History of Detroit, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, developed from a French fort and missionary outpost founded in 1701 to one of the largest American cities by the early 20th century. As reflected by the emblems on its flag, Detroit has been governed by three world powers: France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The city, settled in 1701, is one of the oldest cities in the Midwest. Detroit experienced a large scale fire in 1805 which nearly destroyed the city. After the fire, Justice Augustus B. Woodward
Augustus B. Woodward
Augustus Brevoort Woodward was the first Chief Justice of the Michigan Territory. In that position, he played a prominent role in the planning and reconstruction of Detroit following a devastating fire.Woodward never married. His biographer, Arthur M...
devised a plan similar to Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Pierre Charles L'Enfant was a French-born American architect and civil engineer best known for designing the layout of the streets of Washington, D.C..-Early life:...
's design for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Detroit's monumental avenues and traffic circles fan out in a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
styled radial fashion from Grand Circus Park in the heart of the city's theater district
Theatre in Detroit
Theatre in Detroit discusses performing arts in the city, its history, and its venues. With more than a dozen performing arts venues, the city's theatre district ranks as the second largest in the United States after Manhattan's Broadway, the stages and old time film palaces are generally located...
, which facilitates traffic patterns along the city's tree-lined boulevards and parks. Main thoroughfares radiate outward from the city center like spokes in a wheel.
During the 19th century, Detroit grew into a thriving hub of commerce and industry, the city spread along Jefferson Avenue, with multiple manufacturing firms taking advantage of the transportation resources afforded by the river and a parallel rail line. Beginning in the late 19th and early 20th century, many of the city's Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
mansions and buildings arose. Detroit was referred to as the Paris of the West for its architecture
Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
The architecture of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with...
, and for Washington Boulevard
Washington Boulevard Historic District
Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places...
, recently electrified by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Detroit area emerged as a global business center with the metropolitan area
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
becoming one of the largest in the United States. The Detroit area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area linking the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
system. Immigrants and migrants have contributed significantly to Detroit's economy
Economy of metropolitan Detroit
The economy of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, is a key pillar of the economy of the United States. Its ten county area has a population of over 5.3 million, a workforce of 2.6 million, and about 247,000 businesses....
and culture. In the 1990s and the new millennium, the city has experienced increased revitalization. Many areas of the city are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and include National Historic Landmarks.
Historic overview
Beginnings
The first recorded mention of what became Detroit was in 1670, when the French SulpicianSociety of Saint-Sulpice
The Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
missionaries François Dollier de Casson
François Dollier de Casson
François Dollier de Casson was born in France into a wealthy bourgeois and military family. He began his adult life in the army which he left after three years to continue his studies and become a priest....
and René Bréhant de Galinée
René Bréhant de Galinée
René Bréhant de Galinée was a member of the Society of Saint-Sulpice at Montreal and an explorer and missionary to the Native Americans. In 1670, he and François Dollier de Casson were the first Europeans to make a recorded transit of the Detroit River...
stopped at the site on their way to the mission at Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie may refer to:* Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario , a Canadian city** Sault Ste. Marie , a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada...
. Galínee's journal notes that near the site of present-day Detroit, they found a stone idol venerated by the Indians and destroyed the idol with an axe and dropped the pieces into the river. Early French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
settlers planted twelve missionary pear trees "named for the twelve Apostles" on the grounds of what is now Waterworks Park
Hurlbut Memorial Gate
Hurlbut Memorial Gate is a monumental structure, long, high, and in depth, at the entry way to Water Works Park located at East Jefferson Avenue and Cadillac Boulevard in a historic area of Detroit, Michigan. It is named after Chauncey Hurlbut, a 19th century Detroit grocer, president of the...
.
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, meaning the strait of Lake Erie, linking Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
and Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
; in the historical context, the strait included Lake St. Clair
Lake Saint Clair (North America)
Lake St. Clair is a fresh-water lake named after Clare of Assisi that lies between the Province of Ontario and the State of Michigan, and its midline also forms the boundary between Canada and the United States of America. Lake St. Clair includes the Anchor Bay along the Metro Detroit coastline...
and the St. Clair River
St. Clair River
The St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan...
. Traveling up the Detroit River on the ship Le Griffon
Le Griffon
Le Griffon was a 17th century sailing ship built by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in his quest to find the Northwest Passage to China and Japan....
(owned by La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle was a French explorer. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico...
), Father Louis Hennepin
Louis Hennepin
Father Louis Hennepin, O.F.M. baptized Antoine, was a Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Recollect order and an explorer of the interior of North America....
noted the north bank of the river as an ideal location for a settlement. There, in 1701, the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, along with fifty-one additional French-Canadians, founded a settlement called Fort Ponchartrain du Détroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
, naming it after the comte de Pontchartrain, Minister of Marine under Louis XIV. Ste. Anne de Détroit
Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church
Ste. Anne de Détroit, founded July 26, 1701, is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States. The current church, built in 1886, is located at 1000 Ste. Anne St. in Detroit, Michigan near the Richard-Hubbard neighborhood area, the Ambassador Bridge, and the...
, founded July 26, 1701, is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the church was the first building erected at Fort Ponchartrain du Détroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
.
France offered free land to attract families to Detroit, which grew to 800 people in 1765, the largest city between Montreal and New Orleans. Francois Marie Picoté, sieur de Belestre (Montreal 1719–1793) was the last French military commander at Fort Detroit (1758–1760), surrendering the fort on November 29, 1760 to British Major Robert Rogers
Robert Rogers (soldier)
Robert Rogers was an American colonial frontiersman. Rogers served in the British army during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution...
(of Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
fame and sponsor of the Jonathan Carver
Jonathan Carver
Jonathan Carver was an American explorer and writer. He was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts and then moved with his family to Canterbury, Connecticut. He later married Abigail Robbins and became a shoemaker. He is believed to have had seven children.In 1755 Carver joined the colonial militia at...
expedition to St. Anthony Falls). The British gained control of the area in 1760 and were thwarted by an Indian attack
Siege of Fort Detroit
The Siege of Fort Detroit was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt by North American Indians to capture Fort Detroit during Pontiac's Rebellion. The siege was led primarily by Pontiac, an Ottawa war leader.-Background:...
three years later during Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
. The region's fur trade was an important economic activity. Detroit's city flag reflects this French heritage. (See Flag of Detroit).
During the French and Indian War (1760), British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
troops gained control and shortened the name to Detroit. Several tribes led by Chief Pontiac
Chief Pontiac
Pontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
, an Ottawa
Ottawa (tribe)
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
leader, launched Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
(1763), including a siege of Fort Detroit
Siege of Fort Detroit
The Siege of Fort Detroit was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt by North American Indians to capture Fort Detroit during Pontiac's Rebellion. The siege was led primarily by Pontiac, an Ottawa war leader.-Background:...
