saving our buildings instead of tearing them down. I find it interesting that recently the Crapo Building in Downtown Bay City had it’s facade removed to reveal its masonry work. Shown HERE ironically on WSGW’s website. Maybe we could be more like Bay City and the land bank could remove the facade on the Mason Building. I wonder what the scrap rate for aluminum is these days but I guess they would rather just tear them down and put up another parking lot.
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They have a vast varity of subs on their menu, all of which are numbered, and if you have eaten there a few times, you know your favorite subs number, like the number of you favorite sports hero. Mine is number #23, no not my sports hero, but my favorite sub, the Deli Cowboy. if you have never had one of their giant subs, which a 6″ is about the equivalent of a foot long at those other places, you should try them, but you gotta get there early as they only have a limited amount of bread for the day.
I was told that Hamilton Bakery makes the bread for them every day, but when its gone they call it a day and close until the next day. If you are late for lunch, like about 1:00 or 2:00 I advise calling them to see if they still have bread, so you don’t show up and see the sign on the door. You can find more on their facebook page 
Carrollton was a great place to grow up in during the 70’s and 80’s, the school was small, but everyone knew everyone, and my friends and I would ride our bicycles all around the township, and hang out together long before there was social media. I spent a lot of time at 7-11 jamming quarters into the Galaga machine. During the fall months there was the smell of sugar beets. Yeah I know, it did not smell all that great, but it brings back memories when I get a whiff of the beets in Bay City.
After my parents, got married they bought their first house in Carrollton not far from where my grandparents grew up. Shortly after in 1970 that was when I was born and grew up in Carrollton and going to school there. I even got my first job working in Carrollton at Ray’s Food Fair if anyone remember’s those before there was Mejier’s Thrifty Acres.
