Highland Park Today

[jgavrile]

There are no words to describe the decline.
Just look and wonder, What Happened?
http://www.flickr.com/groups/358912@N20/pool/show/with/3148611678/ (https://webmail.visteon.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.flickr.com/groups/358912@N20/pool/show/with/3148611678/)

[Bearinabox]

Can't get in. It's password protected.

Eh, whatever. I know what Highland Park looks like. :)

[spiritofdetroit]

Visteon, eh?

Hmm...

[jgavrile]

lets try again
http://www.flickr.com/groups/358912@N20/pool/show/with/3148611678/

[TKshreve]

Looks good dude. That's a pretty long slide show btw.

[lugotown]

This is from some research I found for a project I'm working on.

In 1987, Chrysler announced that it was leaving Highland Park for new facilities and everyone knew Highland Park was in for some very tough times. The problem was that the city continued to spend as if they still had the same resources coming in. What happens to a city that looses 70 percent of its tax revenues seemingly overnight? Boarded up houses, disappearing services, collapsing infrastructure, sky rocketing crime rates, and no oversight or a plan, eventually the state takes over.
Unfortunately, that became the legacy of Highland Park.

[Blueidone]

Great pictures! My parents grew up in Highland Park. My father was born in 1916, mom in 1919. Mom is gone now, but next time I see my dad, I will show him these pictures. He lives in Grand Rapids now and hasn't been to HP in years.

[jgavrile]

Well it sure was a great place while I was growing up in the 40's and 50's
It had about everything you needed. Best schools, cleanest streets, great city services, great shopping, centrally located,nice looking homes and streets, etc.
Don't know what else anyone could ask for? The corporations leaving and the lack of tax base sure did a number on this town.

[PeachLaser]

Thanks for the photos!

A few months back, someone posted a school safety patrol video that was produced in Highland Park. Can anyone provide that link? Thanks!

[lugotown]

Yes, I keep hearing that HP was the envy of Michigan. I would love to learn more about the history of Highland Park. The more I learn about this city amazes me. Truly a shame what has happened. I would also love to learn about the family or families that lived in the home we're in. It needs a ton of work but I can imagine it was a showplace at one time. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to take some time to do some research.

[douglasm]

Highland Towers are getting a little shabby looking.....

[professorscott]

Blaming Chrysler for what Highland Park has become ignores a bit of history. Highland Park had lost more than half its population before Chrysler left. Chrysler perceived, and I don't think this is unfair, that people given a choice would prefer not to work in a place that was clearly on a downhill slide.

HP now has a little more than half the population it had when Chrysler left, so it has been about 70% depopulated from its peak.

Now an interesting question to me is this: what was happening in HP between 1950 and 1987 that caused that half of the population to leave, ahead of the Chrysler exodus?

[Jman]

Ford left.

[M CD M]

I was just by the municipal complex last Wednesday, and all three buildings have been boarded up with new plywood. But of course, I seen a few open spots of kicked in plywood(inbetween the FD and court) and the roll up door on the west side of the PD was up about a foot. In the 2nd photo you can see the newer plywood.
I wasn't there to take photo's of the building, but of the now silent tornado siren that will never alert anyone in the city of severe weather or other hazard. The FD/PD don't seem to care too much about it when I ask.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25204143@N06/3434579703/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25204143@N06/3435384550/

[the rock]

Fine shots, M CD M. Next time you have your trusty camera and are in the HP neighborhood, please stop by the Roselawn Apartments, SW corner of 2nd and Highland Ave. ( 111 Highland Ave ),and check out the old building. Lowell included it in his Apartment Ruins sit some time ago, but I don't even know if it is still standing anymore. I was by there about 5 years ago, and it was still up and erect. Still looking empty and sad. I have memories of that place going back to the '40's when my Grandmother and Aunt were residents there.

[Ocean2026]

Excellent photo essay! I didn't see that one could open the messages in the upper right until near the end so will watch it again.


That Abbysinian (Sp) church is perhaps my fav - is it still used? There were so many nice buildings!

Its one thing if a shanytown becomes dilapidated and eventually decays to nothing but Highland Park - had some grand structures.

Is Highland Park any different from the rest of Detroit?

