The last look at Jimmy Hoffa

Posted on by farlane
Last portraits of Jimmy Hoffa by Tony Spina

Last portraits of Jimmy Hoffa by Tony Spina

50 years ago on the morning of July 30th, 1975 Chief Photographer for the Detroit Free Press Tony Spina took what would be the last pictures of former Teamsters president James Riddle Hoffa. Wayne State’s Walter P Reuther Labor Library shares:

Spina was sent to visit Hoffa at his cottage on Square Lake in Lake Orion to take portraits of him for the Free Press and Newsweek. The images were not intended for a specific story; they were meant to update older photo files, which were likely outdated due to Hoffa’s incarceration from 1967 to 1971. At the time, Hoffa was challenging a federal restriction that barred him from holding a leadership position in the Teamsters until 1980, thus making him newsworthy once again.

According to Spina’s account, the backyard photo shoot was almost entirely uneventful. The two were old friends and chatted as they moved around the backyard, chasing the best light. The only notable moment occurred when Hoffa had to step away to take a call about a meeting scheduled for after lunch. It is assumed that this was the meeting held at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, from which Hoffa never returned. 

Lots more in the Reuther Library and for sure check out photos in the awesome Tony Spina Collection online!

Jimmy Hoffa Negatives Walter P Reuther Library.jpg
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Dark Energy: DTE made dark money contributions & then lied about them

Posted on by farlane
Down in Front by Tom Hughes

Down in Front by Tom Hughes

EDITOR’S NOTE: whatever your politics, a Michigan company that in many cases has a state-granted monopoly secretly spending to influence state policy, coordinated secretly with the Michigan Republican Party & then lied about it should set off all kinds of alarm bells.

The Guardian shares the honestly shocking news that DTE Energy knowingly contributed $100,000 to sabotage Michigan’s Covid lockdown:

Newly released court documents show power utility DTE Energy knowingly contributed $100,000 to a dark money non-profit that helped sabotage Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Covid lockdown policies. The documents contradict previous DTE statements that claimed the utility was not involved with the donation.

In January 2023, the Guardian detailed how a DTE-affiliated dark money non-profit financially contributed to the successful repeal of Whitmer’s emergency order powers. The campaign, coordinated with state Republican leadership, helped bring about an end to Covid lockdowns and policies.

Peter Ternes, then a DTE Energy spokesperson, twice emphatically denied the company’s involvement. In late 2022, he told a Guardian reporter, “DTE unequivocally is not financially supporting” the campaign to kill Whitmer’s emergency order powers, led by Unlock Michigan, and made an almost identical statement when asked in 2020. New emails, however, show a DTE employee coordinated the $100,000 contribution. The dark money non-profit and Unlock Michigan leadership referred to it as a “DTE donation” and “$100,000 DTE check”, emails show.

…The “revelatory” emails illuminate how DTE “deploys dark money in Michigan”, said Karlee Weinmann, research and communications manager with the utility industry watchdog Energy and Policy Institute. The group detailed the emails in a new report.

Tom took this photo of the implosion of the Marysville Power Plant aka “Mighty Marysville” in November of 2015. Follow Tom Hughes Photo on Facebook and view & purchase his work on his website.

Mackinac Mac shared this cool YouTube of the demolition of Marysville Power Plant.

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Gordie Howe Bridge almost complete!

Posted on by farlane
Gordie Howe International Bridge June 2025

Gordie Howe International Bridge June 2025

In June 2024 I shared photos of the US & Canadian crews “topping out” the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Topping Out is a special ceremony dating back over a thousand years that symbolizes connection. Ironworkers say the evergreen tree signifies a job well done & believe the custom brings good luck.

I read a news story the other day that says they will soon be testing the bridge lights & thought it would be a good time to check in on this incredible structure Canada is spearheading. The project remains on track for a fall 2025 opening, and when complete the Gordie How Bridge will be the biggest land port of entry between Canada and the U.S. with 130 acres, 11 structures, 16 toll lanes, and 24 primary inspection lanes on the Canadian side and 167 acres, 13 structures, and 36 primary inspection lanes on the US side.

The pics below (except the first two) are from June 2025. Lots more on the Gordie Howe Bridge website!

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It’s time for the 2025 Detroit Auto Show!

Posted on by farlane
Here it comes by Detroit Auto Show

Here it comes by Detroit Auto Show

The Detroit Auto Show starts today and runs through January 20th. The Freep shares that in addition to no longer putting on airs as the North American International Auto Show, there won’t be any concept cars or earth-shaking demos. Instead, the show will include more than 30 car brands showcasing their vehicles. Luxury cars will be returning to the floor, and there will be test tracks, charity drives and engineering exhibits.

Being a place for buyers to meet sellers & see the range of cars in the market is for sure cool, but can we just have just a couple concept cars? For science?? Here’s two from past Michpics posts…

1938 Phantom Corsair by Alden Jewell

Speed Racer by Michael Doyle

Speed Racer by Michael Doyle

“Without Detroit, cars wouldn’t be cars, culture wouldn’t be culture, and music wouldn’t be music. My family wouldn’t be what it is without this city.”

– @stephen_mcgee, Filmmaker, 2x Emmy Award Winner, Photographer MY DRIVE. MY CITY. MY SHOW.™

The Auto Show had a cool series of photos last fall showing notable Detroiters & their rides. I’ve featured Stephen McGee’s pics here so I thought it would be nice to share this one his daughter took of him. Follow him on Instagram & get lots more Detroit Auto Show goodness on Michigan in Pictures!

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Topping Out the Gordie Howe Bridge

Posted on by farlane

Connection Ceremony by Gordie Howe International Bridge

On Saturday, June 15 2024 the US & Canadian crews working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge from Windsor, Canada to Detroit joined the two sides. They share: 🌲Ironworkers on the #GordieHoweBridge project celebrate with a special ceremony dating back more than 1,000 years. Topping Out* symbolizes a connection and the evergreen tree indicates a job well done. It’s a cherished custom that Ironworkers say brings “good luck”.

Good luck to all this hardworking crew as they approach the finish line for this massive multi-year effort! Follow along on Instagram @gordiehowebrg.

*Topping out is a term across all construction.

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A New Blue at Adventure Mine

Posted on by farlane

Blue Mineral at Adventure Mine

Blue Mineral at Adventure Mine

WWJ-Detroit shares that a bright blue mineral has been discovered at a mine on the Keweenaw Peninsula that so far has people perplexed:

The mysterious mineral was found on rock walls in the historic U.P. Adventure copper mine in Greenland Township, south of Lake Superior.

On Sunday, officials from the mine have posted pictures on Facebook of the mystery substance found on rock walls, but the bright blue material has not been positively identified.

Officials said they believe it to be a secondary mineral caused by a reaction with air and water. The mine operated from 1850 until 1920 and 11 million lbs. of native copper has been extracted.

Definitely visit the Adventure Mine website for information on their tours & the history of the mine.  In the Facebook post referenced, Adventure Mine said “This bright blue mineral has not been positively identified as of this post but it is a secondary mineral that is caused by a reaction with air and water. It was found on the 3rd level in a small stope.” A stope is an excavation in a mine working or quarry in the form of a step or notch & the comment thread has some very interesting ideas as to what the mineral could be.

My own personal pet theory based solely on how cool it would be is that this reaction is due to the same mineral that creates the unique iron ore slag known as Leland Blue. 

PS: After some discussion with Adventure Mine operators, I realize that I took my kids on a tour there 20 years ago. Super cool & a highlight of our visit to the awesome Keweenaw Peninsula – definitely put a trip to the copper-iest of Copper Country on your Michigan bucket list!

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Project Tim

Posted on by farlane

This space originally contained a photo by Detroit area artist Tim and the last name of “Man, do I not want to promote or support the art of Michigan’s truly insufferable artists.”

He’d rather you don’t see it here and believe me, I am more than happy to oblige.

In What is Project Tim?, Crain’s Detroit Business explains that a mystery company has amassed 850 acres in land options to build a $5 billion industrial facility that could be the largest manufacturing plant in the country:

The massive project is dubbed “Project Tim” in a document the company provided to local government and economic officials, who have vowed to keep the company’s name and industry a closely-held secret while the land is being assembled.

The document says the industrial development is being pursued by a “small group of globally leading companies and experts” who want to build a 24 million-square-foot facility that would be “the greenest facility of its kind anywhere in the world.”

“As of this time we cannot share details on the precise nature of Project Tim,” according to the document, which the city of Durand has been distributing to residents. “… It will be a high-tech industrial development unlike anything that you have probably ever seen before.”

The company’s document describes a massive manufacturing facility unlike anything in Michigan — in terms of size — that promises to create 800 full-time jobs in “Phase 1.”

The document describes a sprawling facility 6,200 feet long and 3,900 feet wide that would top 550 acres in size. (A square mile is 640 acres.) If built, the plant being proposed in Durand would be 50 percent larger than the 16 million-square-foot Ford River Rouge Complex. It also would be bigger than the tiny 499-acre nation of Monaco along France’s Mediterranean coast.

You can see the photo background bigilicious and see more in Scott’s Detroit Industrial Gallery slideshow.

Automotive Old Guard Leading the Race to the Future

Posted on by farlane

Autonomous Fusion Hybrid research vehicle in Dearborn, courtesy Ford Motor Co

While Uber, Tesla & Google are getting most of the ink, WIRED magazine’s article Detroit Is Stomping Silicon Valley in the Self-Driving Car Race says:

IF YOU’RE BETTING on Silicon Valley stars like Google, Tesla, and Uber to free you from your horrorshow commute with autonomous driving technology, don’t. That’s the key takeaway from a new report that finds Ford—yes, the Detroit-based, 113-year-old giant—is winning the race to build the self-driving car, with General Motors running a close second. Renault-Nissan, Daimler, and Volkswagen round out the top five. Meanwhile, Waymo—aka Google’s driverless car effort—sits in sixth place, with Tesla in twelfth. Uber languishes in sixteenth, behind Honda and barely ahead of startup Nutonomy and China’s Baidu.

That may sound all kinds of wrong to anyone who has seen Uber, Waymo, and Tesla flaunt their tech, and regards Detroit’s old guard as ill-prepared for the robotic future. But it’s the state of the race according to Navigant Research, whose newly released “leaderboard” report ranks these players not just on their ability to make a car drive itself, but on their ability to bring that car to the mass market.

Ford and GM both score in the low to mid 80s on the technology front; it’s their old-school skills that float them to first and second place. They’ve each spent more than a century developing, testing, producing, marketing, distributing, and selling cars. Plus, each has made strategic moves to bolster weak points. Ford just dumped a billion dollars into an artificial intelligence outfit. It acquired ride-sharing service Chariot and invested in Velodyne, a company producing lidar, the laser scanning tech many argue is necessary for self-driving cars. GM scooped up self-driving expertise via a startup called Cruise, and partnered with Lyft to put the eventual result on the road.

Lots more in a great article from WIRED!

View the photo of an autonomous Ford Fusion hybrid bigger on Ford’s website.

More cars & autos on Michigan in Pictures.

Detroit’s Immigrant Workers

Posted on by farlane

Immigrant Workers, photo by Ryan Southen

3 out of 4 people in 1910 were immigrants or the children of immigrants. Wow. Ryan shared this photo on Facebook and wrote:

I stumbled upon this stone along the riverfront this afternoon. This region is what it is today because people came here seeking opportunity, or refuge and we are absolutely better for it. Something to ponder the next time you find yourself discussing immigration.

As the descendent of immigrants to the Detroit area, I completely agree. Crain’s Detroit Business has a nice feature by about how foreign-born workers have been an integral part of Detroit’s history, economy. It says in part:

Detroit once was the third-largest U.S. settlement for immigrants, said Kurt Metzger, the retired founder of Data Driven Detroit who spent nearly 40 years compiling information and statistical analysis locally.

“In 1930, the foreign-born accounted for almost 30 percent of Detroit’s population. The data show that more immigrants settled in Detroit between 1900 and 1920 than any other city but Chicago and New York,” Metzger said via email.

“The makeup of Detroit — European (Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, etc.) was heavily influenced by the national quota system that either forbid certain groups (Asians, for instance) or maintained extremely small quotas.”

The second, much broader and more diverse wave of immigration began around 1970 after Washington relaxed the quota system on a wide variety of groups, he said.

“We began to see large flows of Chaldeans from Iraq, Muslims from Lebanon and other areas of the Middle East, Asians from Taiwan, India, the Philippines, Albanians, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans,” he said. “Since that time, we have added, through war and displacement, Hmong, Cambodian and Vietnamese, Chaldeans, Syrians, Yemeni, and many more.

…Foreign-born workers and their families helped swell Detroit’s population to nearly 2 million people at its 1950 peak.

Ryan doesn’t have this pic on his Flickr, but you can see a lot of great shots from Detroit and elsewhere there and by following Ryan Southen Photography on Facebook.

Ephraim Shay, the Shay Locomotive & Shay Days

Posted on by farlane

Mancelona Logging and a Shay Locomotive

Mancelona MI Logging and possible Shay Steam Engine, photo by Don, the Up North Memories Guy

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society holds their annual Shay Days celebration this Friday & Saturday (July 15-16, 2016). They share that inventor Ephraim Shay was likely retiring when he moved to town in 1888, but during his “retirement” he created over twelve miles of water mains to bring running water to the city, designed and constructed his unique Hexagon House, and started a railway known locally as the Hemlock Central.

They will celebrate his life and work with all kinds of engaging history including live steam model trains with the Michigan Small Scale Live Steamers group, games, historical photograph displays, and self-guided tours at the Shay Hexagon House. Shay himself will even be on hand Saturday so you can wish him a happy 177th birthday – click for all the details.

Shay Locomotives is an online book about the most widely used geared steam locomotives invented in Michigan lumber camps by Ephraim Shay. They share that Shay was born July 17, 1839 in Huron County, Ohio and received a better than average education for the day. After serving in the Union Army in the Civil War, Shay married his lifelong companion, Jane Henderson:

Shortly after their marriage, the Shays moved up to a farm in Ionia County, Michigan. Here Ephraim was known to have served as a clerk in the Township of Sebewa, 1867-1868. In 1869 the Shays were in the Township of Sunfield, Michigan and Ephraim was now operating a steam sawmill until 1873. Their son Lette was born here in January of 1870.

In 1873, with the tract of timber in Sunfield exhausted, the Shay family moved north to the Manistee river basin of Michigan and set up his sawmill and a general store near a lumber camp called Haring, newly settled only the year before.

Logging in the 1870’s was far different than today. Essentially once all the trees along the rivers were harvested and floated down river to a mill, logging operations were done in the winter month as loggers depended on snow cover to more easily move the cut timber on sleds drawn by horse or oxen. This method naturally depended on the weather systems and if there were a mild winter there would be a low yield of lumber from the mills.

…What Ephraim Shay had invented was a locomotive capable of delivering equal torque directly to wheels on both sides of the engine at the same time. This over came the dynamic force of his common rod engine whose normal pistons strokes jerked the engine side to side on each stroke, delivering excessive force to the wood rails, especially on the curves.

Read on for much more about one of the pioneers of modern transportation – includes some great old photos!

View Don’s postcard background big and click for more of his Shay Locomotive photos.

More trains on Michigan in Pictures.