  Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 449 Registered: 05-2007 |
I can attest to the fact that the Grand River bus ran very frequently. I sometime rode it westbound from the Grand River/Fenkell intersection on my way to Redford High School in the late 70's. If I ever missed a bus, sometimes as many as two would arrive simultaneously within 5 minutes. | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 450 Registered: 05-2007 |
Sorry if this question was already addressed elsewhere, but when and why did the 16th precinct close? What precinct now serves Rosedale Park westward to the west side city limits? I'll assume the building is sitting empty which w/b a shame. The 8 ball horn thingy out on the front lawn was sort of odd. Does anyone know what the story is behind the 8 ball horn? | ||
Oldredfordette Member Username: Oldredfordette Post Number: 2051 Registered: 02-2004 |
I hate to disagree with Jijaba about anything, but I moved to Old Redford in 1960 and it was as it always was, Old Redford. The signs went up in the early 70's, but in the neighborhood, it was never called anything but. Oldredfordette, Northrup, two blocks off of LAH-ser. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1447 Registered: 12-2005 |
The eight ball was the bulb horn for a sculpture of a (huge) antique auto squeeze horn that came about in the late seventies Alex Pollack F-ed up "lets make the area modern" federal $$$ boondoggle. The communist-inspired cast concrete kiosks (that no one ever posted anything on), benches (that no one ever sat on),garbage cans (that the city gub-ment never emptied)and diagonal-slabbed sidewalks (that could not be plowed of snow and had to be shoveled/snow-blown @ extra expense) that Jjaba spoke of all came from that same program. The bulb horn thingy at McNichols and Grand River was just black originally. Someone from the 16th precinct painted the 8-ball symbol on it, an accurate statement of their status. That area is now "served" by a precinct over on Plymouth road, a world away. | ||
Barnesfoto Member Username: Barnesfoto Post Number: 3681 Registered: 10-2003 |
Pollack actually lived in the neighborhood. His stuff was hokey, especially the awful 70's big balls on sticks street lighting... Though I did like the "tree"awning that used to be on Mc'Clure's Flowers... Of course, they eventually closed up and the building was torn down. It amazes me how little is left when I drive through there. Very depressing. | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 452 Registered: 05-2007 |
Great info on the bulb horn (8 ball) - thanks. And so the old 16th precinct bldg has been demolished? Any old or new photographs of the bulb horn or the old bldg, or the new bldg? What sits there now? | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5388 Registered: 11-2003 |
Congratulations to Oldrefordette on her 2,000 posts. Being a double centurian, jjaba will reward that. Post your email and jjaba will take it from there. Far be it from jjaba to doubt her story about Lahser or Old Redford. We can call it what we want, but white flight, low birth rates among who is left, urban disinvestment, and blight have ruled Redford for some time now. It had a good run, was a real jewel in Detroit (and still is to some extent). Sadly, Donald Poindexter called it right. White WILL NOT live with black, then, nor now, and we see the results. He advocated "restrictive covenants" which was up against a tide of housing equality in Detroit and nationally. jjaba fought him but never really appreciated that white flight was to be so real. Gradual integration would have kept Redford alive today. But look out when Arab-Americans or some other ethnic minority strikes. Redford will rise and we'll all sing Praise Allah, Allah Akbar! jjaba, Proudly Westsider. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6104 Registered: 02-2004 |
Yes jjaba, Soon the Arabs will run the show in Detroit's Old Redford district. So far they all the ghetto-marts, gas stations, supermarkets and collision shops. I was wondering where all the black owned ghetto-marts go? | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 684 Registered: 10-2003 |
In the Ghetto-hoods! | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 461 Registered: 05-2007 |
Here is a copy of the Centennial News published in the 1975 Redford High School yearbook (The Blazer) --> http://i19.tinypic.com/6asoqkk .jpg It has historical information about the old Sand Hill community that pre-dated Redford Township. | ||
Waxx Member Username: Waxx Post Number: 219 Registered: 09-2006 |
