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Thrift Gardens

Detroit’s current availability of vacant land has made it a popular place for urban farming, but this is not a new phenomenon brought about by abandoned neighborhoods and diminishing population.

Restaurant Remembrances

Restaurants come and go, but their images become artifacts of the past, a direct connection with generations gone by who sat at the bar, ate at the tables. These postcards depict some restaurants that operated in the city from the 1950s through the 1980s, which some of our readers may recall patronizing or even working at. They showcase the modernist sensibilities and sometimes outlandish styles that were used to thematically decorate mid-century eating establishments. Please share any personal memories in the Comments section below.

Our Doors Are Open!

Renovations have been underway for quite some time now; we’ve broken down walls, added a fresh coat of paint and hoisted up a five hundred pound Little Caesars mascot. We share the stories of the people and industries which have shaped our beloved city.

Turkey Day

We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving today. If you are attending the Parade, stay warm! And if you are watching football, Go Lions! If you were living in 1891, perhaps you might have enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at the Hotel Normandie.

A Painted City

Uniroyal Tire Plant from East Jefferson Avenue (Carol Fink, 1981)

 

Our Evolving Riverfront

The Central Iron Foundry Co. and Grand Trunk Western Railroad can now be explored as the Dequindre Cut Greenway (Lewis L. Broaden)

 

Sanders Halloween

Happy Halloween! We hope you get to enjoy at least as many goodies as appear on this Halloween themed Sanders Confectionery menu from the 1930s. Or perhaps you would rather pass on such items as Mustard, Owl Stufties, Vienna Rolls (For Hot Dogs), and Cinnamon Potatoes.

The Many Hats of Joe Louis

Louis shows off his skis and winter fashion, 1940.

 

Where “Ma Bell” Lived

H. W. Miller prepared this summary sheet for the Walnut Exchange which was valued at $36,558.36.

 

Tiny Places

In a big city with big industry and big buildings like Detroit, sometimes the tiniest of places can be just as interesting. In 1914, Detroit claimed to have the smallest park in the World sitting on the sidewalk outside the Hermitage Hotel on Congress Street.

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