. Partially in response to this, the British Royal Proclamation of 1763
Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763, by King George III following Great Britain's acquisition of French territory in North America after the end of the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
included restrictions on white settlement in unceded Indian territories. Detroit passed to the United States under the Jay Treaty
Jay Treaty
Jay's Treaty, , also known as Jay's Treaty, The British Treaty, and the Treaty of London of 1794, was a treaty between the United States and Great Britain that is credited with averting war,, resolving issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the American Revolution,, and...
(1796). In 1805, fire destroyed most of the settlement. A river warehouse and brick chimneys of the wooden homes were the sole structures to survive.
Father Gabriel Richard
Gabriel Richard
Father Gabriel Richard was a French Roman Catholic priest who became a Delegate from Michigan Territory to the U.S. House of Representatives....
arrived at Ste. Anne's in 1796. While the local priest, he helped start the school which evolved into the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, started primary schools for white boys and girls as well as for Indians, as a territorial representative to U.S. Congress helped establish a road-building project that connected Detroit and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and brought the first printing press to Michigan which printed the first Michigan newspaper. After his death in 1832, Richard was interred under the altar of Ste. Anne's.
Detroit was the goal of various American campaigns during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, but logistical difficulties in the North American frontier and American Indian allies of Great Britain would keep any armed rebel force from reaching the Detroit area. In the Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
, Great Britain ceded territory that included Detroit to the newly recognized United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though in reality it remained under British control. Great Britain continued to trade with and defend her native allies in the area, and supplied local nations with weapons to harass American settlers and soldiers.
In 1794, a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
alliance, that had received some support and encouragement from the British, was decisively defeated by General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indian tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory...
. Wayne negotiated the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
(1795) with many of these nations, in which tribes ceded the area of Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
to the United States. Detroit passed to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
under the Jay Treaty
Jay Treaty
Jay's Treaty, , also known as Jay's Treaty, The British Treaty, and the Treaty of London of 1794, was a treaty between the United States and Great Britain that is credited with averting war,, resolving issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the American Revolution,, and...
(1796). Great Britain agreed to evacuate forts held in the United States' Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
. In 1805, a fire destroyed most of the settlement. A river warehouse and brick chimneys of the wooden homes were the sole remains of the structures. Detroit's motto and seal (as on the Flag) reflect this fire.
First incorporation
Detroit was incorporated as a town by the legislature of the Northwest TerritoryNorthwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
at Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
, on January 18, 1802, effective February 1, 1802. Government was administered by a five-person board of trustees and there was no office of mayor. Following this, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
became a state and the eastern half of Michigan was attached to the Indiana Territory
Indiana Territory
The Territory of Indiana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1800, until November 7, 1816, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Indiana....
.
Woodward plan
Before the new territorial government officially began, a fire destroyed nearly all of Detroit on June 11, 1805. Detroit became the new capital due to the difficulty in traveling to VincennesVincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
over 400 miles (640 km) away. The Michigan Territory
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
was established effective June 30, 1805, as a separate territory with Detroit as the capital. The newly appointed governor, William Hull
William Hull
William Hull was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution, was Governor of Michigan Territory, and was a general in the War of 1812, for which he is best remembered for surrendering Fort Detroit to the British.- Early life and Revolutionary War :He was born in...
, and the territorial judges (Augustus B. Woodward
Augustus B. Woodward
Augustus Brevoort Woodward was the first Chief Justice of the Michigan Territory. In that position, he played a prominent role in the planning and reconstruction of Detroit following a devastating fire.Woodward never married. His biographer, Arthur M...
, Frederick Bates
Frederick Bates
Frederick Bates , older brother of Edward Bates and James Woodson Bates, was an American attorney and politician. He was elected in 1824 as the second governor of Missouri and died in office in 1825...
, James Witherell
James Witherell
James Witherell was a United States Representative from Vermont. He was born in Mansfield, Massachusetts. After completing preparatory studies, he served in the Continental Army 1775-1783 during the American Revolutionary War. He entered service as a private and rose to the rank of Adjutant in...
, and John Griffin
John Griffin (judge)
John Griffin was an American jurist. He was one of the original judges of the Supreme Court of Michigan Territory....
), constituted the territorial government. They convinced the U.S. Congress to pass an act on April 21, 1806, which authorized them to lay out a town that included all of the old town of Detroit plus an additional 10,000 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (40 km²) to be used as compensation for persons who lost their house in the fire.
Augustus B. Woodward
Augustus Brevoort Woodward was the first Chief Justice of the Michigan Territory. In that position, he played a prominent role in the planning and reconstruction of Detroit following a devastating fire.Woodward never married. His biographer, Arthur M...
devised a plan similar to Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Pierre Charles L'Enfant was a French-born American architect and civil engineer best known for designing the layout of the streets of Washington, D.C..-Early life:...
's design for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Detroit's monumental avenues and traffic circles fan out in a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
styled radial fashion from Grand Circus Park in the heart of the city's theater district
Theatre in Detroit
Theatre in Detroit discusses performing arts in the city, its history, and its venues. With more than a dozen performing arts venues, the city's theatre district ranks as the second largest in the United States after Manhattan's Broadway, the stages and old time film palaces are generally located...
, which facilitates traffic patterns along the city's tree-lined boulevards and parks. Main thoroughfares radiate outward from the city center like spokes in a wheel
City incorporation
On September 13, 1806, the territorial government passed an act incorporating the new city of Detroit. The governor appointed Solomon SibleySolomon Sibley
Solomon Sibley was a United States politician and jurist in the Michigan Territory.-Early life: 1769–1815:...
as mayor. Shortly afterward, Sibley resigned and Elijah Brush
Elijah Brush
Elijah Brush was a lawyer and politician from Detroit, Michigan.-Early life:Elijah Brush was born in Bennington, Vermont in approximately 1772, the son of Colonel Nathaniel Brish and Samantha Parker. Brush graduated from Dartmouth College and came to Detroit in 1798.Brush married Adelaide Askin ,...
was appointed in his stead. The mayor was appointed by the governor and, under the act of incorporation, was able to disapprove legislation passed by the popularly elected council without any recourse for overriding the mayor. Because of this, many felt that the real aim of the governor in incorporating the city was to remove the popularly elected town officers and exert a more direct influence over governance of the city. This form of government was extremely unpopular, and was repealed on February 4, 1809. However, to prevent resurrection of the popularly elected town government, on September 16, 1810, an act passed repealing all laws pertaining to Michigan that had been passed by the Legislature of the Northwest Territory. This effectively eradicated any trace of legitimacy for the former popularly elected town government.
War of 1812
This state of affairs continued through the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, during which Governor Hull surrendered Detroit
Siege of Detroit
The Siege of Detroit, also known as the Surrender of Detroit, or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the Anglo-American War of 1812...
to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
, who replaced Hull as territorial governor, on October 24, 1815, restored control of local affairs to the people of Detroit, with the election of a five-person board of trustees and enactment of a charter for the city of Detroit.
