History of Detroit, Michigan, USA

1701 - French settlement established (Detroit)
June 24 - Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a 43-year-old French army officer, selects a site at le détroit (the straits) - the waterway between Lakes St. Clair and Erie - and establishes a French settlement.

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1760 - French surrender Detroit to British
The French surrender Fort Pontchartrain to the British, ending French rule in Detroit.

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1763 - Indians capture all forts in Michigan, except Detroit
May 7 - During the Indian wars in the area, Pontiac leads a 135-day siege of Detroit. Indians capture all the forts in Michigan, except Detroit.

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1796 - British evacuate Detroit
July 11 - The British evacuate Detroit and abandon their posts on the Great Lakes.

in 1796 the United States took over Detroit as a result of Jay's Treaty.
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1805 - Detroit becomes seat of Michigan Territory
The Michigan Territory is created, with Detroit designated as the seat of government. William Hull is appointed as governor. Detroit is destroyed by fire.

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1812 - Detroit surrendered to British
Detroit and Fort Mackinac are surrendered to the British during the War of 1812.

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1813 - Detroit recaptured by United States

The World Almanac of the U.S.A, by Allan Carpenter and Carl Provorse, 1996

1848 - TERRIBLE FIRE IN DETROIT
DETROIT, May 10 – 9 A. M.

Detroit was visited yesterday by the most destructive conflagration, yet known in its history. A fire broke out about half past 11 in the morning, in a large yellow warehouse, between Randolph and Bates streets, between 80 and 100 buildings were lain in ashes, including two or three large warehouses on the river, the Steamboat Hotel, Water's hotel, and a number of private residences on Jefferson Avenue.
The district burnt includes some half dozen blocks. The fire originated from the sparks of the propeller St. Joseph which was lying at the wharf in front of the warehouse.

The total loss by this terrible conflagration we cannot of course form any correct estimate at present.

It is very great. Some estimate it as high as $200,000. The number of families burned out was probably 200, and near 1000 persons were hurried into the street. The fire raged from 11 A. M. to 3 P. M.; several citizens were more or less injured in the general scrabble, and we hear ... Read MORE...

1854 - Detroit
Detroit, a flourishing city and port of entry of the state of Michigan, and seat of justice of Wayne county, on Detroit river, 18 miles above the head of Lake Erie, 80 miles E. S. E. from Lansing, 302 miles W. from Buffalo, and 526 miles from Washington. Lat. 42° 20' N., Ion. 82° 68' W. It is beautifully situated on the W. bank of the river, which is here about half a mile wide, and forms one of the finest harbours in the United States. The part of the city contiguous to the river is built on a rectangular plan, ex tending 1200 feet back from the shore ; the space beyond this is divided into triangular sections by a number of avenues, which con verge to an open area called the Grand Circus. These avenues vary in width from 120 to 200 feet. The principal buildings and public offices are situated on Jefferson and Woodward avenues. The city is adorned with several public squares, one of which is named the Campus Martius. Jefferson avenue, one of the finest streets in the city, is well... Read MORE...

1862 - Vernors ginger ale was created in Detroit and became the first soda pop made in the United States.
In 1862, pharmacist James Vernor was trying to create a new beverage when he was called away to serve our country in the Civil War. When he returned, 4 years later, the drink he had stored in an oak case had acquired a delicious gingery flavor.
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Read more about James VERNOR

1864 - THE PROPELLER NILE BLOWN UP. SIX PERSONS KILLED, AND ELEVEN INJURED.
From the Det. Advertiser and Tribune.

Our city was visited Saturday morning by an appalling calamity. The propeller Nile, of Evans & Co.'s line of propellers, from Buffalo to Chicago via Milwaukee, exploded her boiler about half past 7 o'clock, just as the passengers were about to sit down to breakfast. The explosion occurred at Buckley & Co.'s dock where the boat had been lying about an hour. The stern of the boat is a complete wreck and nearly all under water. The bow is all shattered, but the passenger deck and pilot house with the extreme stem are above water. Persons who were standing on the dock at the time of the explosion and escaped, described the report that accompanied it as equal to the firing of a 12-pounder gun, but very sharp and condensed. The propeller seemed to rise out of the water, and suddenly expanded into millions of fragments, which literally flew laterally, aloft and in every direction. Lacerated bodies were mingled with the debris, as that of poor BACON,... Read MORE...

