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Charles B. King

Posted July 5, 2013 by joshwax

Do you like sitting on the left side of your car? How about shifting with your right hand? These patented designs, along with 63 others, came to market courtesy of Charles Brady King. During a long career of successful inventing, King drove the first gasoline car on the streets of Detroit. But what led up to that drive? An epicenter of activity in the early 1890s was in an around John Lauer’s Machine Shop at 620-626 St. Antoine Street.

Witherell Street: Exploring the History Behind the Name

Posted June 28, 2013 by tborbely

While traversing the streets of Detroit, you may recognize some of the more prominent street names, such as Woodward, Lafayette, or Cass. All are familiar last names of historically significant people. However, many lesser-known streets in Detroit are also named after prominent Detroiters.

From Soap to Bronze

Posted June 25, 2013 by rachellloria
Levi L. Barbour Memorial Fountain (Robert Seiden, c. 1973)

 

Solomon Sibley and the 1798 Northwest Territory Election

Posted June 21, 2013 by kellydeek
1822 portrait of Solomon Sibley by Chester Harding

 

House of Remick

Posted June 19, 2013 by natasharogers10

This proud-looking man is Jerome Hosmer Remick. While his name may not be familiar to you, the House of Remick was at one time the largest publisher of popular music in the world. Remick was born on the site of the present-day Federal Building in 1867 and graduated from the Detroit Business University in 1887.

Our Prodigious Pickle Producing Past

Posted January 22, 2013 by DHSdigital
William Bros. & Charbonneau catalog, c. 1900

 

Hudson’s Holidays

Posted December 21, 2012 by DHSdigital
1950s window display

 

All Roads Lead to Delray

Posted December 19, 2012 by Brendan Roney

The area in the present day shadow of Zug Island may seem like an unlikely location for “the largest building in the world erected exclusively for fair and exposition purposes.” However, in 1889, this was exactly what stood there.

The Lifesaver

Posted December 14, 2012 by DHSdigital

Born in Devonshire, England in 1843, John Horn Jr. immigrated to the United States in the early 1860s. His father operated a tavern at the base of Woodward Avenue at the public wharf. John Jr. was described as a large man with broad shoulders and impressive physique.

Questionable Ingredients

Posted December 10, 2012 by DHSdigital

The first half of the 20th century was a time when popular consensus postulated that modern science could solve the world’s problems and improve living conditions for all. This was before it was found by medical researchers that many of the substances used to execute these solutions caused more harm than good. From asbestos to lead paint, we spent the second half of the 20th century purging our built environment from these now vilified materials.

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