Creation of a common council
After Detroit rebuilt in the early 19th century, a thriving community soon sprang up, and by the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, over 45,000 people were living in the city, primarily spread along Jefferson Avenue to the east and Fort Street to the west. As in many major American cities, subsequent redevelopment of the central city through the next 150 years has eliminated all but a handful of the antebellum structures in Detroit. The oldest remaining structures are those built as private residences, including a group in the Corktown neighborhood and another set of houses strung along Jefferson Avenue — notably the Charles Trowbridge House
Charles Trowbridge House
The Charles C. Trowbridge House is located at 1380 E. Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest building in the city of Detroit, and was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.- History :Charles Christopher...
(1826), (the oldest known structure in the city), the Joseph Campau House
Joseph Campau House
The Joseph Campau House is a private residence located at 2910 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985...
(1835), the Sibley House (1848), the Beaubien House
Beaubien House
The Charles Trombly House is located at 553 E. Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is more commonly known as the Beaubien House, and is currently the headquarters of the Michigan Architectural Foundation...
(1851), and the Moross House
Moross House
The Moross House is a house located at 1460 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest surviving brick house in the city, and was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972....
(1855). Other extant pre-1860 structures include Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne (Detroit)
Fort Wayne is located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, at the foot of Livernois Avenue in the Delray neighborhood. The fort is situated on the Detroit River at a point where it is about a mile to the Canadian shore. The original 1848 limestone barracks still stands, as does the 1845 star...
(1849); Saints Peter and Paul Church
Saints Peter and Paul Church, Detroit, Michigan
The Saints Peter And Paul Church is a Roman Catholic church located at 629 East Jefferson Ave in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest existing church in the city of Detroit, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971.-...
(1848) and Mariner's Church (1849); and early commercial buildings such as those in the Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District
Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District
The Randolph Street Commercial Buildings Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, which includes six buildings along Randolph Street between Monroe and Macomb streets . The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980...
, for example.
American Civil War era
Prior to the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the city's access to the Canadian border made it a key stop along the underground railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. The Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
The Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a Civil War monument located in Detroit, Michigan. This example of civic sculpture stands in a prominent downtown location on the southeast tip of Campus Martius Park where five principal thoroughfares -- Michigan Avenue, Monroe Street, Cadillac...
in Detroit's Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park is a re-established park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. After the fire of 1805, Campus Martius was the focal point of judge Augustus Woodward's plans to rebuild the city. It is where the "point of origin" of Detroit's coordinate system is located...
commemorates the state's role in the American Civil War. Then a Lieutenant, the future president Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
was stationed in the city. His dwelling is still at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. Because of this local sentiment, many Detroiters volunteered to fight during the American Civil War, including the 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment (part of the legendary Iron Brigade
Iron Brigade
The Iron Brigade, also known as the Iron Brigade of the West or the Black Hat Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought entirely in the Eastern Theater, it was composed of regiments from Western states...
) which fought with distinction and suffered 82% casualties at Gettysburg in 1863. Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying Thank God for Michigan! Following the death of President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
delivered a eulogy to the thousands gathered near Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park is a re-established park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. After the fire of 1805, Campus Martius was the focal point of judge Augustus Woodward's plans to rebuild the city. It is where the "point of origin" of Detroit's coordinate system is located...
. Custer led the Michigan Brigade
Michigan Brigade
The Michigan Brigade, sometimes called the Wolverines, the Michigan Cavalry Brigade or Custer's Brigade, was a brigade of cavalry in the volunteer Union Army during the latter half of the American Civil War...
during the American Civil War and called them the Wolverines.
The Detroit Race Riot (1863)
Detroit Race Riot (1863)
The Detroit Race Riot of 1863 occurred during the American Civil War on March 6, 1863 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. At the time, it was reported as “the bloodiest day that ever dawned upon Detroit.” It began due to unrest related to racism and the military draft..While not as famous or...
occurred on March 6, 1863 and was the city's first such incident. At the time, it was reported as "the bloodiest day that ever dawned upon Detroit." The casualties of the day included at least two people dead, a multitude of others injured, mostly African-American, 35 buildings were burned to the ground, and a number of other buildings were damaged by fire.
Rise of industry and commerce
Great Lakes region (North America)
The Great Lakes region of North America, occasionally known as the Third Coast or the Fresh Coast , includes the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario...
has contributed to its status as a major center for commerce and global trade. As Detroit grew, it emerged as a U.S. transportation hub linking the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
system of waterways to the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
and to rail lines. Pharmeceutical firms such as Parke-Davis
Parke-Davis and Company Pharmaceutical Company Plant
The historic River Place is located in Detroit, Michigan, bounded by Joseph Campau Avenue, Wight Street, McDougal Avenue, and the Detroit International Riverfront. It was formerly the Parke-Davis and Company Pharmaceutical Plant...
in the 1870s and the Frederick Stearns Company
Frederick Stearns Building
The Frederick Stearns Building is a manufacturing plant located at 6533 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981...
in the 1890s established a centers between East Jefferson Avenue
East Jefferson Avenue Residential TR
The East Jefferson Avenue Residential District in Detroit, Michigan includes the Thematic Resource in the multiple property submission to the National Register of Historic Places which was approved on October 9, 1985. The structures are single-family and multiple-unit residential buildings with...
. Globe Tobacco
Globe Tobacco Building
The Globe Tobacco Building is a manufacturing building located at 407 East Fort Street in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest tobacco manufactory extant in Detroit, and is listed by the National Register of Historic Places.- History :...
built a manufacturing facility closer to downtown in 1888.
The rise of manufacturing led to a new class of wealthy industrialists, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Some of these nouveau riche built along East Jefferson, resulting in structures such as the Thomas A. Parker House
Thomas A. Parker House
The Thomas A. Parker House was built as a private residence located at 975 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is currently the law offices of Macuga, Liddle & Dubin, P.C....
(1868), the Croul-Palms House
Croul-Palms House
The Croul-Palms House is a private residence located at 1394 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The house is named after its first two owners, Jerome Croul and Francis Palms. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983....
(1881), the William H. Wells House
William H. Wells House
The William H. Wells House is a private residence located at 2931 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, USA. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.- Architecture :...
(1889), the John N. Bagley House
John N. Bagley House
The John N. Bagley House is a private residence located at 2921 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.- Architecture :...
(1889), and the Frederick K. Stearns House
Frederick K. Stearns House
The Frederick K. Stearns House is a home located at 8109 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, directly adjacent to the Arthur M. Parker House. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.- Description :...
(1902).
Detroit began increasingly to expand, and other citizens pushed north of downtown, building houses along Woodward in what was at the time a quiet residential area. The city has many restored historic Victorian structures, notably those in the Brush Park and East Ferry Avenue
East Ferry Avenue Historic District
The East Ferry Avenue Historic District is a historic residential district in Detroit, Michigan. The nationally-designated historic district stretches two blocks from Woodward Avenue east to Brush; the locally-designated historic district includes a third block between Brush and Beaubien. The...
historic districts. The Elisha Taylor House
Elisha Taylor House
The Elisha Taylor House is a private home located at 59 Alfred Street in Detroit, Michigan. The house was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Since 1981, it has served as a center for art and architectural study, known as...
