Alan R. Dean
by Barry Bauer
Most of us remember Alan Dean as the owner of Dean’s Hardware, located in downtown St. Johns. In 1931 Dean came to St. Johns as a high school coach and Physical Education director. He resigned in 1936 to take a job at E. C. Smith elevator located where Curves (former Central Michigan Lumber Co. building) is today.
He eventually bought Spaulding Hardware located at the N. E. corner of Clinton Ave. and Higham St. which became Dean’s Hardware. Today it’s Gill-Roy’s Hardware.
Dean’s brother-in-law, Kurt Becker, worked at Dean’s Hardware before he started his own business, Kurt’s Appliance.