Detroit River Lighthouse by Will Jensen

Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac petitioned King Louis of France to found a settlement at the south of Lake Huron in the fertile region known as le détroit to provide a secure foothold on the Great Lakes. Three hundred and twenty-three years ago, Cadillac, his men, and their Native guides traveled from Montreal and on July 24, 1701, Cadillac founded the settlement Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit in honor of King Louis’s Minister of Marine. Read more about the founding of Detroit by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac on Michigan in Pictures.

While the buildings, sports & of course the people of Detroit are all vital components, I think nothing speaks more to the three plus centuries of the City on the Strait than the river. It brought the rich soil & trade that enabled early growth, brought raw materials & carried away finished goods in later years, and it remains central to the city’s life through a gorgeous riverfront park system that hosts incredible musical & cultural events.

Will took this back in 2019. See lots more in his massive Detroit gallery on Flickr!