(1870) and the Hudson-Evans House
Hudson-Evans House
The Hudson-Evans House is a private, single-family home located at 79 Alfred Street in Detroit, Michigan. It is also known as the Joseph Lothian Hudson House or the Grace Whitney Evans House, and is currently used as the offices of a law firm...
(1872) are both in Brush Park; the Col. Frank J. Hecker House
Col. Frank J. Hecker House
The Col. Frank J. Hecker House is located at 5510 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The mansion serves as the Royal Danish Consulate in Detroit. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.-Col. Hecker:Col. Frank J...
(1888) and the Charles Lang Freer House
Charles Lang Freer House
The Charles Lang Freer House is located at 71 East Ferry Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Originally built by the industrialist and art collector Charles Lang Freer whose gift of the Freer Gallery of Art began the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The house is currently the Merrill Palmer...
(1887) are in the East Ferry Avenue
East Ferry Avenue Historic District
The East Ferry Avenue Historic District is a historic residential district in Detroit, Michigan. The nationally-designated historic district stretches two blocks from Woodward Avenue east to Brush; the locally-designated historic district includes a third block between Brush and Beaubien. The...
neighbhorhood. Near the end of the century, apartment living became more acceptable for affluent middle-class families, and upscale apartments, such as the Coronado Apartments
Coronado Apartments
The Coronado Apartments are an apartment building located on 3751-73 Second Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.- History :The Coronado Apartments were built in 1894 by George D...
(1894), the Verona Apartments (1894), the Palms Apartments
Palms Apartments
The Palms is an apartment building located at 1001 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was one of the first buildings in the US to use reinforced concrete as one of its major construction materials...
(1903), the Davenport Apartments (1905) in the Cass-Davenport Historic District
Cass-Davenport Historic District
The Cass-Davenport Historic District is a historic district of apartment buildings in Detroit, Michigan, roughly bounded Cass Ave., Davenport, and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997...
, and the Garden Court Apartments (1915) were constructed to meet the new demand.
These well-to-do late-19th-century residents also funded the construction of a spate of churches, such as the Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
The Cass Community United Methodist Church is located at 3901 Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was built in 1883 as the Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1985.- History :The Cass...
(1883), the First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church (Detroit, Michigan)
The Ecumenical Theological Seminary is located at 2930 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was built in 1889 as the First Presbyterian Church, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979.- Architecture :George D...
(1889), the Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church (Detroit, Michigan)
Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 1519 Martin Luther King Boulevard in the Woodbridge Historic District of Detroit, Michigan. The church was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980...
(1890) (built by James E. Scripps
James E. Scripps
James Edmund Scripps was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist.Scripps was born in 1835 in London to James Mogg Scripps and Ellen Mary Scripps. His father was a bookbinder who came to America in 1844 with six motherless children. Scripps grew up on a Rushville, Illinois, farm...
), and the First Unitarian Church
First Unitarian Church of Detroit
The First Unitarian Church of Detroit is located at 2870 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.- History :...
(1890).
Immigrants in the 19th century
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Detroit's industrial boom in the later 19th century created yet another stream of immigrants into Detroit. Significant contingents during this period included German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
immigrants who settled in Detroit in the 1860-1890s. A wave of Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
immigrants arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Immigrants opened businesses and established communities. German immigrants established German-speaking churches, primarily on the east side of the city, including Saint John's-St. Luke's Evangelical Church
Saint John's-St. Luke's Evangelical Church
St. John's-St. Luke's Evangelical Church is a congregation of the United Church of Christ located at 2120 Russell Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.- History :...
(1872), St. Joseph Catholic Church
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Detroit
Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1855, is a historic German Catholic parish with a landmark church located at 1828 Jay Street in the Eastern Market - Lafayette Park neighborhood area just outside of downtown Detroit on the city's central east side...
(1873), and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (1875), as well as social clubs such as the Harmonie Club
Harmonie Club (Detroit, Michigan)
The Harmonie Club is a club located at 267 East Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.- History :...
(1894) and west-side churches such as St. Boniface
St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church
St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church was a Roman Catholic church located at 2356 Vermont Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was also known as St. Boniface-St. Vincent Roman Catholic Church...
(1882) and Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church
Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church
Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church is a church located at 4461 Twenty-Eighth Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982...
(1891).
Close behind, a wave of Polish immigrants established east-side Roman Catholic parishes such as St. Albertus
St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church
St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church is a church located at 4231 St. Aubin Street in Detroit, Michigan in the Forest Park neighborhood area on the city's central East side...
(1885), Sweetest Heart Of Mary
Sweetest Heart Of Mary Roman Catholic Church
Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church is located at 4440 Russell Street in Detroit, Michigan in the Forest Park neighborhood on the city's central East side. The Gothic Revival Cathedral styled Church is the largest of the Roman Catholic Churches in the City of Detroit...
(1893), St. Josaphat's
St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church
St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church located at 715 E. Canfield Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1985.- History :...
(1901), St. Stanislaus
St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church
The St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church is a church located at 5818 Dubois Street in Detroit, Michigan. The church is now used by the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church and the school is used by the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences. The church was listed on the...
(1911), and St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church was a church located at 8363 and 8383 Townsend Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, but was subsequently demolished.- History :...
(1923). The Poles also settled on the west side, founding West Side Dom Polski
West Side Dom Polski
The West Side Dom Polski is a meeting hall and social club located at 3426 Junction Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. It is now the Metro Life International Church.- History :...
(1916). The son of Prussian Polish immigrants, Rev. John A. Lemke, born in Detroit on February 10, 1866, was the first American-born Roman Catholic Priest of Polish descent to be ordained in America. He was Baptised at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church (Detroit, Michigan)
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, formally the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the third oldest parish in Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 646 Monroe Street in heart of Greektown Historic District within Detroit's downtown area. It is often called Old St. Mary's...
(1843), at the corner of St. Antoine and Croghan (Monroe), on February 18, 1866, attended St. Albertus
St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church
St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church is a church located at 4231 St. Aubin Street in Detroit, Michigan in the Forest Park neighborhood area on the city's central East side...
for his primary education, and studied at Detroit College which is now the University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
where he received a Bachelor's degree in 1884; then, after attending St. Mary's in Baltimore, he completed his theological studies at St. Francis Seminary in Monroe, Michigan, and he was ordained by the Bishop John Samuel Foley in 1889. His added confirmation name was Aloysius.
Henry Ford and the automobile industry
A thriving carriage trade set the stage for the work of Henry FordHenry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, who in 1899 built his first automobile factory in Highland Park
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
, an independent city that is now surrounded by Detroit. Ford's manufacturing innovations were soon adopted by rival automobile manufacturers, including General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
and American Motors
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
. Each of them, like Ford, established its headquarters in the Detroit metropolitan area, solidifying Detroit's status as the world's car capital.
