Irunwscissors Member Username: Irunwscissors
Post Number: 1 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 1:04 pm: | |
Hi I am new to this Board, I am looking for info about the Eliza Howell Park neighborhood. I know I lived there until I was 5, but would love to know if there is any historical facts about this area, or any general information. Thanks so much! |
65memories Member Username: 65memories
Post Number: 483 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 1:18 pm: | |
Is that the area bounded by Schoolcraft, Lamphere, Telegraph and Lyndon? |
Irunwscissors Member Username: Irunwscissors
Post Number: 2 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 1:31 pm: | |
Yes, If I can remember, our street Bramell, ran off Schoolcraft, the park was behind our house. We shopped at a Farmer Jack on Telegraph. I went to Hubert Elementary. I remember our street was nice but the surrounding areas used to look run down. |
Craig Member Username: Craig
Post Number: 455 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 4:22 pm: | |
In other words, you lived in Brightmoor Heights? |
Bigb Member Username: Bigb
Post Number: 6 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 4:31 pm: | |
Memories of finding large amount of Marijuana growing in the "woods" at the park back in the early 70's while living on Dolphin and Lyndon. |
Sarge Member Username: Sarge
Post Number: 808 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 4:32 pm: | |
The only thing I remember about Eliza Howell park (if memory serves me correctly) is that it was basically a drive through supermarket for drugs back in the 80's. |
Karl_jr Member Username: Karl_jr
Post Number: 165 Registered: 06-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 6:24 pm: | |
151's down here! |
Alfie1a Member Username: Alfie1a
Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 9:32 pm: | |
The only thing I remember about Eliza Howell park (if memory serves me correctly) is that it was basically a drive through supermarket for drugs back in the 80's. yea thats true. hehe. It was also a great place to meet chicks. My mom said there was a riding stable on that land before the park. That had to be during the 50's. |
65memories Member Username: 65memories
Post Number: 484 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 10:13 pm: | |
Irun...first, welcome to the forum. Secondly, drop me an email at gmtorg@yahoo.com I might have some info for you |
Fareastsider Member Username: Fareastsider
Post Number: 684 Registered: 08-2006
| Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 12:52 am: | |
ELiza Howell Park is interesting since it is isolated and contains a large area of thick woods all within the city of Detroit. I have never been there and heard of the crime and drugs. What kind of shape is this park in? |
Royce Member Username: Royce
Post Number: 2417 Registered: 07-2004
| Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 2:08 am: | |
What's interesting about the park itself is that there is an entrance along I-96(Schoolcraft at Virgil), and an entrance off of Fenkell. However, there is no road that connects the I-96 side to the Fenkell side. |
Crawford Member Username: Crawford
Post Number: 155 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 11:49 am: | |
The surrounding neighborhood immediately to the east looks pretty bombed-out. I would assume the park is not currently heavily utilized, at least for non-illicit activities. |
Irunwscissors Member Username: Irunwscissors
Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 12:49 pm: | |
What about the neighborhood itself? Thats what i'm looking to find out about more specifically.How did a few blocks of cute brick homes end up there? As a child the park scared me , because it was so thick with woods and there were always stories of "bad things" happening there. |
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto
Post Number: 4467 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 1:07 pm: | |
I remember there was a subdivision of Livonia-style ranch homes just west of the park along Schoolcraft. Obviously, that sub was developed in the 50's, while Brightmoor dates to the twenties. Eliza Howell was one of those stoner places to cruise and congregate in the late 70's. |
Michmeister Member Username: Michmeister
Post Number: 266 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 4:08 pm: | |
I remember scoping the place for returnable empties after the bikers partied there on any given week-end. Made a relative fortune sunday mornings. |
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289
Post Number: 80 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 2:46 am: | |
eliza howell is were we would walk the dog, only early in the morn, afternoon my uncle didnt wanna deal with the stoners. |
Van_buren Member Username: Van_buren
Post Number: 1 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 2:01 pm: | |
any one remember the nature center they built in 74?it was destroyed in 2yrs. |
Craig Member Username: Craig
Post Number: 517 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 2:53 pm: | |
Sure didn't last long. Not one of Brightmoor's prouder moments. |
The_ed Member Username: The_ed
Post Number: 1269 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 2:56 pm: | |
"Sure didn't last long. Not one of Brightmoor's prouder moments" I guess urban nature took over |
Ggores Member Username: Ggores
Post Number: 11 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 9:09 pm: | |
the road that runs through the park (fenkell side, not schoolcraft side) is in very bad shape, but the grass is cut and pretty well maintained. it has potential. excuse the pic. couldn't resist.