Some Resized pix from flickr.com, y'all. http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/673667290/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/673667278/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/667588176/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/667588204/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/667588220/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/677258776/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/677258774/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/677258768/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/677258724/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/677258706/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/677258690/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/676542849/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/676542837/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/676542553/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/676542525/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/676542377/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/676542369/ More 2 come, folks! | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 482 Registered: 05-2007 |
Waxx: Thanks for the photos, especially the Redford HS courtyard. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1471 Registered: 12-2005 |
Waxx--per your Flickr photo captions (above) unknown Pontiac dealer #1 was a Nash dealer, later Redford Chrysler-Plymouth, never a Pontiac dealer. Your other unknown Pontiac dealership pictures (2&3)were Clohecy Pontiac, later Bob Sellers, which is now located in Farmington Hills. | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 485 Registered: 05-2007 |
Several Automobile Dealerships formerly in the Redford area advertised in the 1975 Redford High School yearbook, The Blazer.     The 9 full page ads in the The Blazer are in this post in the Redford High School in the 1970's thread. (Message edited by vetalalumni on July 01, 2007) | ||
Waxx Member Username: Waxx Post Number: 220 Registered: 09-2006 |
56Packman, thanks 4 clearing that up. I was under the impression that it was ALL under the same lot seeing that Clohecy Pontiac and Nash/Redford Chrysler-Plymouth were virtually next door 2 each other. I made the corrections on my website. (Message edited by waxx on July 01, 2007) | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1473 Registered: 12-2005 |
Oh-one more thing--the Nash/Chrysler Plymouth dealership became Olson Oldsmobile in the late 80s, early 90's. Olson had been on the south side Grand River, three blocks east of Southfield (was formerly Rosedale Olds), then moved to the building west of Lahser we are discussing, then was Olson's used car operation before becoming a collision/repair/whatever shop. There was an MG dealer in the building attached to the post office in the 1960's. | ||
Waxx Member Username: Waxx Post Number: 222 Registered: 09-2006 |
Thanks again, 56 Packman. I'm gonna add that tidbit of information my to flickr.com account right now. http://www.flickr.com/photos/t heblacklightstudio/667588176/ (in case anyone's curious) Now that I think of it, I do remember a Dealership being there in the early 90s. I used to hang out in the Redford/Old Redford area when I was a teenager. And I think it was Olson Olds (aren't they in Farmington now?). (Message edited by waxx on July 02, 2007) | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1478 Registered: 12-2005 |
Olsen had a location in Livonia, on Plymouth road. They sort of petered out about the same time GM killed the Oldsmobile nameplate. | ||
Bhholberg Member Username: Bhholberg Post Number: 2 Registered: 08-2007 |
I once owned a 1964 Tempest from Clohecy Pontiac (his sales manager was Art Moran who opened the eponymous dealership at Tel-Twelve). I am restoring a Tempest now, and would love to buy a Clohecy Pontiac license plate frame for it. Please respond if you have one or know of a source. Thanks! | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 217 Registered: 02-2007 |
Other points about the area: -pronounce Lahser (LAH-ser, as noted above) as Lasher, or locals will know that you're from out of town. -Old Redford was known as an area of in-breed, southern bigots. So bigoted were these people that the local motorcycle gangs HQ'd on Fenkell invited the neo-Nazis who set up a "bookstore" to leave town. -Eliza Howell park was an open-air drug market until TMU and the guys at "16" would choke off the entry/exit and shake down miscreants (those raids made the news) -Ridge Field hosted a lot of baseball practices: thick woods on three sides... a sight of rare beauty that you would not expect in a major city -locals (not me) cultivated home-grown in the trees and brush along the Rouge River, and some kids (me) would pee on the plants -the enterprising used to be able to secure their very own authentic steel coffin, albeit scorched from cremations at the Grand Lawn cemetery. One of the wildest nights of my life involved me and my buddy at 18, 3 AM on a Sunday, huffing & puffing and hustling across Grand River carrying the "box" - made for a great Halloween display and very funny story -the Lahser-Grand River shopping district used to satisfy almost all needs: appliances, apparel, entertainment, etc. Today the area does not even make for a good-looking corpse | ||
