  Margaret Member Username: Margaret Post Number: 206 Registered: 06-2007 |
I'm wondering if any of you can help me track down the history of my childhood home, 1342 Lakewood Avenue in Detroit. this gorgeous house ended up being torn down (•••• later. but I would like to find out more about its early history. is there a way to do that? I'm wondering if it was a country estate home before that far east side area became an actual Detroit neighborhood. any constructive suggestions are appreciated! | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 779 Registered: 08-2007 |
City Directories are helpful. They have them at the Burton Historical Collection. You just go back to when you think the house was built and look a few years back and forward. You can find out who lived at the address, who lived in the neighborhood, and see any commercial and retail in the area, too. | ||
Margaret Member Username: Margaret Post Number: 207 Registered: 06-2007 |
thanks, Gaz. are those available on the Internet, do you know? | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 783 Registered: 08-2007 |
I doubt it. If you can't get to the Burton, you can call them, a librarian may help you out. Do you know about when the house was built? If so, you can ask the librarian to check the city directories for ten years on either side, or whatever they are able to do. You might be able to order copies of the pages for a fee, of course. It looks like they are charging a fee for non-resident access to the online info. I'd call them and ask if it is on line, and if no, can they get some of the info for you? http://www.detroit.lib.mi.us/b urton/burton_index.htm | ||
Cris Member Username: Cris Post Number: 487 Registered: 10-2003 |
They're not. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3441 Registered: 12-2005 |
I've been doing the same research on our homestead. I found some old phone directories at the library that helped greatly. The DTE aerial photos at http://techtools.culma.wayne.e du/media/low_res/aerial_photos /index.htm helped too. It showed that the original driveway once curved into what is today a den instead of the newer garage. You can win bets with family members using that kind of research.  | ||
Neilr Member Username: Neilr Post Number: 591 Registered: 06-2005 |
When using the City Directory to research an old house, you need to keep in mind that the house numbering system in Detroit changed in 1920. So you need to go to the 1920 Directory in which the houses are listed with both the old and the new number. Once you have the original house number, you can then go all the way back to the year of the house's construction. | ||
Detroithabitater Member Username: Detroithabitater Post Number: 52 Registered: 10-2006 |
sanborn maps that can be accessed at DPL/death records of the original owner. | ||
Jiminnm Member Username: Jiminnm Post Number: 1455 Registered: 02-2005 |
A search of property records at the Wayne County clerk's office should give you the history of ownership back to it's original platting. | ||
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446 Post Number: 154 Registered: 03-2007 |
This link below may help. Then click on the URL link. It should lead you to the 1928 City of Detroit Polk Directory. http://name.umdl.umich.edu/ACS 8107.1928.001 | ||
Expatriot Member Username: Expatriot Post Number: 15 Registered: 09-2007 |
My recollection of Lakewood from the 1950s is that it consisted of well constructed houses, larger and more set back from the street than in the surrounding neighborhoods. Unless 1342 was some existing farmhouse I'm betting that most of the housing stock of the neighborhood dates only from the 20s and 30s. They were nice middle class homes, but like many childhood memories exist larger in memory than they did in fact. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 804 Registered: 08-2007 |
Awesome, Whithorn! I had no idea these were on line. Great resource. | ||
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446 Post Number: 155 Registered: 03-2007 |
The 1928 directory is the only one I have been able to locate online. I am hoping someday Polk Directories from the 1950's and 1960's will be added by an institution such as MSU, U of M, Wayne, or the Library of Michigan but I'm not holding my breath. Either 1953 or 1954 is the last year when the City of Detroit Polks were one book covering both east and west side. After that they issued separate versions for the east and west side. From 1959-1962 their are no Polk Directories for Detroit. For instance they made a West side version for 1956, 1958, 1964, and 1965. A great deal of change took place between 1959 and 1963. Polk produced east side versions for 1957, 1963, 1964. Again nothing from 1958-1962 is too much of a gap. I have found the 1974 East side Polk very inaccurate. Too many instances of people being listed at addresses they had moved from in some cases 3-4 years prior. |
