Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning July 2006 » St.Thomas Parish « Previous Next »
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 44
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 4:04 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Read with much interest the chronicals of St. Cyrils near Harpper and Van Dyke on this sight. Anyone have any memories or pictures of St. Thomas on Miller and Townsand. It closed in 1989 and sat mothballed for a few years, then untimately was demolished, replaced by (hers a shock)a vacant lot. Interesting the original church building still stands and was the gym for the long gone school. The former convennt also remains I belive as a youth home. Any memories?
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Fleamarket
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Username: Fleamarket

Post Number: 1
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 68.61.77.231
Posted on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 10:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My dad & his brothers attended St. Thomas, he even has a video of the (sad) demo of the parish. I will dig up some photos and send them along.
I remember aimlessly driving one Sunday afternoon from Hamtramck. Looking around the hood (Vandyke & Harper), I felt as if I had been there before. What it really was, I was in the neighborhood of St. Thomas, where my dad grew up, and from hearing all the stories as a kid, made me feel as if I spent some time ther myself.
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 54
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 5:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

bump
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Rjk
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Username: Rjk

Post Number: 396
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 68.41.145.5
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 7:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

No info on St. Thomas parish, but my grandmother lived on Miller (Closer to Mt. Elliot) from the early 30's to the early 80's. Starting about 10 years ago I use to make a yearly trip down Miller until my grandmothers apartment building was torn down a few years back. Actually I was kind of glad that it came down as the ride down that street got to be depressing as hell.
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 64
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 7:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rjk,

Did your grandmother live in Detroit or Hamtown? Have to ask because my grandfather grew up on Dorthy Street in Hamtramck until he married my grandmother and moved to Winfield St. in Detroit.
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Rjk
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Username: Rjk

Post Number: 397
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 68.41.145.5
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 8:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

She lived in Detroit, just a short distance east of Mt. Eliott on Miller. She attended Resurrection Catholic Church.

Is Mt. Eliott the dividing line between the two cities?
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Hamtramck_steve
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Username: Hamtramck_steve

Post Number: 3089
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 68.252.125.198
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 9:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Not Mt. Elliott, but basically in between that and Conant.
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 72
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 9:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks Hamtramck_steve...

Did you grow up in this hood?
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Hamtramck_steve
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Username: Hamtramck_steve

Post Number: 3091
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 68.252.125.198
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 9:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Not me, but my mom's family has been living in Hamtramck since it was a village. I spent half of my time helping my grandparents around the house in the 80's and in 1995 moved into the house my great-grandfather built.

(Message edited by Hamtramck Steve on July 12, 2006)
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 73
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 10:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thats great, love to see families keep thier homes in the family. Do yoy still live there? Have you eaten at Under The Eagle Restaraunt? Great Polish food...
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Hamtramck_steve
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Username: Hamtramck_steve

Post Number: 3092
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 136.181.195.17
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 10:39 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I prefer Polish Village now, but Under the Eagle was where we always went when Busia was too tired/too hot to cook for us. The last few times I hit Under the Eagle for carry-out, they were trying to pass off some Jimmy Dean-esque sausage as kielbasa on their combination plate. I do miss the mushroom gravy on the golabki, though.
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Formerspringgardener
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Username: Formerspringgardener

Post Number: 1
Registered: 07-2006
Posted From: 68.85.136.144
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 5:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My wife went to St. Thomas until they closed the high school in 1969. She ended up going to Nativity Diocesan which was one of the magnet schools on the East Side. They pulled in kids from the Patronage of St. Joseph and Assumption Grotto. Before they tore down the church we were able to get a tour. The gym and school had deteriorated terribly in just a few years. Holes in the roof, trash everywhere. I may have some pictures I could scan if any one is interested.

The wife's family lived on Helen just down the street from the fire house. They used to talk to those guys all the time. I believe it may still be active but there isn't a lot around that area worth saving.
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Tarkus
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Username: Tarkus

Post Number: 61
Registered: 04-2006
Posted From: 69.222.98.86
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 5:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Try Polonia across the parking lot from Polish Village. Very beautiful Polish waitresse's.
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Rjk
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Username: Rjk

Post Number: 399
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 68.41.145.5
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 5:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does anyone have any info about the large factory at Mt. Elliott and Heintz?

I was just looking at this area on a satellite map and I never realized that it was that massive of a factory.
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 77
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 5:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Formerspringgardener,

Yes , I would love it if you could scan and upload some pictures. By the way, is your handle such because you used to live on Spring Garden Street? Just wondering.
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Mikem
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Username: Mikem

Post Number: 2678
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 68.43.15.105
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 8:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rjk, the factory was The R.C. Mahon Co. They were steel fabricators, builders of buildings, factories, bridges, etc. They later moved up to Eight Mile & Mt Elliott.
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Krawlspace
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Username: Krawlspace

Post Number: 264
Registered: 04-2004
Posted From: 69.246.59.170
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 11:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I salvaged a lot of plaster from St. Thomas the Apostle when they demolished it. I also have some pics I will try to scan and post later. We found a bottle with the plaster workers names on it stuck inside one of the column capitals. I also have a slot of the copper dome from the bell tower. The church was one of my first scrounges.
Also have a ton of plaster ornamentation and terra cotta from St. Cyril. I even managed to snag the small kneeling shelves from the confessionals.

Here is a quick pic from St Cyril:
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Taj920
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Username: Taj920

Post Number: 119
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 68.42.252.205
Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:08 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This picture makes you cry.
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 79
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 3:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I too saved a large chunk of plaster from the walls of St. Thomas as well as a large piece of marble from the communion rail. Also salvaged a large column from the front door of St. Cyril's. They now are prominately displayed in my parents gardens among the flowers.
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Formerspringgardener
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Username: Formerspringgardener

Post Number: 6
Registered: 07-2006
Posted From: 68.85.136.144
Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 5:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroitej72,

We did live on Spring Garden between Chalmers and Celestine, if you are familiar with the area.

My sister-in-law got a pew from the church before they tore it down. Her and my wife went to the last mass. It was a very sad day in her life.

I will get the pix of the high school uploaded when I can figure out how to get them smaller.
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Jiminnm
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Username: Jiminnm

Post Number: 894
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 68.35.85.184
Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 6:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My grandparents attended St. Thomas for their entire lives after coming to Detroit. They were especially fond of the masses in Polish.

My parents were married at St. Thomas in 1946. They attended there until moving north and east, to St. Raymond's parish.
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Detroitej72
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Username: Detroitej72

Post Number: 94
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 66.184.3.44
Posted on Sunday, July 16, 2006 - 10:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

bump
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Swiburn
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Username: Swiburn

Post Number: 3
Registered: 07-2006
Posted From: 35.10.67.132
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 8:40 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Two interesting books on Detroit churches are: "The Catholic Church in Detroit" and "The Archdiocese of Detroit(?)" by Roman Godzak. They are part of the Images of America Series-pictures with historical commentary. Very nicely done and I recommend them for learning interesting facts of Detroit Catholicism.

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