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Royce Member Username: Royce
Post Number: 2432 Registered: 07-2004
| Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:45 pm: | |
Well, Ggores, you know that the building burned and was leveled earlier this year. Glad that you had a pic for posterity. Irvin Theatre before the church, right? |
Craig Member Username: Craig
Post Number: 528 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 11:13 am: | |
^Yes, that was the 'dirty-movie' theater at the foot of Blackstone. I was through last weekend and the entire block along Fenkell has been leveled. Anyone know what became of Tony, the shoe repairman just east of spot pictured above? And, can I get an "amen" that in it's day (not in the final years, though) that Vio's Pizza (across the street from here) was among the world's best? |
Ggores Member Username: Ggores
Post Number: 13 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:53 pm: | |
here ya go craig...
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Ggores Member Username: Ggores
Post Number: 14 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 11:25 pm: | |
by the way.. the "kid" was a nephew of the owner of "Lucky's Coney" down the street. bad drug deal gone down at Vio's and as retaliation, well, it becomes complicated. I saw 'Born Free' at The Irving. A Saturday matinee. Popcorn and hot-dogs, nice theatre, good screen. Have pics of it, but not digi-pics... sorry. As for "Tony's Shoe Repair", well, I think that he and family split to Florida and left the business to Greg who was recently evicted from the inheritance for lack of paying City tax for 15 years. He burned the house down. Live's with a friend... or in his Escort. Or perhaps he is down in Orlando, sipping wine, far far away from The Debacle. |
Craig Member Username: Craig
Post Number: 538 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 11:52 pm: | |
Ggores - thanks, man, really. It's hard for to ride across Fenkell these days and not think "f- it; I'll tell people that I'm from Livonia instead of the west side." No way that anyone passing through today can even imagine how vibrant that entire strip and all of those neighborhoods once were. Ggores - did you go to Burt? |
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289
Post Number: 112 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 1:50 am: | |
don,t think i,ll ride my bike down that street anytime soon. |
Hamtragedy Member Username: Hamtragedy
Post Number: 16 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 1:57 am: | |
All the demo done since january is all part of Mayor KK neighborhood re-empowerment, including the Irving. That BP-Sunoco @ fenkell & evergreen was barely two years old before it closed this spring. The neighborhood tried pretty hard to keep that from being re-zoned. By July, the coolers were stolen out which broke the plumbing. Edison pulled all power in August (after the posted auction date), water spilled into the yard behind until mid october, because the builders buried the water shut off under the concrete. Minock park (evergreen - Outer Drive Gd River Fenkell) rebounded over the last 10 years. Grandmont -Rosedale Redevelopement rehabbed several properties over that time and sold them for reasonable prices. Lot's of home ownership form that small area. Some predatory lending fall-out currently, probably getting worse, but not nearly as bad as Warrendale. |
Wykkidx Member Username: Wykkidx
Post Number: 8 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 3:21 pm: | |
OMG Thank you Ggores for the Pics, GOD I miss Vio's, haven't found a pizza place that even comes close to that. And AMEN Craig , many a night I would order vio's pizza and kick back with the tv. |
Craig Member Username: Craig
Post Number: 545 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 4:39 pm: | |
When I left the 'hood I landed in east Dearborn. DeMarco's pizza on Shaffer, between Warren & Ford was a very good substitute for Vio's. Give them a try. |
Ggores Member Username: Ggores
Post Number: 15 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 11:48 pm: | |
"f- it; I'll tell people that I'm from Livonia instead of the west side." hey, it's better than Inkster. if ALL the abandoned, burned-down houses were cleared, cleaned, etc.. this would be a community of a thousand beautiful parks and community gardens. craig - i LIVED on burt. engine co. 57. gomper stomper. I have more pics and super 8 film of 67' riots, my uncle worked for detroit edison at the time and had a, heh, a "backstage pass" in order to enter the quarantined areas. he shot some film. anyone interested in helping me in converting this to dvd (the tape is getting old) let me know. Steve's coney island in E. Dearborn is good as well. :-) |
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni
Post Number: 818 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Sunday, December 02, 2007 - 2:10 am: | |
Vio's Pizza was very good and they delivered for something like $1. Vio's pizza and the ghoul on Friday night at home! |
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289
Post Number: 113 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Sunday, December 02, 2007 - 2:40 am: | |
i gotta ask my uncle if he ever brought home vio,s pizza. ate alot of bob,s pizza palace, pizza box and of course lc,s. only thing i really remember about that part of fenkell was the resale shop [5th avenue] and the road agents? clubhouse. |