Progress built Lansing but the industrial era was the death knell
for many of the city's landmarks, including the Olds home. It was torn
down in 1972 to make way for I-496. Good fortune came to Clara's owners
when they discovered a statue lamp
which had once lighted the way to the family's second floor music room.
This signed Bradley-Hubbard edition of solid bronze at the bottom of
our stair railing now brightens your way to our balcony
dining area.
When
you reach the top of the stairs, keep looking up to the very peak of
our magnificent cathedral ceiling. The bronze
chandelier hanging there is one of our oldest antiques. Just imagine
how the soft light must have made its Baccarat crystal glitter in a
Paris mansion in 1825.
Most of Saginaw's mansions,
built by the lumber barons, are gone also, but their memories remain
alive in Clara's. The walnut manager's
office is constructed from the ceiling of one home built about 1890.
The
fireplace mantle at the north end
and the stair railing supporting the Olds statue lamp was also an adornment
in a lumber mansion.
Next
to the fireplace we've added a pair of original floor candelabra which
were used for light in a palace in Venice.
Solid oak sideboards like
our hostess stand and the oak hall
trees are typical of those found in the better homes of the 1890s.
When you choose your cool,
crunchy, fresh salad from our salad bar, envision how fashionable Saginaw
ladies had once found it filled with the finest fabrics in Ipples Dry
Goods Store.
Most of us don't remember when the circus came to town, at least not
arriving in a horse-drawn wagon. But anyone living in the early 1900s
will recognize the elaborate circus wagon decoration hanging from the
balcony above the salad bar and the Wurlitzer
juke box.
A
bit of European elegance reflects in the three crystal
chandeliers hanging high above the main dining area. Long ago, they
shone upon grand times in a London opera house. And our hand carved
cherry Enquiries door closing off the bar from the parlor also had its
beginning somewhere in England. The old ticket office, on the east side
of the station, has been glamorized with the bronze chandelier from
a Belgium department store.
The slag gas lamp in the
parlor, once the ticket agent's office, lighted the entrance of the
original Consumers Power Building. Our three street lamps on our outdoor
patio were part of the old baggage building, formerly located at the
north end of the station.
Evidence of the good "Olds"
days kept disappearing but Union Station, as it was later called, continued
to serve passengers until 1972 when all service through Lansing was
discontinued and the station was closed. Three years later Amtrak resumed
service but East Lansing won the depot bid.
Two active restaurateurs
bought the station in 1978 and today you enjoy the results of their
efforts in reconstructing a little of Lansing's tradition. With the
help of the Wooden Skate Antique Shop, they have collected the artifacts
that surround you and its their own design plan that shows off our heritage
with such good taste.
They appropriately chose
the name Clara's for their landmark business. It was a popular name
for ladies at the turn of the century.
Welcome back to the present.
Now that you know how we arrived, let us freshen your cocktail while
you connect with some of Clara's popular specialties. Our
clock over the parlor entrance ,
with one of the first General Electric movements ever made, will let you
know when you must disembark.
Thanks for joining us at
Clara's and stop in again soon! We invite you to visit our Clara's on
the River Restaurant in Battle Creek.
This 1888 Michigan Central Depot is every bit as charming, and is another
delightful destination.
Clara's Staff
Take me back to Clara's Home Page!
