Discuss Detroit » Archives - July 2007 » Eliza Howell Park area « Previous Next »
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Irunwscissors
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Username: Irunwscissors

Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 1:04 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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!
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65memories
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Username: 65memories

Post Number: 483
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 1:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Is that the area bounded by Schoolcraft, Lamphere, Telegraph and Lyndon?
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Irunwscissors
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Username: Irunwscissors

Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 1:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Craig
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Username: Craig

Post Number: 455
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 4:22 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

In other words, you lived in Brightmoor Heights?
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Bigb
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Username: Bigb

Post Number: 6
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 4:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Sarge
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Username: Sarge

Post Number: 808
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 4:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Karl_jr
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Username: Karl_jr

Post Number: 165
Registered: 06-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 6:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

151's down here!
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Alfie1a
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Username: Alfie1a

Post Number: 9
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 9:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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65memories
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Username: 65memories

Post Number: 484
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 10:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Irun...first, welcome to the forum. Secondly, drop me an email at gmtorg@yahoo.com
I might have some info for you
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Fareastsider
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Username: Fareastsider

Post Number: 684
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 12:52 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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?
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Royce
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Username: Royce

Post Number: 2417
Registered: 07-2004
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 2:08 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Crawford
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Username: Crawford

Post Number: 155
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 11:49 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Irunwscissors
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Username: Irunwscissors

Post Number: 5
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 12:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Barnesfoto
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Username: Barnesfoto

Post Number: 4467
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 - 1:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Michmeister
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Username: Michmeister

Post Number: 266
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 4:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I remember scoping the place for returnable empties after the bikers partied there on any given week-end. Made a relative fortune sunday mornings.
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Reddog289
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Username: Reddog289

Post Number: 80
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 2:46 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

eliza howell is were we would walk the dog, only early in the morn, afternoon my uncle didnt wanna deal with the stoners.
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Van_buren
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Username: Van_buren

Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 2:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

any one remember the nature center they built in 74?it was destroyed in 2yrs.
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Craig
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Username: Craig

Post Number: 517
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 2:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sure didn't last long. Not one of Brightmoor's prouder moments.
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The_ed
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Username: The_ed

Post Number: 1269
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 2:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"Sure didn't last long. Not one of Brightmoor's prouder moments"

I guess urban nature took over
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Ggores
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Username: Ggores

Post Number: 11
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 9:09 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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
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Username: Royce

Post Number: 2432
Registered: 07-2004
Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 10:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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?
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Craig
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Username: Craig

Post Number: 528
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 11:13 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

^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?
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Ggores
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Username: Ggores

Post Number: 13
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

here ya go craig...









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Ggores
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Username: Ggores

Post Number: 14
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 11:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Craig
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Username: Craig

Post Number: 538
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 11:52 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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?
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Reddog289
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Username: Reddog289

Post Number: 112
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 1:50 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

don,t think i,ll ride my bike down that street anytime soon.
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Hamtragedy
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Username: Hamtragedy

Post Number: 16
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 1:57 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Wykkidx
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Username: Wykkidx

Post Number: 8
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 3:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Craig
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Username: Craig

Post Number: 545
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 4:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.
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Ggores
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Username: Ggores

Post Number: 15
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2007 - 11:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"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. :-)
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Vetalalumni
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Username: Vetalalumni

Post Number: 818
Registered: 05-2007
Posted on Sunday, December 02, 2007 - 2:10 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Vio's Pizza was very good and they delivered for something like $1. Vio's pizza and the ghoul on Friday night at home!
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Reddog289
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Username: Reddog289

Post Number: 113
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Sunday, December 02, 2007 - 2:40 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

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.

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