[jgavrile]

I look at the Fire station headquarters on Gerald in these pictures, and I think back to when we were kids and they would take us on a field trip to this station and show us all the features of the fire department. Especially the paper roll teletyper that would identify what call box a fire was pulled in on. We had fire boxes all over the city ,and if there was a fire, well of course, you opened the door and pulled the handle ,and it would teletype to the staion where it was at.
I think Highland Park had 4 fire stations , and they were always proud of how fast they could respond to a fire, anywhere in town.
They would go through a whole routine, showing how the firemen slid down the brass poles from the second floor, and how they hung the hoses up to dry after a fire, also the kitchen and how they prepared the food for the firemen. We were all proud of Highland Park's fire department and it use to be pretty neat to see them charging off to some fire. They had some unique fire truck lights that were on a mast and there was 3 lights on this fixture that rotated, sort of like a pinwheel.
It was a very well disciplined organization back in the 40's and 50's. They also kept an original Model T fire truck in the building shown ,as one of the first ever made. Of course ,due to the Model T plant being there in Highland Park, it was a given that they would have had one at some time.
A lot of people that I went to high school with ,became Highland Park firemen and they had a good job ,until the city went down hill.
Right across the alley from this main fire station was the New York Hat Cleaners and Shoe shine. Some of the most famous of the singers from Motown would come in there and hang out. Harmonizing and singing.
Old Andy kept busy cleaning and blocking hats for people, on one side ,and the shoe shine operation was against the other wall from front to back. I don't remember how many shoe shine chairs there were but quite a few, and always busy. Those guys could start out with some crappy pair of shoes a,and by the time they were done, they looked better than new. Most guys would buy a new pair of shoes and before they even wore them they would go to the shoe shine parlor ,put them on and get a real great spit shine put on them. They looked like mirrors.Quite an operation to watch in the old days. He sold candy and Yo-Yo's too,Pea shooters, etc. Wish I had a picture of the inside to post.

[terryh]

Victor Baker has great pastries! The track behind Highland Park High School has great running and jogging turf. When I worked out the Powerhouse I used to stop in at the deli across the street and got hooked up with nice portions of free food samples..took my lady friend to Lees beauty supply today, found a great photo op of a building with the front missing....some great neighborhoods left with decent hardworking citizens....

funny story: I was at the light near Ferris and Woodward and a chubby kid was reaching through the bars of a broken window at the corner store loading his arms up with bags of chips at around 11:00 pm....:D:p:)

[nouthen]

not sure of the ages of people here but...when Chrysler left is was a great move for them...consider when chrysler purchased Jeep Truck...we had to drive back and forth on the davidson to get to each building. Our cars were getting rocks and bottles thrown at them at-least three confirmed shootings and 1 death from a shooting. The police would write a ticket for 1 mile over the limit on chrysler cars..

[RobTruth]

I grew up on Beresford between Oakland and Brush during the 60s. One distinct memory is seeing the engineers walking home for lunch during my summer break from Thompson School. They were an army of men, all sporting white short-sleeve shirts with pocket protectors.

During the 70s, those men somehow disappeared. At least they stopped coming home for lunch. Auburn Hill HQ did not open until the early 90s (1991 I think). So where did they go?

I saw where Chrysler transferred 450 people from the Plymouth Road facility in Detroit to Auburn Hills recently. Did those people actually reside in the D? Did Chrysler siphon off the workers in HP like that?

Old time real estate pros can give up the scoop. There had to be a massive sell-off during the late 60s and early 70s in HP (proportionally speaking) as the city changed from mainly white to mainly black.

Also, Art Blackwell knows the deal. His dad (Robert, aka Big Bob, deceased December 2008) was Mayor from 1968 to 1984. I believe Art is in his mid/late 50s so he should have some idea as he was of age during the late 70s and early 70s. It's ironic the Jenny G. appointed Art to be City Manager of HP, which he devotes all his time when he can tear himself away from his jazz club in Southfield and pontificating on WGPR.

Find the short sleeves, answer the mystery!