At the turn of the 20th century, entrepreneurs in the Detroit area—notably Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
--forged into production of the automobile, capitalizing on the already-existing machine tool and coach-building industry in the city. Early automotive production is recognizable by structures such as Ford's Piquette Plant
Piquette Plant
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is located at 411 Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, within the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District. It was the second home of Ford Motor Company automobile production...
(1904) (a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
), and multiple structures in the surrounding Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District
Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District
The Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District is a historic district located along Piquette Street in Detroit, Michigan, from Woodward Avenue on the west to Hastings Street on the east. The district extends approximately one block south of Piquette to Harper, and one block north to the Grand...
(including the now-destroyed E-M-F/Studebaker Plant, 1906) and the New Amsterdam Historic District
New Amsterdam Historic District
The New Amsterdam Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan. Buildings in this district are on or near three sequential east-west streets on the two blocks between Woodward Avenue and Second Avenue...
(including the original Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
factory, 1905) and small factories such as the Crescent Brass and Pin Company Building
Crescent Brass and Pin Company Building
The Crescent Brass and Pin Company Building is located at 5766 Trumbull Ave. in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. It is currently known as the Research Lofts on Trumbull.- History :...
(1905).
Automobile assembly and associated manufacturing soon dominated Detroit, and the newly-minted automotive magnates built commercial and office buildings such as General Motors Building
Cadillac Place
Cadillac Place is an ornate high-rise class-A office complex in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan constructed of steel, limestone, granite, and marble between 1919 and 1923 and was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The building houses several agencies of the State of Michigan...
(1919), the General Motors Research Laboratory (1928), and the Fisher Building
Fisher Building
The Fisher Building is an ornate Art Deco skyscraper located on the corner of West Grand Boulevard and Second Avenue in the heart of the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It is constructed of limestone, granite, and several types of marble, and was financed by the Fisher family with proceeds...
(1928).
The development of the automobile industry led to rising demands for labor, which were filled by huge numbers of newcomers from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the American South. Between 1900 and 1930, the city's population soared from 265,000 to over 1.5 million, pushing the boundaries of the city outward. The population boom led to the construction of apartment buildings across the city, aimed at the middle-class auto worker. These include the Somerset Apartments
Somerset Apartments
The Somerset Apartments is an apartment building located at 1523 E. Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is also known as the Parkcrest Apartment Building...
(1922), the Garden Court Apartments (1915), and the Manchester Apartments (1915).
The rise of the automobile also required rethinking transportation within the city. The Chestnut Street-Grand Trunk Railroad
Chestnut Street-Grand Trunk Railroad
The Chestnut Street Bridge is located where Chestnut Street passes over the Dequindre Cut in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.- History :...
bridge (1929) was a result of a grade separation that unsnarled train and automobile traffic. The Fort Street-Pleasant Street and Norfolk & Western Railroad Viaduct
Fort Street-Pleasant Street and Norfolk & Western Railroad Viaduct
The Fort Street—Pleasant Street and Norfolk & Western Railroad Viaduct is a bridge carrying six lanes of Fort Street over both Pleasant Street and four tracks of Norfolk Southern Railway's Michigan Line in Detroit, Michigan, just west of the Rouge River. It was listed on the National Register of...
(1928) was a product of the same program, routing trucking traffic over the train traffic. And the West Jefferson Avenue-Rouge River Bridge
West Jefferson Avenue-Rouge River Bridge
The West Jefferson Avenue – Rouge River Bridge is a bridge located where Jefferson Avenue crosses the Rouge River at the border of Detroit and River Rouge, Michigan. It is the only surviving pony truss bascule bridge in the state of Michigan...
(1922) allowed the Rouge River to be expanded for barge traffic.
Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
mansions and buildings arose. Detroit was referred to as the Paris of the West for its architecture
Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
The architecture of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with...
, and for Washington Boulevard
Washington Boulevard Historic District
Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places...
, recently electrified by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
. After Brush Park, additional upscale neighborhoods sprang-up, including Boston-Edison
Boston-Edison Historic District
The Boston-Edison Historic District is a historic neighborhood located in the geographic center of Detroit, Michigan. It consists of over 900 homes built on four east/west streets: West Boston Boulevard, Chicago Boulevard, Longfellow Avenue, and Edison Avenue, stretching from Woodward Avenue on...
, Indian Village, and Palmer Woods
Palmer Woods Historic District
The Palmer Woods Historic District is a residential historic district bounded by Seven Mile Road, Woodward Avenue, and Strathcona Drive in Detroit, Michigan. There are approximately 289 homes in the district. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Detroit Golf Club...
. Woodward Avenue neighborhoods (such as the Warren-Prentis Historic District
Warren-Prentis Historic District
The Warren-Prentis Historic District is a historic district in Detroit, Michigan, including the east-west streets of Prentis, Forest, Hancock, and the south side of Warren, running from Woodward Avenue on the east to Third Avenue on the west...
and the Willis-Selden Historic District
Willis-Selden Historic District
The Willis-Selden Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, consisting of three streets: Willis, Alexandrine, and Selden, Running from Woodward Avenue on the east to Third Avenue on the west...
) became mixed with apartments and commercial buildings. Many architecturally and historically significant churches and cathedrals
Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
The architecture of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with...
arose during the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
throughout the city's neighborhoods
Neighborhoods in Detroit
This article provides brief highlights of some of the city's many notable neighborhoods along with areas designated as historic districts in Detroit, Michigan by geographic area...
.
Automobile wealth led to a boom in downtown Detroit business, and the construction of a collection of early 20th century skyscrapers. The most notable of these is the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
National Historic Landmark Guardian Building
Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a skyscraper at 500 Griswold Street in the downtown of the city of Detroit, in the state of Michigan, in the United States of America. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves as its headquarters...
(1928). The building boom was not confined to businesses. Shopping districts sprang up along Park Avenue
Park Avenue Historic District (Detroit, Michigan)
The Park Avenue Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, along Park Avenue between Adams St. and I-75. The district includes the Women's City Club, the Detroit Building, the Park Avenue House, and the Kales Building...
, Broadway
Broadway Avenue Historic District (Detroit, Michigan)
The Broadway Avenue Historic District is a historic district located on a single city block along Broadway Avenue between Gratiot and East Grand River in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004...
, and Woodward
Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District
The Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District, also known as Merchant's Row, is a mixed-use retail, commercial, and residential district in downtown Detroit, Michigan, located between Campus Martius Park and Grand Circus Park Historic District at 1201 through 1449 Woodward Avenue and 1400 through...
. Multiple hotels were constructed, including the Fort Shelby Hotel
Fort Shelby Hotel
The DoubleTree Guest Suites Fort Shelby/Detroit Downtown is a restored historic high-rise hotel, located at 525 West Lafayette Boulevard in downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. It was originally named the "Fort Shelby Hotel" when it opened its doors in 1916. In 1951 it was renamed the "Pick...