1869 - A fire at Detroit a few days ago destroyed the Fulton Iron Works. Loss $50,000. Ten firemen were injured while attempting to subdue the flames.

St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
July 3, 1869

1869 - Detroit is the residence of an enterprising boy of six years, who can hardly speak, but has run away eight or ten times during the present year.
Several times he has reached a distance of one hundred miles from home, and was sent back by conductors.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
October 30, 1869

1879 - The first people in the nation to receive assigned phone numbers lived in Detroit.

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1880 - RIVER RACING -- SAD RESULT OF THE PRACTICE ON DETROIT RIVER.
A PLEASURE YACHT LOADED WITH CATHOLIC EXCURSIONISTS RUN INTO - THE YACHT CUT IN TWO AND SUNK, SIXTEEN OF THE OCCUPANTS GOING DOWN WITH HER.

Detroit, July 23. - A terrible accident occurred about ten o'clock last evening on the Detroit River, some nine miles below this city. The excursion steamer Garland, with 1,200 persons on board, under the auspices of the Detroit Moulders' union, while going down the river collided with the steam yacht Mamie, coming up, cutting her in two so that she almost instantly sank. The latter had on board twenty-four persons consisting mainly of Father Bleyenburg, pastor of the Trinity Roman Catholic church, this city, and a number of acolytes, boys, officiating in various capacities in the service of this church.
They had been on the annual excursion to Monroe, and were returning home. The night was bright moonlight, and there would seem to have been no earthly reason, save that of criminal negligence, why the accident should have occurred. Of those on ... Read MORE...

1883 - Big Explosion at Detroit.
DETROIT, May 21. - About 3 o'clock this afternoon, a terrific boiler explosion occurred at the New Wolverine paper mill, in the eastern part of this city.

The walls of the building were blown down, and the explosion was felt many blocks away.

W. L. THOMPSON, engineer, a one-armed man, was undoubtedly instantly killed. He leaves a young wife. PETER FRANK, fireman, was so badly injured that he cannot live but a few hours.

The mill was new; erected a few months ago by the Wolverine Car Roofing and Manufacturing company, of which ALEX. DELANO is president, at a cost of $90,000. The machinery can be partly saved. Loss estimated at between $50,000 and $60,000. Insurance, $30,000.
The Bismarck Tribune
Bismarck, North Dakota
May 25, 1883

1884 - A Serious Blaze in Detroit
Detroit, Mich., Sept. 18. Fire broke out yesterday afternoon in Thomas Moore’s planing-mill on High street. Delbridge, Brooks & Fisher’s planning-mill was also ignited, and the flames soon leaped across Grand River avenue, setting fire to Reed’s block of stores, Crapo’s lumber yard and Engel’s brick block. A dozen or more persons were passing along Grand avenue when the flames leaped across there. Before they could get out of the way several had their necks and faces painfully blistered. About seven o’clock this evening, as a great crowd was viewing the ruins, a barrel of gasoline exploded. George Barry, aged eight, and William Coleman, aged sixteen, were badly but not dangerously burned. Total loss about $60,000.
Decatur Morning Review
Decatur, Illinois
December 19, 1884

1887 - Death In The Flames
Detroit, Mich., Aug. 31. - The livery barn of J.H. COLES, No. 151 Gratiot Avenue, burned this morning with all its contents.

George S. HALL, a farmer from near Mt. Clemens, 65 years old, perished in the flames, and his son Henry HALL, about 20 years old, and a farmer named John PEARSEAL, barely escaped. They jumped from the second story, sustaining only a general shaking up.

Fifteen horses, several wagons, and a large lot of hay and grain were consumed. Coles' was the stopping place for many of the farmers who came in from the north, and it was their practice, after seeing their horses cared for, to go into the loft, spread a blanket on the hay, and sleep there. The fire is thought to have been of incendiary origin as there never was any fire or light used in that part of the barn. A policeman saw a man go into the building a few minutes before the fire broke out. Loss about $6,000; insurance small.
Inter Ocean
Chicago, Illinois
September 1, 1887