[Wintersmommy]

Great pictures! My parents grew up in Highland Park. My father was born in 1916, mom in 1919. Mom is gone now, but next time I see my dad, I will show him these pictures. He lives in Grand Rapids now and hasn't been to HP in years.

my grandfather was born in 1916 and lived in HP too..they lived on California i believe.. ask your dad if he remembers Elmer Hammond i imagine he wont given how long its been but theres always a possibility. My grandfather taught at the HP
career academy
(or at least i think thats what it was called )

[jgavrile]

RobTruth (http://www.detroityes.com/mb/member.php?u=1024) did you have Mr. Brusca over there at Thompson School? He was our gym teacher over at Barber schoolin the 50's. Then he became the principal of Thompson School in the 60's. He was the keeper of the paddle. When you screwed up bad enough, they would send down to Brusca's office and he would administer the long paddle with the holes in it.
Those guys at Chrysler would become targets at lunch time. They would wait for them to go up to Woodward on payday and cash their checks, and then they would jump them when they were coming back to work at lunchtime.
My Dad took off after one of those thiefs with a pipe wrench and caught him. My Dad was in his late 70's and sitting on the porch on day across from Thompson school on Winona and he saw a guy jump one of the Chrysler workers and try and get his money , but my Dad took off of the porch and gave chase. My Mother meanwhile called the cops and they were there in a heartbeat.
So much for Thompson school ,as it is a wrecked shit hole now. wasn't worth the trouble to build it.

[RobTruth]

Yes I do remember Andy Brusca and the paddle with the holes in it. I never heard of any one getting jumped though. Thompson is a wreck like you stated. I spent a lot of time on Winona, at the playground. There was a square on the wall that was a "strike zon"e and a lot of kids learned how to pitch fastball accurately from that. If you were there in the 60s and 70s maybe you remember the Hamood, Forsythe, Smart, and Huddleston families. Do you rememer Frank's store on Brush just south of the service drive? That's where workers cashed their check on Fridays, drank beer and ate those hot Polish sausages and skins.

[the rock]

Art Blackwell has become the subject of a Channel 4 investigation. Although he claimed he would work for $1.00 a year, it turns out he has been billing (and has been paid big time) by not only the State, but he also writes checks to himself through the HP account. His dollar a year "salary" has hit 6 figures.
Like father, like son. The acorn does not fall far from the tree.

[Blueidone]

Wintersmommy: I will ask my dad on Saturday. It is his 93rd birthday! We will be travelling to Grand Rapids to visit him. My dad's family lived on Florence, I think. I know mom lived on North. Both graduated from Highland Park High School. Is your grandfather still alive?

[Bearinabox]

Art Blackwell has become the subject of a Channel 4 investigation. Although he claimed he would work for $1.00 a year, it turns out he has been billing (and has been paid big time) by not only the State, but he also writes checks to himself through the HP account. His dollar a year "salary" has hit 6 figures.
Like father, like son. The acorn does not fall far from the tree.
Must be rough, trying to pull yourself out of receivership when the Emergency Financial Manager is walking away with a hefty chunk of the city's budget. No wonder there's no money to light the alleys with. Yeesh.

[jgavrile]

RobTruth, I remember all those kids. I was already grown but my folks lived there. The Forsythe kid use to do erands for my folks. I think he had only one eye. The Hamood kids were always in trouble. especially Norman.
Frank's store must have been there forever? When I was a kid ,some Armenian family use to run it. It always seemed dark and dingy in there.
Mr. Brusca was a very good man to kidss. Always understanding. Mr. Al Halper was good too.
It still seems strange ,when I go down my street and see the school there in place of the homes that use to be there. I never understood how they picked that corner to build the new Thompson school? The old one use to be on Oakland ,south at the city limits. They tore that down and many homes in order to expand Chrysler Engineering center in the late 60's. Right around where Bing Steel is now.
The elm trees use to make the streets look so nice in the sumertime, when they would grow over the street. It was like living in a forest back then. We had a huge apple tree in our yard that was as tall as the house. My Dad told me it was big when they bought the house in the 20's, so it must have been there before the subdivision was built on the farm land that was once there.
Highland Park had some very good black soil, and I imagine that everything there grew real well in the old days when it was farm land.

[GOAT]

It is also what happens when city employees are paid way to much including golden pensions on the back of local taxpayers.

Windsor is next...

[Wintersmommy]

Wintersmommy: I will ask my dad on Saturday. It is his 93rd birthday! We will be travelling to Grand Rapids to visit him. My dad's family lived on Florence, I think. I know mom lived on North. Both graduated from Highland Park High School. Is your grandfather still alive?