(1916), the Detroit-Leland Hotel
Detroit-Leland Hotel
The Detroit-Leland Hotel is a renovated historic hotel located at 400 Bagley Street in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The ballroom of the Detroit-Leland has hosted a nightclub, the City Club, since 1983...
(1927), the Royal Palm Hotel (1924), and many others. Extravagant movie theaters such as the Fox
Fox Theatre (Detroit)
The Fox Theatre is an ornate performing arts center located at 2211 Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, Michigan, near Grand Circus Park. It was originally completed in 1928 as the first movie palace in the world to have sound systems for films. It was listed on the National Register of Historic...
(1928) and the Palms
The Fillmore Detroit
The Fillmore Detroit is a mixed-use entertainment venue operated by Live Nation. The Detroit Music Awards are held annually at The Fillmore Detroit in April. Built in 1925, the Fillmore Detroit was known for most of its history as the State Theatre, and prior to that as the Palms Theatre...
(1925) were constructed. And public buildings, such as Orchestra Hall
Orchestra Hall, Detroit
Orchestra Hall is a concert hall located at 3711 Woodward Avenue in midtown Detroit, Michigan. The hall is renowned for its superior acoustic properties and serves as the home of the internationally known Detroit Symphony Orchestra , the fourth oldest orchestra in the United States...
(1919), the Detroit Public Library
Detroit Public Library
The Detroit Public Library is the second largest library system in Michigan by volumes held , and is the 20th largest library system in the United States. It is composed of a Main Library on Woodward Avenue, which houses DPL administration offices, and twenty-three branch locations across the city...
(1921), and the Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
(1923). As a major port, the city's riverfront received many ships. At the turn of the century, the city became known as the "Paris of the West" for its architecture. In the ensuing years, the city flourished with industry hiring many renowned architects including Albert Kahn, Wirt C. Rowland
Wirt C. Rowland
Wirt Clinton Rowland was an American architect best known for his work in Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
, and others, to design and build a number of the city's Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
skyscrapers and landmarks. The city experienced a cultural growth, with a major expansion of the Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
and the founding of other institutions.
Immigrants and migrants in the 20th century
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and migrants from the American South. The city's population increased more than sixfold during the first half of the 20th century, fed largely by this influx who worked in the burgeoning automobile industry and opened businesses.During this period, Detroit expanded its borders exponentially annexing all or part of the incorporated of villages of Woodmere (1905), Delray (1905), Fairview (1907), St. Clair Heights (1918), and Warrendale (1925) as well as thousands of acres of land in the surrounding townships. By the 1930s, Poles
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
became a large immigrant group with more than 66,000 Poles residing in Detroit at the time. Between 1900 and 1930, the city's population increased from 265,000 to over 1.5 million.
Labor unions
With the factories came high-profile labor unions in the 1930s such as the United Auto WorkersUnited Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
which initiated disputes with manufacturers. The labor activism during those years increased influence of union leaders in the city such as Jimmy Hoffa
Jimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
of the Teamsters and Walter Reuther
Walter Reuther
Walter Philip Reuther was an American labor union leader, who made the United Automobile Workers a major force not only in the auto industry but also in the Democratic Party in the mid 20th century...
of the autoworkers.
Industry spurred growth during the first half of the 20th century as the city drew tens of thousands of new black and white residents, particularly workers from the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, to become the nation's fourth largest. At the same time, tens of thousands of European immigrants poured into the city before 1914. Social tensions rose with the rapid growth. An August 1942 Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
article, "Detroit is Dynamite", discussed in detail the city's labor and race issues, stating that "the news from Detroit is bad this summer ... The result is a morale situation which is perhaps the worst in the U. S." Because of the city's importance to the war effort, the article was censored from copies of the magazine sold outside North America. The 1943 Detroit Race Riot
Detroit Race Riot (1943)
The Detroit Race Riot broke out in Detroit, Michigan in June 1943 and lasted for three days before Federal troops restored order. The rioting between blacks and whites began on Belle Isle on 20 June 1943 and continued until 22 June, killing 34, wounding 433, and destroying property valued at $2...
killed 25 blacks and 9 whites over 36 hours, with federal troops used to restore calm.
The "Arsenal of Democracy"
The entry of the United States into World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought tremendous changes to the city. From 1942 to 1945, production of commercial automobiles in the city ceased entirely, as its factories were used instead to construct M5
Stuart tank
The M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II and supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war—and used thereafter by U.S...
tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, jeeps
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
, and B-24 bombers for the Allies. The Guardian Building
Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a skyscraper at 500 Griswold Street in the downtown of the city of Detroit, in the state of Michigan, in the United States of America. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves as its headquarters...
was converted into a headquarters for wartime production. The city's major contribution to the Allied war effort earned it the nickname "The Arsenal of Democracy
Arsenal of Democracy
"The Arsenal of Democracy" was a propaganda slogan coined by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a radio broadcast delivered on December 29, 1940. Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by giving them military supplies while the United States stayed out of the actual...
."
The B-24 Liberator, still the most produced allied bomber in history, helped to shift the balance of power during World War II. Prior to the war, the aviation industry could produce, optimally, one such plane a day at an aircraft plant. By 1943, Ford's plants managed to produce one B-24 an hour at a peak of 600 per month in 24 hour shifts. Many pilots slept on cots waiting for takeoff as the B-24 rolled off the assembly line at Ford's Willow Run
Willow Run
The Willow Run manufacturing plant, located between Ypsilanti and Belleville, Michigan, was constructed during World War II by Ford Motor Company for the mass production of the B-24 Liberator military aircraft....
facility.
Metropolitan region
The Detroit area emerged as a major metropolitan region with construction of an extensive freeway systemRoads and freeways in metropolitan Detroit
The Roads and freeways in metropolitan Detroit comprise the main thoroughfares in the region. The freeways consist of an advanced network of interconnecting freeways which include Interstate highways. The Metro Detroit region's extensive toll-free expressway system, together with its status as a...
in the 1950s and 1960s which expanded in the ensuing decades. Freeways facilitated movement throughout the region with millions of people taking up residence in the suburbs. A desire for newer housing and schools accelerated urban flight from the city to the suburbs. Commensurate with the shift of population and jobs to its suburbs, the city has had to adjust its role within the larger metropolitan area. Downtown Detroit has seen a resurgence in the 21st century as a business center and entertainment hub with the opening of three major casino resort hotels. In 1940 the city of Detroit held about one-third of the state's population, while the metropolitan region currently holds roughly one-half of the state's population. For the 2010 census, the city of Detroit's population was 713,777, while metropolitan Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
's combined statistical area had a population of 5,218,852. Through much of the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, the city completed significant revitalizations. Immigration continues to play a role in the region's projected growth with the population of Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint (CMSA) estimated to be 6,191,000 by 2025.
Recent developments
In the 1990s, the city began to experience a revival, much of it centered in DowntownDowntown Detroit
Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Downtown is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375 to the east, and the Detroit River to the south.Downtown contains much historic...