1892 - Advice to Actresses
Fanny Davenport says that a woman, to win her way on the stage, must have a perfect storehouse of perseverance, application, energy, tact and, besides these, talent. I have found that patience, a still tongue, plenty of good nature, a good amount of common sense and a dogged determination to reach the goal before me are as serviceable attributes as can be brought into requisition. Real success on the stage is won exactly in proportion as a woman possesses talent and brains. It is a struggle even with these attributes. The aspirant owes nearly everything to herself. She must first, learn how to carry herself amid all forms of temptation. She must be an actress because of her art, not for the flattery and attention it may bring her. Success comes from hard work, not from time spent to listening to the soft words of friends and strangers over a late supper.
Detroit Free Press
Detroit, Michigan
Sun, February 14, 1892

1892 - A Millionaire Killed by a Fall.
DETROIT, Mich., Sept. 23,- J. H. Wicks, a millionaire of New York city, and president of the Wick's Refrigerator Company, with headquarters at Rochester, N. Y., fell out of the second-story window of a house tonight and was instantly killed. He was entirely nude, and it was supposed was intoxicated. He fell sixteen feet to the stone sidewalk, striking on the back of his head, breaking his neck and fracturing his skull.
The Sun
Baltimore, Maryland
September 24, 1892

1895 - Detroit
Detroit, de-troit', the metropolis of Michigan and seat of justice for Wayne co, is a port of entry very favorably situated at the head of that stream and the foot of Lake St. Clair, opposite Windsor, Walkerville, and Sandwich, in Canada, with a river front of about 9 miles and a total site of 30 square miles. Lat. of city hall, 42°19'51" N.; lon. 83° 2'54.6" W. The river, "the Dardanelles of the New World," is here half a mile to 3 miles wide, has no freshets, and makes an admirable harbor. There is ample steamer and other vessel service; 12 rail Ways, most of them trunk-lines, converge upon 3 union depots, and the city has an extensive system of tram-ways, partly equipped with electric motors. Its site is rather flat, but has good drainage and one of the finest water-services in the world. Electric lights are used upon tall towers, giving superb views from lake or land as the city is approached by night. The fire department includes about 20 steam- and chemical machines, and an... Read MORE...

1895 - Blizzard - THE STORM STILL HOVERS OVER THE UNITED STATES. IT IS SEVEREST IN THE EAST. TRAFFIC ALMOST ENTIRELY AT A STANDSTILL -- RAILROAD TRAINS BLOCKADED -- BUSINESS PARALYZED -- PEOPLE FROZEN TO DEATH AT SEVERAL PLACES...
...Detroit, Feb. 9. - Dispatches received here indicate that the storm center for the southern peninsula of Michigan is in the southwestern portion, where trains area all badly delayed by the combination of fierce winds and heavy snows. At Benton Harbor a 48 mile gale is reported. No Big Four trains have arrived since yesterday, and Chicago and Western Michigan trains are six to seven hours late. At Mainstee the cold is severe, but less wind. At Kalamazoo and Paw Paw the snow is blinding and roads are badly blocked. At Detroit and other eastern points the wind and the temperature have moderated, the mercury now being at 7 above zero...
The Delphos Daily Herald
Ohio
February 9, 1895

1895 - THREE FIREMEN FATALLY HURT. A Freight Train Dashed Into a Hook and Ladder Truck.
DETROIT, Mich., March 7. - A shocking accident occurred at the intersection of Canfield avenue and the railroad tracks early this morning. There had been a fire to which Hook and Ladder Company No. 5 had been called. As the truck was crossing the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee tracks a freight train dashed into the truck and threw it from the track. The following men were probably fatally hurt: Driver ANTHONY KORTE, married, aged 26; Steersman CHRISTIAN GOEBET, single, aged 51; Lieutenant CHARLES L. CHASE, single, aged 35.

The tine of one of the hook and ladder forks entered KORTE's head, penetrating the brain. The truck was thrown about 150 feet and wrecked. The horses were badly mangled.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 8, 1895

1896 - March 6 - Charles King test drives gasoline-powered automobile
March 6 - Charles King of Detroit is the first person to test drive a gasoline-powered automobile in Michigan.

The auto age

There is a great to-do in Detroit today. The city that the auto built, is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the beginning of the Auto Age. For it was early in 1896 that Charles King put-putted a small gasoline-engined buggy along Detroit streets. And it was only a few weeks later that the incomparable motorman, Henry Ford, brought out his "horseless carriage."

