Detroit Tour Connections

The French established Detroit in 1701 as “Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit” on the

shores of a strait between Lake Huron and Lake Erie.   It was a small French settlement

until 1760, when the British took over.   The British held onto Detroit until 1796, when they

turned it over to the United States of America.  Michigan was still a territory in the wilderness.

Detroit burned down in 1805.  It was rebuilt according to a street plan designed by Judge

Augustus Woodward -- the namesake of Detroit's beloved Woodward Avenue, or M-1.

The Great Lakes regions became more accessible after the Erie Canal opened in the

mid-1820s, allowing Detroit to grow, offer opportunity, and become quite a prosperous place.

By 1900 Detroit was the 12th largest US city with over 285,000 people.  It was becoming one of

the world's major manufacturing centers -- even before the automobile manufacturing industry

 gained momentum.  Then by 1920, Detroit was the 4th largest US city by population with almost

a million residents.  It was booming, in population and in wealth.  By 1929 our city had some of

the nation's tallest skyscrapers, and finest theaters and museums, largest urban parks, 

best public schools, and the world's longest suspension bridge in the Ambassador Bridge.

Detroit was the "Motor City." and the undisputed “Auto Capital of the World”.  

We were the dominant city in the auto industry for decades.  It wasn't just GM, Ford and Chrysler. 

It was also Packard, Studebaker, Hupp, American Motors, and many other companies.  Jobs with the

auto companies offered good pay, and factory workers could buy homes and send the kids to college.

During World War II, our factories churned out tanks, jeeps, airplanes and munitions, often with

women rolling up their sleeves to do the work.  The women were referred to as "Rosie the Riveter." 

Meanwhile, Detroit had the rather impressive-sounding nickname, "The Arsenal of Democracy."   

Detroit has been a melting pot.  After the early French inhabitants, people came from England,

then Germany and Ireland, and later all over Western Europe, and then Poland, Eastern Europe,

Italy, and Greece.  Our African-American community (which makes up a majroity of residents of the

City of Detroit) mostly is a product of the Great Migration from the South that lasted from around 1915

to the 1950s.  Metro Detroit also has had a lot of immigration from Mexico, and it has America's largest

and most prosperous Arab-American community., plus many immigrants from many other nations.

Detroit was known as the "City of Champions" for a couple of decades.  Joe Louis was the heavyweight

boxing champ for more  than a decade.  The Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings all won titles in 1935-1936.

There were also champions from Detroit in bowling and speedboat racing.  Later, there was another

boxing champ in Tommy Hearns -- and more championships from the Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons.

Detroit is still known as "Motown" thanks to Berry Gordy Jr. and Motown Records.  Motown included

Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Four

Tops, Jackson 5, Martha Reeves and many others.  Our expanded "Motown Museum" is a great place

for visitors to remind themselves of all of that fantastic music that was recorded in "Hitsville, USA."

Detroit has been at the forefront in other styles of music -- with an influence on diverse types of music

incluidng gospel, jazz, blues, soul, mainstream rock, punk rock, hip hop, and techno music.  Some major

performers from Detroit who were not with Motown Records were Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Bob Seger, 

Glen Frey of the Eagles, Alice Cooper, the MC5, Iggy Pop, Eminem, Kid Rock, Jack White, and others.     

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