Dinnc Member Username: Dinnc Post Number: 1 Registered: 08-2007 |
Ridge Field? Is that off of Riverdale South? I used to live in Sandhill. There is a triangular field surrounded by boulders, we used to call it "rock park". Someone told me once that there used to be a horse racing track there. Anyone know the truth? | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 221 Registered: 02-2007 |
Dinnc - not sure about Riverdale South (I'm a little turned around right now). Ridge street, off of Six Mile, south of the cemetery crossed the Rouge and then there was the park. The place was so wild that it felt as though you were on the frontier. So wild, in fact, that just a little way's south of there a guy went on a nut and shot his dad and a Detroit policeman in the front yard before they waxed 'im. I remember the deep ruts in the front yard from the DPD's armored car. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 170 Registered: 01-2007 |
The Redford Theatre also enjoys national promotion due to their hosting of Three Stooges festivals. I read about the theatre long ago on a forum devoted to them (the boys, not the theatre). James | ||
Dinnc Member Username: Dinnc Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2007 |
Craig - I looked it up on Yahoo Maps and there is a field at the corner of Ridge and Riverdale South. My first house in Detroit was at that very corner (I moved to the Sandhill neighborhood when I was six). On Yahoo maps it says it is a part of Eliza Howell park, but my dad says that is wrong. Anyway, The area was very fun place to live. We used to go into Grand Lawn on devils night and tell ghost stories with my friend's dad. We had to hide from the police helicopters a few times. The area is NOT the same. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 1795 Registered: 01-2005 |
Waxx, great photos. Somehow I missed reading this thread before. Gotta get new glasses. The 8-ball bull horn on the "16th Precinct" was black before 1984. In the fall of that year, Chief of Police Bill Hart authorized a re-numbering of the police precincts, and the building (and some of the area) that was the 16th Precinct became the 8th precinct, thus the 8-ball. The entire area is now served by the station on Plymouth and Warwick, in front of the railroad tracks. It used to be an old Nabisco warehouse and was purchased by the City in 1984 and re-modelled into a police station. When part of Redford Township was annexed by Detroit in the '20s, I'll always wonder why the new boundary was Telegraph Road below Six Mile and Five Points above Six Mile. Curious. Someone asked why the entire township wasn't annexed; was it largely vacant. Yes, it was all farmland back in the 20's. Jjaba, wern't those DSR dispatcher/checkers called "Green Hornets" because the autos they drove were painted a very dark green? | ||
Waxx Member Username: Waxx Post Number: 241 Registered: 09-2006 |
I have some more pix of Old Redford as well as RHS. I'll post them when I have some extra time. | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 518 Registered: 05-2007 |
Waxx, please share them! | ||
Dinnc Member Username: Dinnc Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2007 |
I have a thought...The first thing they need to do to get old redford back on its feet is to tear down the motels in the area that serve as havens for prostitutes and drug dealers. Any thoughts? | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 522 Registered: 05-2007 |
One technique is to display photographs of prosecuted John's on local billboards. Probably an expensive crime deterring method and who knows if it is truly effective. Back in the 80's there was a "seedy" bungalow-style hotel/motel on the north side of Grand River between Lahser and Telegraph and across from the Grand Lawn Cemetery. Is that motel/hotel still there and is it one that serves as a haven for crime? There was a hotel located near Redford High School on 6 Mile Road north of the old 16th (8th) Precinct? Is that hotel still there and is it a crime problem? What particular areas of Old Redford are experiencing these kind of crime problems? I'm no longer familiar with the area. (Message edited by vetalalumni on August 14, 2007) | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 175 Registered: 01-2007 |
Yeah! Where are the seedy hotels? What do they charge by the 1/2-hr?  James |