In 1896 there were the skeptics and the believers. But probably none of them dreamed that this new "contraption" would virtully re-mold American civilization. For the automobile has largely done that - affecting in scores the ways of our economic, policitcal and social habits.

Fifty years ago there were only 16 cars in the United States. Since then, one of the world's biggest industries has been built on the automobile, an industry that in the United States, supreme in the automotive field, has ... Read MORE...


Read more about Charles Brady KING

1896 - June 4 – The Ford Quadricycle, the first Ford vehicle ever developed, is completed, eventually leading Henry Ford to build the empire that "put America on wheels".
At approximately 4:00 a.m. on June 4, 1896, in the shed behind his home on Bagley Avenue in Detroit, Henry Ford unveils the "Quadricycle," the first automobile he ever designed or drove.
www.history.com
June 4, 1896

Read more about Henry FORD

1897 - DETROIT'S FIRE LOSS $700,000.
FOUR LARGE BUILDINGS AND TWO SMALLER ONES DESTROYED WITH THE OPERA HOUSE.

Detroit, Oct. 7. - The fire which began in the Detroit Opera House this morning did from $600,000 to $700,000 damage. Five large buildings and two smaller ones were destroyed.

The flames leaped out at the rear of the theatre, where a wall was blown out by the explosion of a calcium light. The Opera House faced the Campus Martius, and was obliquely across from the City Hall. Adjoining it in the rear the ten-story structure occupied by the HENRY R. LEONARD Furniture Company got afire in the upper stories. Next to the Opera House the large jewelry establishment of WRIGHT, KAY & Co. and the four-story building fronting on the Campus Martius and Monroe Avenue, occupied by the C. H. MICHEL Table Supply Company, also caught fire. The MICHEL building was gutted, and all its contents burned, but the jewelry establishment was saved.

From MICHEL'S the fire communicated to the large six-story building occupied by... Read MORE...

1898 - SLAIN BY A FALLING ROOF - Its Collapse on a New Theatre In Detroit Buries Workmen. - OVER HALF A SCORE KILLED.
Nearly Twenty Men Are Injured – The Roof Fell Without Warning and Buried the Workmen Beneath the Ruins – Not a Man Escaped Unwounded – The Building Was Uncompleted.

DETROIT, Mich. (Special). - The new five-story Wonderland Theatre Building is now in ruins, and fifteen lives have been sacrificed by an appalling accident, which occurred therein Saturday afternoon.

Shortly before 2 o'clock, while some thirty-five men were at work in various parts of the unfinished theatre, the roof fell in without a second's warning. Nearly every workman was carried down into the theatre pit, the top gallery was crushed down upon the lower gallery, forming a slope, down which slid broken steel girders, planks, timbers, brick and a great quantity of cement from the roof, and carrying along a struggling mass of men into the pit below. Very few of the workmen escaped injury. The front wall of the building remained intact, but the east wall bulged and threatened to fall.

Some of the dead are:
JOHN... Read MORE...

1899 - Ransom E. Olds established first automobile factory in Detroit

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Read more about Ransom Eli OLDS

1901 - Detroit - The Queen City by Silas Farmer
"Here, beside the broad, blue river buflded, I am Queen City of the Lakes."

A STREAM of crystal clearness, wide and swiftly flowing, the waters of silver and blue alive with fins and scales, a course dotted with islands large and small, wild ducks in myriads diving and dining along shores bordered with pond lilies and flags, stretches of yellow sand and bluffs of yellow clay peopled with buffalo, bear and deer, with wide leagues of grassy pastures and pleasing vistas beyond, walnuts, oaks and maples sentinelling the scene, and skies and sunsets of unrivaled azure and gold adding the final touch of beauty - such was Nature's invitation to the first visitors to the Detroit.

The earliest of the French travellers to this region was the Sieur Joliet, who came in 1670, and was followed the same year by the Sulpician priests, Galinee and Dollier. Eight years later La Salle in Le Griffon, the first sail vessel on the Great Lakes, passed through the "strait of Lake Erie," and July 24,... Read MORE...

1903 - June 16 - Ford Motor Company is incorporated in Detroit, Michigan

June 16, 1903

Read more about Henry FORD

1913 - OLD DEPOT BURNS; NEW ONE IS READY
Detroit Has Spectacular Fire Which Does $250,000 Damage to Michigan Central Railway.

