Happy 325th Birthday, Detroit!

Posted on by farlane
City of Gold by Mark Hewer Photography

City of Gold by Mark Hewer Photography

Friday is the 325th anniversary of the founding of Detroit on July 24, 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac. The Detroit Historical Society has an excellent writeup on the Founding of Detroit that explains they “chose the narrowest part of the river, on a high point of the north shore, unfettered by any island and thereby easy to defend, as the site for Fort Pontchartrain, in honor of the French marine minister who approved their trip. The full name, Fort Pontchartrain du détroit, gave Detroit its French name. The area had been known by many names to various Indigenous peoples, including Waawiiyaataanong, meaning “where the river bends.” In the photo, it would be located behind the short white building on the left that is closest to the river.

I have apparently been saving this absolutely gorgeous photo of Detroit at sunset as seen from Windsor for two years! When Mark shared it, he wrote “Hey Detroit 🇺🇲 thanks from your friends over in Windsor 🇨🇦 for such a world-class skyline to look at. 🙏The view never gets old! ❤️the D #detroit”

While the photo wasn’t taken in Michigan, most of the pixels are in Michigan, and I want to send every bit as much cross border love back to Mark & all the lovely people of Canada! For sure follow Mark Hewer Photography on Facebook for all kinds of great shots of Detroit from across the river!

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Happy 324th Birthday to Detroit!

Posted on by farlane
Friday Night on Woodward by Retta Billy

Woodward on a Friday Night by Retta Billy

The city of Detroit was founded on Sunday July 24, 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac. Throughout the history of the city, Detroit’s industry has been a driving engine of Michigan and the nation, reaching its zenith with the auto industry. To my mind, there’s few things that capture the indomitable spirit of the city like Woodward Avenue. I particularly love that this photo features the new Hudson’s building as a backdrop with one of the auto industry’s more out of the box experiments and a partly people powered pedal pub from Handlebar Detroit.

Enjoy this selection of nighttime scenes of the city from Michigan photographer Coretta Billy that capture that spirit. For sure follow her on Facebook and view her portrait & event photography on her website.

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313 at 323! Happy Birthday Detroit!!

Posted on by farlane

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!

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Happy 320th Birthday Detroit!

Posted on by farlane
the lamp post by kare hav

the lamp post by kare hav

320 years ago tomorrow on July 24, 1701, Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac realized the success of his plan with mentor and Governor General of New France, Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, to found a new settlement at the south of Lake Huron to increase the security of French interests on the Great Lakes. Frontenac died, and his successor was not fond of Cadillac so, as History Detroit explains, the story of Cadillac took matters into his own hands:

Cadillac set sail for France in 1698 in order to convince King Louis to allow him to found a new settlement lower in the Great Lakes. Specifically, he was interested in the area south of Lake Huron known as le détroit, or the straits.

The area known as le détroit was ideal for a new settlement because the land was fertile, the location on the river was felt to be easily defended against the British and the climate was more hospitable than that in the more northern settlements like Michilimackinac.

Cadillac returned to Quebec, then travelled to Montreal where he gathered canoes, farmers, traders, artisans, soldiers, and Native Americans to accompany him on his quest. The men set sail on June 4, 1701.

Cadillac and his men reached the Detroit River on July 23, 1701. The following day, July 24, 1701, the group traveled north on the Detroit River and chose a place to build the settlement. Cadillac named the settlement Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit in honor of King Louis’s Minister of Marine.

Kare hav took this photo of the Detroit skyline from across the Detroit River back in 2017. See more in their Detroit gallery & have a great weekend!

Lots more Detroit photos & history on Michigan in Pictures!

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La Marche du Nain Rouge

Posted on by farlane
Ms Nain Rouge

Detroit MI, photo by billyvoo

Over 300 years ago, around the same time the city of Detroit was founded, an evil was discovered in and around the city. An evil that has plagued the people and the city, and even wrecked havoc upon the founder of Detroit, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. This ‘evil’ was said to have been a Nain Rouge, other wise known as the “red dwarf of Detroit.”
~La Marche du Nain Rouge

La Marche du Nain Rouge is held every year on the Sunday following the spring equinox. That’s Sunday March 24, 2013, and they explain:

La Marche du Nain Rouge is an annual Detroit tradition that purportedly dates back to shortly after the city’s founding by the French in 1701. Annually held on the Sunday closest to the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, it is parade and street theater similar in sensibility to Mardi Gras and other Carnival celebrations. However the impetus for La Marche is different.

La Marche drives Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf) out of Detroit, preventing its evil spirit from plaguing the people of the city for the rest of the year. By forcing Le Nain Rouge from the city (and into the spirit plane), Le Nain is banished, transforming Detroiters’ fears and doubts into the hopes of new life and the coming Spring season.

Tradition holds that a citizen of Detroit dresses up as Le Nain Rouge, temporarily embodying its spirit, wearing a mask to conceal identity. As Le Nain Rouge, this person accepts responsibility for leading people through the streets of Detroit to La Marche’s final destination.

Read on for more including pictures and definitely head over to Absolute Michigan to learn much more about one of Michigan’s spookiest stories, Nain Rouge: The Red Dwarf of Detroit.

Billy took this in March of 2011 at the 300th anniversary of La Marche. See it bigger and see more in his La Marche du Nain Rouge slideshow and also check out billyvoo.com.

More portraits on Michigan in Pictures.

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It’s your birthday Detroit, how about a history lesson?

Posted on by farlane


Hotel Pontchartrain and Cadillac Square from City Hall, 1916, photo by Detroit Publishing Co, via Shorpy

Hello Detroit, it’s your birthday!*

History Detroit tells the story of Cadillac and the founding of Detroit on July 24, 1701. They explain how Antoine de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac made a plan with his mentor and Governor General of New France, Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, to found a new settlement at the south of Lake Huron to increase security of French interests on the Great Lakes. Frontenac died, and his successor was not fond of Cadillac so:

Cadillac set sail for France in 1698 in order to convince King Louis to allow him to found a new settlement lower in the Great Lakes. Specifically, he was interested in the area south of Lake Huron known as le détroit, or the straits.

The area known as le détroit was ideal for a new settlement because the land was fertile, the location on the river was felt to be easily defended against the British and the climate was more hospitable than that in the more northern settlements like Michilimackinac.

Cadillac returned to Quebec, then travelled to Montreal where he gathered canoes, farmers, traders, artisans, soldiers, and Native Americans to accompany him on his quest. The men set sail on June 4, 1701.

Cadillac and his men reached the Detroit River on July 23, 1701. The following day, July 24, 1701, the group traveled north on the Detroit River and chose a place to build the settlement. Cadillac named the settlement Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit in honor of King Louis’s Minister of Marine.

Read More About Fort Ponchartrain and Cadillac.

You have to check this photo from Shorpy (a great blog where you can also buy these old prints) background bigtacular to see the amazing detail and activity captured including the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the bottom left corner. Here are earlier views of the hotel circa 1907, minus the upper floors, and 1910, minus most of the cars, and here’s Shorpy’s entire Detroit Michigan historic archive.

Need more? There’s a whole lot more Detroit on Michigan in Pictures and at absolutemichigan.com/Detroit.

* I feel a little weird giving a history lesson as a birthday present.

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