Retroit Member Username: Retroit
Post Number: 793 Registered: 04-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:15 am: | |
...and south of Frazho Rd and about half-way between Gratiot and Kelly Road? I've always wondered why blacks settled in this area. Old-timers say they were there as far back as they can remember (1930s?). |
Blueidone Member Username: Blueidone
Post Number: 456 Registered: 03-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:22 am: | |
I don't know that this was a black settlement area. I have a girlfriend of Italian descent who grew up in the area just south of Frazho midway between Gratiot and Kelly. Her parents were VERY bigoted and would never live in an area that housed a large black population. She is in her 60's now, so it would be in the time frame you are talking about. There may have been an influx of blacks when the low-income housing cooperatives were built in that area in the late 60's and early 70's. |
Bobl Member Username: Bobl
Post Number: 377 Registered: 07-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:39 am: | |
The African American residents were there long before the low income cooperatives were built, and before urban sprawl. An acquaintance who grew up there has told me that the area was once a stop on the "underground railroad". Land was cheap and some families decided to stay. After clearing the land it was possible to survive by farming. |
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 183 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:50 am: | |
There were a number of these small black farming communities in Michigan and nearby parts of Ontario. Most of them date back to underground railroad or immediately post-Civil War days, often started with land grants or loans from abolitionist churches. There is still one down in southwestern Wayne County. The Roseville community happens to have been absorbed by suburban Detroit over the years. I knew someone who was a part time preacher in one of the churches up there and knew pretty much all of the families. They've mostly been there for a very long time. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 6056 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 11:16 pm: | |
Those folks have been there long before the low income housing was built there. South of the apartment units there is a neighborhood of smallish houses that has been their home for decades, and predates the public housing. And the enclave goes from Gratiot to about 1/2 way to Kelley. The area east of there was a white neighborhood up to Kelly (and beyond). There was a "zoned industrial area" buffer zone between parts of these 2 neighborhoods. Whatever industries were there before have since been torn down, and are today open fields and a wooded area with a FOR SALE sign. |
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni
Post Number: 994 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 1:00 am: | |
Wow, I'd forgotten about that enclave in Roseville. Mid-80s I had a co-worker from that area to whom I gave a ride home a few times. |
Newport1128 Member Username: Newport1128
Post Number: 257 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 5:03 pm: | |
I was told many years ago that there was once an iron foundry in the Gratiot-Ten Mile area. The foundry employed mostly Blacks because of the hard, dirty, dangerous and low-paying working conditions. The city of New Haven, MI was predominantly Black because of the Ford New Haven Foundry located there. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 6060 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 6:21 pm: | |
Thanks for the info Newport1128! The vacant land for sale today (east of that neighborhood) was the site of the former foundry. Although I remember it as an industrial site, I wasn't aware of the connection between the business and the nearby residents. I wonder how much cleanup had to be done before they put the property up for sale? |
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit
Post Number: 1827 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 6:43 pm: | |
There was some heavy industry West of that neighborhood, as well. On 10 Mile, West of Saxony and East of Gratiot (North of Kern Elementary School, AKA Saxony Place). |
Gene Member Username: Gene
Post Number: 167 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 7:31 pm: | |
"The vacant land for sale today (east of that neighborhood) was the site of the former foundry. Although I remember it as an industrial site, I wasn't aware of the connection between the business and the nearby residents." That vacant land was never a foundry, it was always a plastic's factory. Prior to that the land was used as a riding stable. (Message edited by gene on January 14, 2009) |
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav
Post Number: 1449 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 7:53 pm: | |
Retroit....the area you've described sounds more like the neighborhood bounded by Livernois, north to Eight Mile, west to Meyers and south to Seven Mile. Let the Wall come down. |
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln
Post Number: 648 Registered: 06-2007
| Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2009 - 9:14 am: | |
I have seen that neighborhood and noticed the huge quantity of black families living there. I just didn't know there was a history dating back for decades. I thought it had something to do with the small church tucked in a little bit north of 10 mile.Theres a Church St. in the neighborhood, and a black congregation. I kind of thought maybe the neighborhood was built around that...Black church members moved in, others followed. |
Retroit Member Username: Retroit
Post Number: 806 Registered: 04-2008
| Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2009 - 10:26 am: | |
Hpgrmln, on a related note: I believe that Church St. was named after a German Methodist Church that was on Gratiot (congregation dating back to 1846) and torn down when Gratiot was widened in 1933. The congregation moved to their current location near Stephens and Gratiot. I'm not sure if that has any relevance to the topic, but I know that churches were an active part of the Underground Railroad. (Message edited by Retroit on January 15, 2009) |
Onthe405 Member Username: Onthe405
Post Number: 91 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Thursday, January 15, 2009 - 1:38 pm: | |
Retroit, I guess it's coincidence, but there are churches at both ends of Church St in Roseville: The one Hpgrmln referenced (St Luke's African Methodist Episcopal) on the west end near Gratiot and St Angela Roman Catholic at the east end. Interesting--I always assumed the street was named for these two buildings, but if the German church was built in the 19th century it most certainly preceeded the other two. |