, Midtown, and New Center
New Center, Detroit
The New Center is a significant commercial and residential historic district located in Detroit, Michigan, adjacent to Midtown, one mile north of the Cultural Center, and approximately three miles north of Downtown...
. One Detroit Center (1993) arose on the city skyline. Newer downtown residents are predominantly young professionals. The city has three casino resort hotels - MGM Grand Detroit
MGM Grand Detroit
The MGM Grand Detroit in Detroit, Michigan is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. The luxury resort hotel opened on October 3, 2007 with a grand event which included models and celebrities including Ashanti, Kid Rock, male model Cameron...
, MotorCity Casino
MotorCity Casino
MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. The $825 million complex incorporates the historic Wagner Baking Company building designed c.1915 by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager, who went on to design the...
, and Greektown Casino
Greektown Casino
Greektown Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit-Windsor area. Greektown Casino, LLC is majority owned by Greektown Superholdings, Inc. and Greektown Newco Sub Inc...
- with one of the larger gaming industry markets in the U.S. New downtown stadiums Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
and Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
were constructed for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in 2000 and 2002, respectively; this placed the Lions' stadium in the city proper for the first time since 1974. In 2008, the city witnessed major restorations of the historic Book Cadillac Hotel and the Fort Shelby Hotel
Fort Shelby Hotel
The DoubleTree Guest Suites Fort Shelby/Detroit Downtown is a restored historic high-rise hotel, located at 525 West Lafayette Boulevard in downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. It was originally named the "Fort Shelby Hotel" when it opened its doors in 1916. In 1951 it was renamed the "Pick...
. The city has hosted major sporting events - the 2005 MLB All-Star Game, 2006 Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
in 2007 and the NCAA Final Four in April 2009 - all of which prompted many improvements to the area.
The city's International Riverfront
Detroit International Riverfront
The Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...
is a focus of much development which has complemented similar developments in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
. In 2007, Detroit completed the first major portions of the River Walk
Detroit International Riverfront
The Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...
, including miles of parks and fountains. The Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
received a major renovation in 2004. New developments and revitalizations are a mainstay in the city's plan to enhance its economy through tourism
Tourism in metropolitan Detroit
Tourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a significant factor for the region's culture and for its economy, comprising nine percent of the area's two million jobs. About 15.9 million people visit Metro Detroit annually, spending an estimated $4.8 billion. Detroit is one of the largest American...
. Along the river, upscale condominiums are rising, such as Watermark Detroit
Watermark Detroit
The Watermark Detroit project is one of three condo developments chosen to fill sites along the Detroit Riverfront once occupied by cement companies...
. Some city limit signs, particularly on the Dearborn border say "Welcome to Detroit, The Renaissance City Founded 1701".
In 2004, Compuware
Compuware
Compuware Corporation is a software company with products aimed at the information technology departments of large businesses. The company's services also include testing, development, professional services automation, project and portfolio management, cloud-based collaboration and performance...
established its world headquarters in downtown Detroit followed by Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans Inc., headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is the largest online mortgage lender and the 5th largest retail mortgage lender overall in the USA. The company consists of the QuickenLoans.com online lending site, the Rock Financial brand in southeast Michigan, One Reverse Mortgage, based...
in 2010. Significant landmarks such as the Fox Theatre
Fox Theatre (Detroit)
The Fox Theatre is an ornate performing arts center located at 2211 Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, Michigan, near Grand Circus Park. It was originally completed in 1928 as the first movie palace in the world to have sound systems for films. It was listed on the National Register of Historic...
, Orchestra Hall Detroit Opera House
Detroit Opera House
The Detroit Opera House is an opera house located in Detroit, Michigan. It is the venue for all Michigan Opera Theatre productions and it hosts a variety of other events. It opened on January 22, 1922....
, and the Gem Theater have been restored and host concerts, musicals, and plays. The Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
completed a major renovation and expansion in 2007. Many downtown centers such as Greektown, Cobo Center
Cobo Hall
Gavin Hamilton memorial arena is a major convention center situated along Jefferson Ave. in downtown Detroit, Michigan, USA. It was named for Albert E. Cobo, mayor of Detroit from 1950 to 1957. Designed by Gino Rossetti, opened in 1960. Expanded in 1989, the present complex contains of exhibition...
and Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park is a re-established park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. After the fire of 1805, Campus Martius was the focal point of judge Augustus Woodward's plans to rebuild the city. It is where the "point of origin" of Detroit's coordinate system is located...
, as well as the Michigan State Fairgrounds on the northern border, draw patrons and host activities.
Timeline
- 1701 - July 24, Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac, with his lieutenant Alphonse de TontyAlphonse de TontyPierre Alphonse de Tonty, or Alphonse de Tonty, Baron de Paludy was an officer who served under the French explorer Cadillac and helped establish the first European settlement at Detroit, Michigan, Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit on the Detroit River in 1701...
and a company of 100 men, establishes a trading post on the Detroit RiverDetroit RiverThe Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
under orders from the French King Louis XIVLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. They named it Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, in homage to the Count of Pontchartrain, the Royal Minister of Marine. - 1701 - Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic ChurchSte. Anne de Detroit Catholic ChurchSte. Anne de Détroit, founded July 26, 1701, is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States. The current church, built in 1886, is located at 1000 Ste. Anne St. in Detroit, Michigan near the Richard-Hubbard neighborhood area, the Ambassador Bridge, and the...
is the first building built in Detroit, started within two days of Cadillac's landing. - 1760 - Major Robert RogersRobert Rogers (soldier)Robert Rogers was an American colonial frontiersman. Rogers served in the British army during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution...
and a group of his Rogers' RangersRogers' RangersRogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
take formal command of Fort Detroit in the name of Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
after the French defeat in the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. - 1763 - Chief PontiacChief PontiacPontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
besieges Detroit during Pontiac's RebellionPontiac's RebellionPontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
. - 1783 - The area south of the Great Lakes (including all of Michigan) is ceded by Great Britain to the United States by the Treaty of ParisTreaty of Paris (1783)The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
that ended the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. However, the British kept actual possession. - 1796 - Detroit and all other British posts in Michigan were turned over to the United States under terms of the Jay TreatyJay TreatyJay's Treaty, , also known as Jay's Treaty, The British Treaty, and the Treaty of London of 1794, was a treaty between the United States and Great Britain that is credited with averting war,, resolving issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the American Revolution,, and...
. Wayne CountyWayne County, Michigan-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
, containing Detroit, was established as an administrative division of the Northwest TerritoryNorthwest TerritoryThe Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
. - 1802 - February 1, the town of Detroit is incorporated by the territorial legislature.
- 1805 - June 11, a fire burns virtually the entire city. The city's motto, Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus ("We hope for better things, it will rise from the ashes") dates from this event.
- 1806 - September 13, the city of Detroit is incorporated by the territorial governing council.
- 1809 - February 24, the territorial governing council repeals the 1806 incorporation of the city.
