Obscure neighorboods of the City

**Historyguy** · June-19-10, 03:03 AM

There is a one-stop answer to nearly all of your questions about the neighborhood names for the city of Detroit: get a copy of "Detroit Beginnings: Early Villages and Old Neighborhoods" by Gene Scott. It should be on sale at the Detroit Historical Society or online at olddetroitshop.com.

**mikefmich** · November-05-10, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by MikeM

Somewhere I have a brief history of Leesville from a pamphlet published by of the Church of Our Savior, corner of Harper & Cadillac, across from the northeastern YMCA. I scanned a bit of it before a computer malfunction caused me to set it aside. That was years ago, and I can't find it now, but here's what I saved:

Yes Leesville Eastside Al & Mike! My memory is dulling with age.

Mike, some nights I sit here and read your archived posts...I thought at one time I was decently clued in on Detroit history and what not....your super, and make me look like a piker.

I was not familiar with this booklet, what I was aware was the little printing Judge David Vokes of Recorders Ct. fame wrote years ago....think it was titled Cucumber Lane something. I had spoken with him off and on from the mid-70's until the late 90's. He passed at 100 something in the last 4-5 yrs. Though I looked at it many times, for some stupid inane reason I never got a copy. I think.....Burton has one but I'm not sure.

A little more of what I know of my Vokes. Elizabeth Vokes married John Johnson, they had a fairly large farm/orchard along Conners Creek, that extended from w/n of Harper Ave. down to present day Chandler Park. Think the house stood about where the old pool hall on Conners used to be in the 1960's. I used to shoot pool there, and never knew I was standing on my g-g grandparents former land. Their oldest daughter Sarah Johnson Binge was my ma's grandmother. The next oldest daughter also married a Binge, Wm. They were both aunts/uncles of Ralph Binge of earlier Detroit radio fame. Johnson & Vokes raised 9 kids to adulthood, and lost 4 others in childhood/childbirth.

I got a picture, albeit a lousy copy, of their farmhouse on Conners Creek. I will see if I can get that scanned and figure out how to post on this place.

Judge Vokes and I were never able to find definitive proof of where Elizabeth Vokes Johnson tied in to. We knew she came from the Leesville area Vokes family, but never sure which one. The main player Vokes, and a few others that were related close to James are buried at Elmwood.

My guess would be the two Vokes who were re-interred at Forest Lawn in the Johnson family plot were obviously close relation to her...brother...father....uncle?

John & Elizabeth were both born in England, 1833 & 1838 respectfully. Came here sometime in the 1850's, strong circumstantial evidence they came thru Ontario first. Married by 1859 when my ma's Grandma Binge was born.

**mikefmich** · November-05-10, 09:00 PM

Oh crape...I posted this in the wrong thread. Grrrrrrr.

**Scottathew** · September-13-18, 06:14 PM

This thread was featured in a popular Youtube channel's video.

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**dtowncitylover** · September-13-18, 08:17 PM

So cool! My thread! Thanks for that!

**Colombian Dan** · September-23-18, 08:23 AM

Oakwood Heights anyone?

**Honky Tonk** · September-23-18, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by mikefmich

Oh crape...I posted this in the wrong thread. Grrrrrrr.

Originally Posted by mikefmich

Yes Leesville Eastside Al & Mike! My memory is dulling with age.

Yup........

**pjbear05** · September-24-18, 11:00 AM

Who came up with the Pulaski neighborhood? I attended Pulaski elementary school, but I never heard of that. Twin Pines subdivision, and derisively Skid Row[[e) after the street also.

**Detroitdave** · September-25-18, 07:38 PM

On the original deed to our house , it says Greenfield township, and our neighborhood was the Loyola Brother Estates. Meyers and McNicols east and north of this area . We bought our house from a Jewish family the Susmans, way back in 1960 our house was built in 1940's I think there was a movie theater on Schafer and McNichols? the Mercury if I'm not mistaken?
Also the owner of Federal's department store lived next door to our house and a engineer from GM built his house across the street. Our neighborhood is still pretty nice, quiet tree lined streets. Mumford is near by also.

**kathy2trips** · September-25-18, 10:50 PM

We lived on Alstead just south of Kingsville. At the time Kingsville was the Detroit-Harper Woods border. Our city code was Detroit, 36, Mich.

Thanks for the history of my old beloved neighborhood! I was little then and didn't know all the history. During Detroit's heyday, very few areas had neighborhood names. You would just give the cross-streets if asked.