Detroit, Mich., Dec. 26.- A spectacular fire, starting from a cause undetermined, swept through the main depot of the Michigan Central Railway here this afternoon. The blaze, which started in one of the office rooms in an upper story, gained great headway before an employe discovered it, and although several hundred persons were in the building a the time, only one, a male employe, was injured. His condition, however, is not serious.

LOSS OF RECORDS HEAVY.

After three hours of hard fighting, firemen had the conflagration apparently under control. The damage to the depot proper was estimated at $150,000. Railway records, freight and express were also consumed and officials of the road said the total loss might be a quarter of a million dollars.

The depot was built about thirty years ago. The new Michigan Central terminus, a large and costly structure, was recently completed and it was... Read MORE...

1916
Detroit, de-troit' (Fr. Detroit, da'trwa', from the " strait" which constitutes the Detroit River), the metropolis of Michigan and seat of justice for Wayne co., is a port of entry very favorably situated at the head of the Detroit River, 18 miles above Lake Erie, and at the foot of Lake St. Clair, opposite Windsor, Walkerville. and Sandwich, in Canada. Lat. of city-hall, 42° 19' 51" N. ; Lon. 83° 2' 54.6" W. Detroit is an important railway junction, the Grand Trunk, the Michigan Central, the Wabash, and numerous other roads centring here or passing through the city. It has a river-front of many miles. The river, "the Dardanelles of the New World," is here half a mile to 3 miles wide, has no freshets, and makes an admirable harbor. The city, which occupies a rather flat site about 580 feet above the sea, is laid oat on the rectangular plan, with a number of imposing centrally radiating avenues and boulevards. The chief of these, representing the commercial activity and life of the... Read MORE...

1920 - March 22-23 - A spectacular display of the Northern Lights at Detroit, Michigan, was described so brilliant as to blot out all stars below first magnitude.

The Weather Channel

1930 - 2 KILLED AS FREIGHT ENGINE JUMPS TRACK - Open Switch Causes Wreck at Detroit
DETROIT, Sept 28 (AP) - The brakeman and fireman of a Michigan Central freight train were killed instantly, and the engineer escaped injury by jumping as the engine and four cars left the track and turned over after striking an open switch at the outskirts of Detroit late today.

The dead were William Feilman, brakeman, and Frank McLaughlin, fireman. They were riding in the cab and were crushed between the engine and tender. Frank O'Donahue, the engineer, jumped as the locomotive turned over.

The train was bound for Detroit.
Boston Herald
Boston, Massachusetts
September 29, 1930

1931 - October 4 – Dick Tracy, the comic strip detective character created by cartoonist Chester Gould, makes his debut appearance in the Detroit Mirror newspaper.

wikipedia.org
October 4, 1931

1934 - The University of Detroit Stadium hosted the first broadcasted Thanksgiving Day football game in 1934, pitting the Detroit Lions against the Chicago Bears and sparking a new tradition.

history.com

1934 - July 17 - One of the worst heat waves in the history of the nation commenced. During the last two weeks of the month extreme heat claimed 679 lives in Michigan, including 300 in Detroit alone.

The Weather Channel

1939 - September 15 - The temperature at Detroit MI soared to 100 degrees to establish a record for September.

The Weather Channel

1959 - Motown Records
Berry Gordy, Jr. founds Motown Records in Detroit.

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1967 - Racial Riots
Riots erupt in Detroit amidst racial tensions.

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2023 - There's something for everyone to enjoy in Detroit. Here's a list of places to go and things to do in the Motor City:
Motown Museum: Visit the birthplace of the Motown sound and explore the recording studio and home of Berry Gordy, where legends like Marvin Gaye and The Supremes recorded their hits.

The Henry Ford: Discover American innovation at its best at this museum complex that includes the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour.

Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA): Explore a vast collection of art, including works by famous artists like Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals, Van Gogh, and Picasso.

Eastern Market: Shop for fresh produce, artisanal products, and local art in this bustling market. It's one of the oldest and largest public markets in the United States.

Riverfront Parks: Take a leisurely stroll along the Detroit Riverfront and enjoy scenic views of the river and Windsor, Canada. There are also parks, trails, and green spaces for picnics and relaxation.

Belle Isle Park: Visit this beautiful island park in the Detroit... Read MORE...