Fun to read (even if you don't live here)
From 1910 to 1920, Hamtramck Michigan grew from 3,589 to 45,615 residents, leading the nation in growth for that period.
During the lumber boom era, the row of saloons that lined Water Street in Bay City was known as 'Hell's Half Mile'.
In 1936, Escanaba , Michigan harvested and processed 100,000 sq. ft. of birds eye maple to be used in the English Luxury Liner, the Queen Mary.
When the territory of Michigan was created on Jan. 11, 1805, Detroit was chosen as its capital.
Bagley's Corner was the original name of Bloomfield Hills.
The world's only marble lighthouse is located on Belle Isle.
(Livingston Lighthouse)
Hog's Hollow was the original name of Utica ,Mich.
There are over 11,500 lakes in Michigan .
The home offices of Life Savers Candy, Beech-Nut Gum, and Squirt soft drinks are in Holland , Michigan.
In 1870, Detroit became the nation's first telephone customers to have phone numbers assigned to them.
Charles A Lindbergh was born in Detroit on Feb. 4, 1902.
The Stars and Stripes first flew over Michigan soil on July 11, 1796.
In Sept. 1908, William C Durant organized several independent automobile plants into what was to become General Motors.
Michigan began charging an annual license fee of 50 cents in 1915.
Michigan's first police woman began walking the beat in Detroit in 1893.
In 1942, the Davison Freeway in Detroit was completed and became the world's first urban freeway.
Then gas was 5 cents a gal.and some stations gave you a free 6 pack of glasses with a fill up!!!
The first soft drink,(Vernor's Ginger Ale) was introduced by a Detroit Pharmacist, James A Vernor, in 1866. Note: There were several 'elixirs' on the market at that time, including what would later be called Coca Cola.These contained alcohol, whereas Vernor's didn't. Thus the name 'soft' drink.
The intersection of Woodward Avenue and Grand Avenue in
Detroit proudly displayed the world's first traffic light in 1915, leaders of 19 countries and 26 States came to check it out in the first six months.
In 1688, Father Jacques Marquette founded the first permanent settlement in what would later become Michigan
The world's first shopping mall (Northland Mall), opened in the Detroit suburb of Southfield in 1954. News papers from overseas as well as this country wrote that it would never catch on......Duh?
The world's first painted highway center lines were featured in Trenton , Mi in 1911. They were used in other towns and that was how Centerline, Mi. got ts name.
Michigan ranks Number 1 nationally in the production of dog sleds !!!
The nation's largest indoor/outdoor museum complex is Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village .
Opened in 1904, the nation's oldest freshwater aquarium is the Belle Isle Aquarium (sadly, now closed).
The onion is Michigan 's largest fresh-market vegetable crop.
YOU'RE AN OLD DETROITER (OR JUST OLD) if .........
You took a 'moonlight cruise' to Bob-Lo with Captain Bob-Lo or went to Edgewater Amusement Park, Where you could stamp your girlfriends name on the coin from the vending machine.
You shopped at Hughes and Hatcher, JB Siegel, Peck and Peck, Himelhochs, Robert Hall, Crowley's, Shoppers Fair, EJ Korvettes or Federals
You rode the elevator at J. L. Hudson's, which was 'run' by an elevator operator,who sat n a stool.
You remember a Winkleman's and Sanders store n your neighborhood.Ahhh, that hot fudge sundae!!!
You remember the 'Big Snow', Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, Clarabelle, Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring, Phineas T. Bluster.
You remember Twin Pines Dairy delivered milk and juice to the chute on the side of your house and Milky the Clown performed magic with the magic words 'Twin Pines. Plus Browns Dairy with the horse drawn milk wagon.
You remember the Good Humor man in a white uniform, ringing the bells as he rode down your street,on his trike. Same with the knife sharpener.
You remember Olympia Stadium. Home of the Red Wings.
You remember when Vernors was made on Woodward Ave, with the wood floor and wooden benches to sit on while your watching the bottles being filled. A great place to take your date after a movie! And a bearded gnome was on the bottle.
You also rember that Coca Cola bottles had the town it was bottled in embossed on the bottom of the bottle.The person with the farthest away bottle wins the bet !!
Your Mom got groceries at Great Scott, Food Fair, Wrigley's or Chatham.
Your Mom saved Holden Red Stamps, S&H Green stamps, or Gold Bell Giftstamps, and you licked them into those little books.
Kresge's and Woolworth's were 'Dime Stores.'
Cunninghams Drug store.
"I will meet you under Kerns Clock !!
Michigan, United Artists, Uptown, Broadway Theaters, and don't forget the National Burlesque "Theater"!!!
You had an uncle in the furniture business, (Joshua Door).
You know who Bill Kennedy is.
You saw the Detroit Lions play football in Tiger Stadium.
You remember The Faygo Kid & Black Bart and the Faygo song. Or how about 'Which way did he go? He went for Faygo, old fashion root beer.'
You watched Rita Bell's! prize movies in the morning.
You remember Jack LeGoff and Van Patrick. What about Betty Bahr and the weather ?
You remember Milky the Clown, Soupy Sales, Johnny Ginger, Poopdeck Paul, Captain Jolly, Sagebrush Shorty and maybe even Sergeant Satko Salute.
You remember Jungle Jim and "plunk your magic twanger froggie".
You visited the Wonder Bread Bakery and got to take home a mini loaf of bread.
Your address had a two-digit 'zone' before there were zip codes. Detroit 19, Michigan.
And you had a Townsand or Twinbrook Etc. phone exchange. Did you have a two or four party line ? Ohhh a private line !! Rich people eh !!
You remember 'Get on the right track at 9 mile and Mack, to get the best deal in town. Roy O'Brien. it's the best deal in town.'
You remember a laundry chute and a milk chute and a coal chute.
How about the icebox and iceman??
A frig.with the coils on top? How about a gas Frig?
You remember going to Detroit Edison with your Mom to exchange burned out light bulbs for new ones and getting your small electrical appliances fixed, for free !!
Oh, the memories!