No Elmer passed away in 1986 or 87 (I cant remember i was very young either 6 or 7 at the time)
He was a school teacher in HP and so was my grandmother Dorthy
after they married they moved to San Jaun near Palmer Park. My greatgrandfather (Elmer's Father)worked for the railroad but i dont know which one off the top of my head. Happy Birthday to your father!!

[RobTruth]

Boy what memories Jgavrile! The kid with one eye was named Greg; he was one of my best friends through early high school. Norman H. was interesting; his sister Suzie was a pistol. One of my earliest memories is Mrs. Hamood asking my mother in her heavily accented...Armenian??..to pick the grape leaves that grew in our backyard. Susie told me her moms would wrap meat and veggies in the leaves and eat them.

Frank's store is stilll standing; it's closed looks pretty bad though. I will never forget my Mom caught Frank cheating a kid outta change and refused to go there any more.

Al Halper hired my Mom to work at Thompson, she worked at Barber and at 20 Bartlett for 22 years.

I remember going too far on my bike one day and getting a little lost by old Thompson. To this day when I ride by there I remember how scared I was that day.


We had a pear tree in our yard and back then "The Park" was truly the "City of Trees".

[jgavrile]

Mr. Brusca died a few years ago. However Al Halper is still around. I try and have lunch wuth him at least once a year. Beluieve it or not he plays soft ball avery day in the summer on some league. He looks like a million bucks. Stays in shape.
Funny story about the Hamoods. The father ,who I am not sure where he worked , but they had a bunch of kids and the Father fancied himself as some kind of dude? He would go out with the fellas and get all dressed up and look like he was some high shiek. Anyway one evening in the summer he decided to go out and for what ever reason, the Mother was all pissed off about it and as he was walking out of the front door she was right behind him, hollering and screaming in Arabic at him, and grabbing him as if to stop him.
Well,as you can imagine, he was the boss, and he turned around and proceeded to slap her around/ The man that lived next door to us was a WW II veteran ,and quite the outdoorsman,and a pretty tough guy. He was sitting on his porch and saw all this take place, so he did a dash over to the Hamoods and grabbed Mr. Hamood and beat the hell out of him, while telling him he was a sissy and that if he wanted to beat on someone ,well come over to him and see if he can start slapping him around. He didn't take too kindly to a man beating up a woman`. The cops came and all that and of course Hamood wanted the neighbor arrested and he told Hamood that if he did get arrested, that when he got out ,he would come back and beat the shit out of him again. Well that ended the whole scene and I don't think Hamood ever beat his wife up again. Not in public anyway.
there sure were a lot of Syrian families on Winona. Half of them related to each other. We all got along great . They were pretty nice people. The Hamoods were the only ones that seemed a little backward.
Yea we had a pear tree in our yard and some peach trees along with that big apple tree. It was great.

[RobTruth]

Mr. Hamood worked at drumroll......Chrysler! He used to wear a white suit to work, change at the factory, and change back before coming back home.

Who would imagine now trying to hide that you worked at a Chrysler factory? Imagine two weeks from now getting your paycheck in liras.

[Blueidone]

Wintersmommy: I talked with my dad tonight in preparation for our trip. But he didn't remember Mr. Hammond. But he is 93...and his memory isn't very good to begin with. I sure would love to know more history, but he has lost most of it. I should have asked sooner! Thanks for the birthday wishes!

[terryh]

That neighbor should have minded his own business and let the Hamoods work out their problems...maybe the b was nagging too much or it is a cultural thing for a man in some cultures to keep a woman in line with aggression.....I would NEVER
step in to help a woman...women cause too many problems. :mad:

Anyways, I was browsing through some Highland Park yearbooks from the 50's that are in the Burton Historical museum and it appeared the scholl was predominantly Anglo with a smattering of middle class Afridan American and Middle Eastern students.

[jgavrile]

Seemed like there was every nationality you could imagine. Lots of Syrians, Armenians, Southerners,Italians,Scotch,Irish,Hungarians,Roman ians,Germans,Checks,Polish,,Blacks etc. This was all due to both of the Plants being in Highland Park. Chrysler on Oakland and Ford on Woodward. It was a big draw for every immigrant that came here. Everyone seemed to get along.