ii^6f : "oo^ ^^#'' A-^- .' O ^ ^^. '^^ \^' ^^^.^,. . - '^. ^ , , ^ . OO A •■^, - .^'^ % -0^ oo^ ^•^ -nt. *^. V* dA OUVENIR OF J>JIROlT PUBLISHED BY ALVORD & CO. Exclusive Comrnercial Photograpliers, D5 ROWLAND STREET, ENGRAVED BY THE CADILLAC ENGRAVING CO. DETROIT, MICH. PRESS OF O. S. GULLEY, BORN,nAN & CO. DETROIT, MICH. oavenir ^ opDetroit (T' FULLY ILLUSTRATED, CONTAINTNG z/l Sketch of T>etroifs Histoiy, T{esoiirces Taints of Interest to l//s/to/\s\ ALVORD t^ CO. DETHOiT, MICH. (^ ■1 NE hundred and ninety years ago a French soldier named Sieur de la Mothe Cadillac, planted the Roman cross and the flag of France simul- taneously, on the north bank of the magnificent river on which the metropolis of Michigan, the City of Detroit, now stands. Although this was the first formal pre-emption of the territory in the interests jointly of His Holi- ness, the Pope, and of Louis XIV, King of France, this part of the country had been visited nearly a century before by white men, hardy, self-sacrificing and intellectual missionaries, accom- panied by brave and devoted woodsmen and voyageurs. History, however, gives but one hundred and ninety years as the age of the beautiful gate city of the sweet water seas of inland America; and it is not the purpose of this presentation to go back of the limits to history. Few cities in this country, and none in the West, occupy a more important chapter in the early history of America, and for that rea- son few American cities have histories more generally known among intelligent people than is the history of Detroit. The various crises representing the vibrations of government, from French control to control by the English, then to the protection of the home govern- ment, back again to J;5ritish sway, and finally to the American gov- ernment, are all facts given in detail and studied by every school boy. The romance of Pontiac and his conspiracy, which grows in color and detail as time goes on; the wretched /fi'/zA- /^/i- by Gen. Hull; the patriot war, and the part taken by Detroit in the Toledo war, the Florida war, the Mexican war and the civil war, are all matters easily available to any person interested in learning the details thereof— details impossible to give in the limits of such a work as this. Our present purpose is to deal with the Detroit of to-day, a cen- ter of culture, wealth and great natural resources, beautiful in itself, and with a future almost beyond computation, because of its mag- nificent possibilities. The city of Detroit occupies an area having eight miles of frontage on the Detroit river, and extending four miles back from the river, the site rising gradually from the water level to a height of seventy feet, four miles back. With such a nat- ural incline, with a river three-quarters of a mile wide, having a three-mile current, and with a very extensive system of sewers, it will be readily seen that the city is exceptionally well drained, thus explaining the universally accorded high reputation of Detroit as a healthy and sanitarily correct center of population. With 250,000 people living within its boundaries, and with as many more having homes within an hour's ride of the city's center, Detroit stands pre-eminently as one of the great cities of the conti- nent; and that its growth compares favorably with that of any city in the country is evidenced by the fact that, not only has its popula- tion doubled itself twice within the past twenty years, but this has been done legitimately and safely from a business standpoint. Foreign capital and mortgages held by non-residents are strangers to the property owners and manufacturers of Detroit. It is essen- tially a city of homes owned by the occupants; its numerous fact- ories, producing an annual output of over fifty million dollars' worth of goods, are owned exclusively by Detroit citizens; and in spite of many recent and very extensive public improvements, the city's debt is but $1,814,500 — an exhibit which is not equaled by any city in the land. A word in relation to the city's public improvements will be best appreciated at this point in our narrative. The city has Belle Isle park, of over 700 acres, located in the middle of the river within the 2^-mile circle from the city hall, being the finest natural city park on the continent. This park is connected with the mainland by a superb iron bridge, free to all, and from this bridge extends a grand boulevard, twelve miles in length and from 200 to 300 feet wide, which passes entirely around the city. In addition to Belle Isle park, the city has the Clark park at the extreme west side of the city. Clark park contains several hundred acres. And finally, there is the Campus Martins — the site of the city hall — the Grand Circus, a semi-circular park, a quarter of a mile up Woodward avenue, Cass park, and eight other small parks, located at various points throughout the city. Thus it will be seen that the city is wondrously well provided with lungs. In this same category, however, must be placed about fifteen miles of asphalt pav- ing and hundreds of miles of block pavement, along broad and sumptuously shaded avenues, which transform the entire city into a veritable park. In the line of public buildings, there is a very fine city hall, a large public library, the Detroit museum of art, the municipal courts building, the central market building, fifteen or twenty large and very handsome fire engine houses, a dozen well built and serviceable police stations, the house of correction, forty-nine public school buildings, and a water works establish- ment most extensive and elaborate, a fit vehicle for the distribution of the most perfect supply of water for all purposes controlled by any city. It is, as a summer resort and as the center of the most versatile summer resting section in the country, however, that Detroit finds its chief importance. By virtue of its location, practically surround- ed by water, Detroit is never visited by an extended season of excessively hot weather, its rainy season is seldom violent, and sudden changes from one extreme to the other are uncommon. With its vast wealth, its hundreds of exquisite private residences, its vast areas of park beauties and forest like shades, it is, par excel- lence, a summer home. In addition to these requisites, however, it possesses facilities for pleasure sufficient to suit most variable tastes. First on its list of attractions comes the noble Detroit river, on the bosom of which, each season, passes a greater tonnage of vessels than is recorded during a like period at any United States port save the city of New York. On that river, also, is an excursion and boat ride equipment unequaled. Clean, safe and well conducted boats, most commodious, make half hourly trips between the foot of Woodward avenue and Belle Isle park during the summer, at a cost of ten cents for the round trip. For ten cents any person, not caring to get off at Belle Isle, can ride all day on any one of these boats. In case the pleasure seeker likes the rough and ready hospitality of a genuine natural forest, he can find it in its pristine glory at the upper end of Belle Isle park. If, on the other hand, he prefers the canals, winding ways, rustic bridges and cozy nooks of nature aided by art, he can find these things in abundance over the lower half of the same park. The Casino, a large and hospitable public building erected by the city, and commanding a matchless view down the river, is located at the extreme lower end of the island park, and there one may refresh the inner man and feast the imagination in a quiet, rational way. If you are fond of rowing or sailing, hundreds of boats are supplied by the city for hire at a nominal cost per hour, and the picturesque lakes and canals offer unrivaled facilities for this sport. Park wagons making regular trips around the island, a distance of about seven miles, carry passengers at a small fee, and perfect roadbeds furnish facilities for wheelsmen and their " bikes " not excelled anywhere. The citizen or visitor who has seen sufficient of the city and its parks, and longing for a novelty does not desire to go far, has but to get aboard of the boat for a half hour's ride down the river (passing Fort Wayne, one of the chief United States forts west of New York, the exposition buildings and grounds and the quaint old colonial town of Sandwich, with its jail and gibbet, on the way) to Fighting Island. Here one finds a superb new summer hotel, faultless facilities for fishing and bathing, and a view both up and down the river that is remarkably beautiful. If Belle Isle, the river and Fighting Island become at last some- what too well known and too easily reached, there comes the famous up-river excursions to "The Flats," "Maple Leaf," "Joe Bedore's," "The Oakland," and a dozen intermediate resorts, all famous as portions of that hot weather home and the sportsmen's paradise, sometimes called "The Little Venice of America," other- wise " The Flats." " The Flats " are at the mouth of the St. Clair river, and con- stitute the delta through which that stream carries the waters of the upper great lakes into Lake St. Clair. At this point is the famous United States Government Ship Canal, and just above the canal are the houses of the Lake St. Clair Fishing and Shooting Club, and the other clubs known as Mervue, Rushmere, the North Chan- nel Fishing and Shooting Club, the Star Island, etc., besides scores of very handsome private villas, all built on pretty patches of "made" land, separated from each other by canals. The clinker yawl, the sail boat and the steam yacht are the means of communi- cation at " The Flats," and besides the bathing, fishing and shoot- ing, the amusements include tennis, billiards, bowling and boating. Incidentally, but simply magnificent, is the entertainment provided by the continuously moving panorama of the shipping — the great steamships and sailing vessels carrying the iron, copper, wheat, lumber and salt of northern Michigan and the west to the east, returning with coal from the mines of Pennsylvania and Ohio. But to return to the summer pleasure facilities of Detroit. When one has " done " Belle Isle, Fighting Island and " The Flats," there still remains delightful rides across Lake St. Clair and up the River Thames to Chatham on the Canadian side, or across Lake St. Clair and up the Clinton river to Mt. Clemens on the Michigan side. A word as to Mt. Clemens. It is a beautiful inland city of several thousand inhabitants, situated but a few miles from the lake, in the midst of a fine agricultural country and famous as one of the most successful mineral water resorts in the world. "Route No. 6," as the "personally conducted'' guide books would put it, would take you from Detroit, up the river and across Lake St. Clair, passing Belle Isle and the Government Canal on the way; thence up St. Clair river to Port Huron, passing "The Flats" and "The Oakland" on the way. This trip to Port Huron and return, is made in a day at a cost of one dollar, and it is a veritable ride of delights and summer comfort. The next excursion route (No. 7, so to speak) takes the pleasure seeker to Put-in-Bay and return in a day, at a cost of but one dollar. It includes a beautiful daylight ride across Lake Erie to the scene of Perry's famous victory. The other boat ride facilities include the down river trips to Wyandotte, Trenton, Grosse Isle and Amherstburg— as fine a short trip as could be desired— requir- ing only four or five hours; and the ride to Toledo and return. The list is not yet ended as to Detroit's summer diversions, because for those who prefer woodland beauties and country air and pleasures to the delights of boats and water, there remain two beautiful rides and resorts, viz.: Orchard Lake and Orion Lake. Orchard Lake, located thirty miles from Detroit, and reached twice a day by trains direct from Detroit, is the location of the Michigan Military Academy, and of a number of club houses and fine country homes. Half a dozen pretty inland lakes with fine fishing, boating and shooting available, beautiful driveways and picturesque spots in every direction, combine to make of Orchard Lake a per- fect sylvan resort, and extremely popular. Orion Lake, only an hour's ride from Detroit, is a counterpart, in many particulars, of Orchard Lake, its equal in all respects so far as the ordinary seeker after hot weather recreation is concerned, and a very successful rival. Finally, it remains to be said, that there is, in addition to the many little pleasure routes mentioned, the two great "jaunts by sail or steam"— the famous summer routes to Mackinaw and to Lake Superior. These rides are know all over the world as among the most delightful, and it is also known that Detroit is the head center starting point for all desiring to take advantage thereof. After making such an exhibit both as to illustrations and descriptions, the publishers of this work feel justified in declaring as a truth, that in America at least, the city of Detroit is without a peer, either as a permanent home or as a temporary relief and pleas- ure resort during the months of hot weather. The Detroit Wheelmen are the outgrowth of the two Bicycle Clubs, the Detroit and the Star. These, after several meetings, united in the spring of 1890, everything seeming favorable for re-organization. Wheeling up to this time, owing to many reasons, chief of which was the very bad streets in most parts of the city, had been indulged in by but few, and was looked upon as a pas- time. Since that time the club has grown in membership, and among its members may be found many of the brightest and most energetic young men in the city. The Club House, 64 Washington Ave., is cosy and comfortable, where any visiting wheelman finds a welcome. The twelfth annual meet of the League of American Wheelmen fell in good hands, and was the largest and most successful in the League's history, and stamps Detroit as an important cycling center, around which the rider will find manv delitrhtful tours. POLICE HEADQUARTERS. PUBFJC I.IBRAUY. «J». BOARD OF TRADE. CASS PUBLIC SCHOOL. WATEK WORKS. DETROIT MUSEUM OP ART. -- ^^-:£-^ t€t MICniGAN CEXTKAL DEPOT. %- BTED'S-KVE A^rEW OP MONROE AVENtTE, FROM CITY HALL. bird's-eye view of central market. STREET VIEW, LOOKING WEST ON MICHIGAN AVENUE, FHOM WOODWARD AVENUE. STREET VIKW, LOOKING NOKTH ON WOODW^JiD AVRNl'E, FKOM CAMPUS MAKTIUS. STREET VIEW, LOOKING NORTH ON WOODWAUD AVENUE, FROM JEFFERSON AVENUE. STREET VIEW, LOOKING WEST ON JEFFERSON AVENUE, FROM WOODWARD AVENUE. STREET VIEW, LOOKING SODTFI ON WOODWARD AVENUE, FROM JEFFERSON AVENUE. _^ STKEET VIEW, LOOKING NORTH ON WOODWARD AVENUE, FROM FERRY DOCK. STREET VIEW, LOOT' KING SOUTH ON WOODWAUD AVENUE, FROM ADELAIDE STREET. ^^1^ ^^ ^i i -fl i ■Tt^ ^HARDWARE.! ■r . .'CUTLERY,- ■ i"»OK, STEEI.. - .ijTr • I- -^-> lAi;k CANAL SCENE, BELLE ISLE PARK. VIEW IN BELLE ISLE PARK. f'-^X^"/'. ". mM AMERICAN SHORE, IJELLE ISLE i'AKK. LAKE ST. CLAIR FISHING AND SHOOTING CLUB HOUSE, ST. CLAIR FLATS. RUSIIMEIIE," ST, CLAIR FLATS. I'AK rsLAND IIOt'SSE, ST. CLAIH FLA1> MKKVCIE, ST. 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