Looking Back: Geo Axford Sports Shop

ROCHESTER — In 1903, George Axford opened his store in a prime location at 401 Main St. in downtown Rochester. Located on the northwest corner between Third and Fourth streets, his shop was in good company. The Palmer Block, as it was called, was home to the jewelry store of the block’s namesake, Louis Palmer, H.H. Stalker’s shoe store and George C. Dennis’ drugstore.

Replacing a grocery stand, the Geo. Axford Sports Shop offered customers a wide selection of sporting goods, such as baseball equipment, fishing tackle, bicycles and rollerskates. The shop also stocked tobacco, cigars and confections. According to the Rochester Era newspaper, Axford’s store became “the meeting place of hundreds from all over the village and surrounding county, all having the benefit of his sunny and accommodating ways.” In September of 1903, he even set up a “box ball game,” similar to bowling, in an alley in Rochester.

Although recognized as the “enterprising tobacconist and bicycle dealer,” Axford did more than just sell goods from his downtown shop. He served two terms as the village treasurer and was chief of the Rochester Fire Department for 22 years. In his time as fire chief, Axford saw the transition from handdrawn hose carts to a Ford/Stutphen apparatus and the official establishment of the Fire Department by the Village Council. He was also a member of the local Masonic and Odd Fellows chapters for over 40 years. After his death in 1933, the local newspaper paid tribute by giving Axford’s obituary a spot on the front page. Axford and his wife, Catherine (Knowles), are both buried in Mount Avon Cemetery.

To discover more local history, visit the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm website at www.rochesterhills.org/museum and check out the online collection catalog at rochesterhills.pastperfectonline.com.

 

— Samantha Lawrence, museum archivist at the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm