Pffft Member Username: Pffft
Post Number: 1766 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 7:42 pm: | |
To be fair, as beautiful as those shots are, downtown had creeping blight even then. "Cancellation Men's Shoes" is hardly something you'd see on Michigan Ave. in Chicago, and look at the burlesk houses that were right downtown. |
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit
Post Number: 1997 Registered: 03-2008
| Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 9:14 pm: | |
^How did that saying go? "Memory believes, before knowing remembers". -Quoted from "Made In Detroit". |
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner
Post Number: 1963 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 9:32 pm: | |
Pffft To be fair, as beautiful as Michigan Avenue is in Chicago 2008, you can't compare it to Detroit circa 1970. My first trip to Chicago as a kid had me amazed at how similar downtown Detroit and Chicago were at that time. There was tons of seedy shopping in Downtown Chicago even in the late 1980's. Most of Michigan Avenue's shopping was developed after the late 70's when URB built Water Tower Place. Take a close look at the Blues Brothers. Most of that was filmed in the loop and Chicago was vastly different than it is today. Cancellation Shoes was not a terrible store. I bought several pairs of shoes there while in High School. At the time that this pic was taken, Hudsons had three floors of budget clothes, sold washing machines, cloth by the yard, and vaccum cleaners. Things change with time. You don't see any burlesk places in Downtown Detroit anymore. This is not because Detroit is too crappy to have burlesk places, but there is no market for that stuff anymore. It has fallen out of favor, as has buying washing machines at stores like Hudsons. Instead of Cancellations, we have outlet malls and DSW which are pretty much like Cancellations on steroids. |
Pffft Member Username: Pffft
Post Number: 1768 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 9:48 pm: | |
Detroitplanner, Good points. I'm not saying that Cancellation Shoes was a terrible store, just not a high-class, Hudson's or Hughes & Hatcher type of joint. And it wasn't the only "Cancellation" place downtown, that I recall... The lower edge of downtown Detroit, where several burlie houses were, was considered a problem that needed correction, in the early '60s -- they did a little urban renewal on that neighborhood. |
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 504 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 10:01 pm: | |
The loss of our historic buildings never ceases to horrify me. In just a few short years look at all of that lost density. This has been posted to death but for those who havent seen it yet here is the Demolition by Neglect article written about he Monroe block demolition. http://www.michiganhistorymaga zine.com/detroit/pdf/monroe_bl k.pdf I believe that at least some of our density and population could have been held on to if more of these building were converted to apartments or low income housing rather than being demolished. Even now our retail down woodward could easily be converted to having more affordable student and young professional housing on the upper floors as has been done with the Fyfe. (Message edited by mdoyle on October 16, 2008) |
Warrenite84 Member Username: Warrenite84
Post Number: 414 Registered: 01-2007
| Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 11:08 pm: | |
Mdoyle, thanks for posting all these wonderful pics. They really fill a lot of holes in my understanding of the lost streetscape and the way things "looked"; clean and in use. |
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446
Post Number: 286 Registered: 03-2007
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 12:04 am: | |
"The lower edge of downtown Detroit, where several burlie houses were, was considered a problem that needed correction, in the early '60s -- they did a little urban renewal on that neighborhood" Yes, and a number of flop houses and assorted bars scattered throughout downtown (outside the Michigan Ave. and later Cass Corridor skid rows) assisted in it remaining a little seedy in certain pockets. For instance, on Brush between Congress and Larned was home to the Claydale and Akron Hotels among others. The Cloud 9 Bar was on Larned and a hangout for the hotel(s) residents. |
Kennyd Member Username: Kennyd
Post Number: 58 Registered: 04-2008
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 12:31 am: | |
Mohawk Rock and Rye? Never heard of it. Thought it was strictly a Faygo flavor. Great pics all. |
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 12:45 am: | |
Thanks for the Crowley's pics! I can almost still hear the wooden escalators clacking. "What is the name of that relatively tall building facing Cadillac Square behind those buildings on Monroe in picture 6? And when did all of those buildings on Monroe get demolished?" That building was the Cadillac Square Building, which was torn down sometime in the early 70s. It must be one of the tallest buildings ever demolished in Detroit. The Monroe block buildings were torn down in 1990 after about a decade of sitting vacant behind a big wooden fence emblazoned with "Historic Monroe Block," while preservationists tried to save them in the face of resistance from the city. Eventually the city got its wish and they were too far gone to save economically. They were the oldest commercial buildings in downtown Detroit. A more complete story of the Monroe block here in the "Demolished by Neglect" article linked a few posts above (edited due to double posting of the same link). (Message edited by eastsideal on October 17, 2008) |
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289
Post Number: 642 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 12:52 am: | |
Now i have some pictures to go with all the stories i have heard growing up. I gotta find my old pictures, I took pix from the parking garage which is now the Greektown casino parking of the demolition of the hospital where the WCJDF is now. I,M NOT EVEN 40 YET, Wonder what the next 40 years will bring? |
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 9:38 am: | |
One of the reasons for all of the burlesque houses downtown, as well as the flop houses and other transient residences - many of them in the Cass Corridor - was the large number of single men in Detroit. During the years when the plants were going strong and there were lots of industrial jobs available around Detroit (hard to believe now I know, but once true) the city had a lot of single men around, many of whom would come in seasonally from down south or northern Michigan. The name for Faygo Rock and Rye comes from what was once a very popular alcoholic drink, which consisted of rye whiskey with a chunk of rock candy dissolved in it and usually flavored with a bunch of citrus fruit. My dad used to keep a jar of it "aging" on the counter. Mohawk apparently made a bottled version of it for awhile. (Message edited by eastsideal on October 17, 2008) |
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet
Post Number: 1590 Registered: 01-2007
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 6:07 pm: | |
Eastsideal, Mohawk sure has a history for making "candy" flavored beverages. I recall lime vodka, orange vodka, and a host of others too. If you look closely at the larger view of the 9th image down, one can clearly see an advertisement for Mohawk Rock & Rye. The flavors must have been added to cover up the god awful taste of the base spirit. |
Otter Member Username: Otter
Post Number: 318 Registered: 12-2007
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 6:51 pm: | |
Eastsideal, Great tidbit about Rock 'n' Rye - I always wondered how it got it's name. For that matter, I wondered just what it was supposed to taste like. I like it, but had no idea. |
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit
Post Number: 2001 Registered: 03-2008
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 7:50 pm: | |
How long has the surface lot next to the Wayne County Building been vacant? I was surprised to see it empty in the photo above. |
Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame
Post Number: 563 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 9:02 pm: | |
I'm blown away by the vintage advertising art on the sides of the buildings. I never really looked at them until I started reading posts here. Ha! Those photos represent the atmospheric elegance of Detroit at the time. "City Beautiful"? So green and blue with buildings like sculpture? You bet! I miss all those shops, too. But people gotta have $ to spend in them. It's still not too late...I have a lot of faith and hope in Detroit. We still have the river, great soil for trees and the buildings we have left. Hey, it's more than Cadillac had to work with in 1701! Thanks for those photos...I'll be circulating this link to my 313 circle ASAP. |
Krapug Member Username: Krapug
Post Number: 77 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Monday, October 20, 2008 - 7:47 am: | |
Thanks for the great pics, Crowley's building was beautiful, and the "park" created on the Kern block offered a full view of the Crowley's facade. I remember watching a PBS special on Detroit around '75, and they showed the view of Crowley's from the Kern block park. It is worth noting that many of these pictures were taken in the summer of '68, almost one year after the riots, and yet shoppers were still coming downtown, perhaps not as frequent as before, but they were still making the trek. Fast forward to the mid-70's, and downtown retail was on a fast decline. Crowley's starting the warnings about closing downtown around '75, and pulled the plug in mid '77, closing that July. In Crowley's case, they said that sales downtown were declining, but took an alarming nosedive in '76. In their case it is worth noting that they never left Detroit. They moved their offices and warehouse to Lafayette Street, and kept a store at New Town Center right up to the end of the company. What should have the city done in 1968 to have ensured continued vibrancy downtown in the decade to come ?? Ken |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 3813 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Monday, October 20, 2008 - 4:41 pm: | |
quote:What should have the city done in 1968 to have ensured continued vibrancy downtown in the decade to come ?? There wasn't much they could do. The people & corporations had their minds made up. |
Wilus1mj Member Username: Wilus1mj
Post Number: 282 Registered: 05-2005
| Posted on Monday, October 20, 2008 - 10:17 pm: | |
You could putt off that lawn...It seems weird to see that manicured green grass between all the buildings. Who owned the land? |
Sharms Member Username: Sharms
Post Number: 75 Registered: 07-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 1:23 am: | |
I loved the picture of the Monroe block with the National Theater. I worked at Crowleys in the men's dept on the main floor right inside the Monroe St. entrance. Directly across the street was the National and right next to it (barely visible in the photo) was a very small restaurant owned by two Greek brothers. I was in high school and I went there almost every day for lunch....for the great fried salami sandwiches and an occasional glimpse of one of the dancers from the National having coffee.. |
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou
Post Number: 2672 Registered: 09-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 3:01 am: | |
Thanks Eastsideal. Good info. I was always curious as to what existed on what is now a giant odd shaped parking lot in the heart of downtown. Damn shame they tore that tower down, I saw another picture of it and it was a nice looking building. |
Westsiiiide Member Username: Westsiiiide
Post Number: 391 Registered: 05-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:57 am: | |
Wow, I treasure the memories from these photographs. I worked downtown at B. Siegels, Bank of the Commonwealth, Smith Hinchman & Grylls (now the Smith Group) and shopped a lot downtown. As mentioned, yes you could purchase stoves, refrigerators, washers and such at Hudson's downtown. There was a small grocery store downstairs in 111 Cadillac Square for many years. Just lots of little treasures for shopping. When the Ren Cen first opened, there were high end shops in which the main store was in Chicago, New York, and even Paris. There are still today many, many historic buildings downtown that have been vacant for decades that should be restored. This would make Detroit downtown the charminig place it should be. |
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 1:35 pm: | |
Here is a little picture of the Cadillac Square Building. It was a 20 story Louis Kamper (Book Cadillac, Book Tower, Broderick Tower, Hecker house, etc.) designed building built in 1919 and originally known as the Real Estate Exchange. Sources differ on exactly when it was torn down, but it seems to have been sometime from 1976 to 78. Going on my own personal memories I'd tend towards the earlier date. http://www.buildingsofdetroit. com/images/places/cadsqbldgmai n.jpg (Message edited by eastsideal on October 22, 2008) |
D2dyeah Member Username: D2dyeah
Post Number: 124 Registered: 09-2005
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 9:26 pm: | |
Mikeg.......Thanks for the terrific photos and info. |
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 2033 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 9:49 am: | |
Above is a color photograph titled "The northeast corner of Monroe and Farmer Streets, July 1961." Here is a black & white photograph taken of that same corner in March of 1871 [from the U of M Library's on-line collection of Early Detroit Images from the Burton Historical Collection]. From the library's description of the 1871 photo: "A wide variety of posters cover a billboard located in a residential neighborhood. A streetlight next to a leafless tree is in the foreground." |
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 2038 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 2:31 pm: | |
Here's a 1930 map of this area (courtesy of Hornwrecker):
Click here for a more readable version. |
Goirish1966 Member Username: Goirish1966
Post Number: 50 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2008 - 6:43 pm: | |
I began a 35.5 year banking career in downton Detroit in 1965. In the early 1970s I was able to obtain a hollow tile brick from the Crowley building when it was being demolished. |
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet
Post Number: 1639 Registered: 01-2007
| Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 12:37 am: | |
Thank you for posting the 1930's area map of the department stores, Mikeg. With the image it is easy to see the layout of the stores in relation to each other and the buildings that still survive to this day. Thanks Hornwrecker. |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1492 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 10:40 am: | |
C'mon Eastside, give 'em the full link to the Cadillac Square Building. http://www.buildingsofdetroit. com/places/cadsqbldg There are a number of photos and postcards of it on that page. It was built as the Real Estate Exchange Building. And the Hotel Ste. Claire stood NEXT to the Temple of Odd Fellows. The site is now a parking lot right on the corner. In those photos of the Ste. Claire on buildingsofdetroit.com, you can see the Odd Fellows next to it, it just has a Mansard roof, so you might not recognize it. I really have to recompile the history of the Ste. Claire on there. I had a pretty exhaustive history but lost it in between backups when our host went out of business. Z. |
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet
Post Number: 1641 Registered: 01-2007
| Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 10:55 am: | |
Thanks for the above linkage, Rhymeswithrawk. Can you repost the history of the Ste. Claire, or link us to it here? |
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1494 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 11:02 am: | |
I will once I get it done again. I've been working on it. The trouble is that newspaper clips from the News and Freep have differing dates on some of its history, which has made it difficult. I'll try to get more done on it this week, but I've been trying to get more buildings/places up on the site lately since there are SO many more to go, and nobody had been clamoring for Ste. Claire info. Wrapping up the page for the Union Depot now, and I'll redo the Ste. Claire after that. I also had compiled an exhaustive history on the Cadillac Sq. Bldg. that was lost in between backups. It was the state's "Detroit capital building." Have to redo that one, too. |
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit
Post Number: 2066 Registered: 03-2008
| Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 11:37 am: | |
On Mikeg's map, what is the "BO7ERS HAUNTED SHACK"? It's next door to the Broadway Market. Weird name... |
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 2054 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 12:25 pm: | |
Sean_of_detroit, Look for the answer to your question on the Haunted Places in tri county area? thread. |
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit
Post Number: 2074 Registered: 03-2008
| Posted on Monday, October 27, 2008 - 8:47 pm: | |
Thanks! |