- 1812 - August 16, Detroit surrenders without firing a shot to British army under General Isaac BrockIsaac BrockMajor-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and administrator. Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years...
in the War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. - 1813 - September, The British retreat from Detroit, which served as a base for the invasion of CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. - 1815 - October 24, the territorial governing council enacts the charter for the City of Detroit to be governed by a five-person board of trustees.
- 1824 - August 5, the newly formed territorial legislature reorganizes city government, creating the Common Council and office of mayor.
- 1837 - Detroit becomes capital of the State of Michigan (until 1847).
- 1837 to 1838 - Small bands of self-proclaimed "Patriots", some operating from Detroit, invade Canada in the Patriot WarPatriot WarThe Battle of Windsor was a short-lived campaign in the eastern Michigan area of the United States and the Windsor area of Upper Canada. A group of men on both sides of the border, calling themselves "Patriots", formed small militias in 1837 with the intention of seizing the Southern Ontario...
. - 1863 - Anti-draft and race riot in Detroit.
- 1877 - Detroit CollegeUniversity of Detroit MercyUniversity of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
(now the University of Detroit Mercy) is founded by the Society of JesusSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. - 1890 - Reforming mayor Hazen Pingree establishes vegetable gardens for the poor, which came to be called Pingree's Potato Patches.
- 1903 - Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
is founded by Henry FordHenry FordHenry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
in Detroit. - 1914 - Detroit Institute of Musical ArtsDetroit Institute of Musical ArtsThe Detroit Institute of Musical Arts was a music conservatory in Detroit, Michigan that was actively providing higher education in music from 1914-1970.-History:...
is founded. - 1929 - Ambassador BridgeAmbassador BridgeThe Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...
construction complete. - 1930 - Detroit-Windsor Tunnel construction complete.
- 1943 - A race riot, spurred by competition among black and white residents for wartime factory jobs, resulted in 34 deaths.
- 1950 - Detroit's population reaches its height at 1.85 million.
- 1961 - Jerome CavanaghJerome CavanaghJerome Patrick Cavanagh was the mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1962 to 1970. Initially seen as another John F. Kennedy, his reputation was doomed by the 1967 riots. He was the first mayor to inhabit the Manoogian Mansion, donated to the city by the industrial baron Alex Manoogian.-Early...
is elected mayor and launches a series of reforms. - 1963 - Great March to Freedom.
- 1967 - On July 23, the 12th Street Riot, one of the worst riotRiotA riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s in United States history, begins on 12th Street in the predominantly African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
inner city (43 killed, 342 injured and 1,400 buildings burned). - 1968 - Focus: HOPE organization is founded by Fr. William Cunningham. The Detroit Tigers defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series in seven games.
- 1973 - Coleman YoungColeman YoungColeman Alexander Young served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.-Pre-Mayoral career:Young was born in Tuscaloosa,...
is elected Detroit's first black mayor—a position he would hold for 20 years. - 1979–1980 Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
makes large donations to a Detroit church and receives a key to the city. Hussein's relationship with Detroit began in 1979, when the Reverend Jacob Yasso of Chaldean Sacred Heart congratulated Hussein on his presidency. Yasso said that in return his church had received $450,000 from the former IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i dictator. - 1980 - The national economic malaise of the 1970s culminated in Detroit hosting the Republican National ConventionRepublican National ConventionThe Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
which nominated Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
who stayed at the Renaissance CenterRenaissance CenterRenaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
while in Detroit. The Detroit convention kicked off Reagan's campaign to a landslide election. - 1984 - The Detroit Tigers again win the World Series in five games.
- 1987 - Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
visits Detroit. - 1992 - November 5, black motorist Malice GreenMalice GreenMalice Green was a resident of Detroit, Michigan who died while in police custody after being arrested by Detroit police officers Walter Budzyn and Larry Nevers on November 5, 1992 during a traffic stop. Both officers were later convicted for Green's death. The official cause of death was ruled...
dies after struggling with white policePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
men Larry Nevers and Walter Budzyn during a traffic stop. The officers were later convicted and sentenced to prison. The convictions were overturned, but the officers were retried and convicted of lesser charges. - 1996 - In November, Michigan votes to allow the operation of three casinos in Detroit.
- 1997 - In June, the Detroit Red Wings win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years.
- 1999 - The Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
play their final baseball game in classic Tiger Stadium, which had opened in 1912. The team relocated to the new Comerica ParkComerica ParkComerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
downtown in 2000. - 2002 - The Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
football team begin play in the new, state-of-the-art Ford FieldFord FieldFord Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
, returning to downtown Detroit after 27 years in suburban PontiacPontiac, MichiganPontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
. - 2004 - The "restored" Campus Martius Park opens in downtown Detroit. Featuring an ice-skating rink, it is the focal point of the city's new Winter Blast festival.
- 2005 - Comerica Park hosts Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.
- 2006 - In February, the city hosts Super Bowl XLSuper Bowl XLSuper Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, and in October, the Detroit Tigers, only three years after having a 119-loss season, defeat the Oakland A's in the American League Championship Series, winning the Penant. They then play in their first World Series since 1984, losing to their 1968 series rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, in five games. - 2008 - Kwame KilpatrickKwame KilpatrickKwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...
resigns from office as mayor after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjuryPerjuryPerjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
and obstruction of justiceObstruction of justiceThe crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
.
Keys to the city
Seven people have been awarded the key to the city of Detroit: Santa ClausSanta Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
(given annually at the city's Thanksgiving Day Parade), actor James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
character Elmo
Elmo
Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster and currently hosts the last full 15 minute segment on Sesame Street, Elmo's World, which is aimed at toddlers. His puppeteer, Kevin Clash, uses falsetto to produce his voice...
, neurosurgeon Benjamin Carson, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
star Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
, businessman and sports team owner Chris Ilitch, and — in 1980, in recognition of large donations to a church — former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
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See also
- Detroit in literatureDetroit in literatureDetroit, Michigan, and its suburbs, is the setting for a number of novels and short story collections, including:* Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Voyage au bout de la nuit, 1932 * Harriette Arnow, The Dollmaker 1954...
- List of films set in Detroit
- List of people from Detroit
- List of songs about Detroit
- List of tallest buildings in Detroit
- Music of DetroitMusic of DetroitThis article discusses the Music of Detroit, Michigan. World renowned for its Detroit Symphony Orchestra and music celebrities, the area has a long and rich heritage, including several Platinum artists in different genres whose recordings had surpassed forty million copies by the year...
- Northern Cities Shift
- Rum-running in WindsorRum-running in WindsorWindsor, Ontario, Canada, was a major rum-running port in the early part of the twentieth century. In 1916, the State of Michigan, in the United States, adopted Prohibition. Alcohol was smuggled from Ohio until Prohibition became national in 1919...
- Saginaw TrailSaginaw trailSaginaw Trail is the collective name for a set of connected roads in Southeastern Michigan that runs from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint. It was originally a tribal foot trail. On December 7, 1818 the Michigan Territorial government authorized the building of a road from Detroit to...