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While walking into work this morning I came across a manhole cover dated 1925. This is located on E. bound Michigan between 3rd and Cass. If only this cover could talk. Just think of all the history this went through and it survived. No road crews or scrappers took it for their own collection. Are they any older covers still being used?
Well that one will be gone soon lol
Damn. now THAT would make a great gift for Dad. Born in 1925. He turns 90 in two weeks!
Born, raised, and lived his whole life in the City of Detroit.
Not even close to being the oldest. There are 1909s out there! And pretty much every year in between.
[ATTACH]28427[/ATTACH)
Picture taken on Belle Isle, Oct., 2011
Both are Public Lighting Commission covers for utility tunnels for the city-owned lighting department. They also ran a telephone system for the city completely separate from the Bell lines. Police call boxes and Fire Alarm Pull Stations were all part of the system.
My box, before and after restoration.
The oldest one I've seen is in Hamtramck, in the alley behind the A&C on Joseph Campau. It's actually more behind the empty lot next to it. It's 1916.
The oldest fire hydrant I've seen is on Vernor Highway in front of Most Holy Redeemer Church. It was from 1914, IIRC.
I found no dated Detroit manhole covers at Drainspotting.com but found it amusing that such a site even exists. :)
Watch behind his left shoulder: Manhole Cover Goes Flying [in Buffalo, NY].
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A beauty, Ray. Much admiration and respect from me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray1936
Yeah Ray, that looks great. You are our official historian on how things use to be around here. :D
I know where a 1912 is at.
Don't ask don't tell but a photo would be nice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hastings
I swear there is a manhole - over by the transit center - that spells Detroit "DEE ROIT"
verified the message you have entered..
Very cool, so far you're the winner.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hastings
What's the winner get?
The Internet always rewards with a "cookie" You never get the cookie,though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hastings
A chance to date beautiful Russian women. I hear Ana wants to talk with you.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Hastings
A truck tour of Russian Highways on YouTube. [[You ever watch those things? Them Russians are totally wacko as drivers!)Quote:
Originally Posted by Hastings
Edison Illuminating Co.? What's the safety pin for? - that thing needs to be bolted down.
Good job. Considering the wear it's amazing anyone could read that. I couldn't.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brock7
From DTE Energy, The Early Years:Quote:
In 1886, the Edison Illuminating Co. of Detroit was organized and began serving its first customers. By 1892, the company's customer base had grown to 550, with many of its customers involved in the production of railroad cars, ship engines and cast-iron stoves. In that pre-automobile industry era, Henry Ford worked for Edison Illuminating, first as a night fireman and engineer at $40 a month and later as chief engineer at $100 a month.
By the turn of the century, the Edison Illuminating Co. and the Peninsular Electric Light Co. [[which owned the electric distribution franchise in the area) provided all commercial electric lighting and power in the city of Detroit. In January 1903, Detroit Edison purchased securities of the two companies and incorporated on Jan. 17, 1903. That same year, construction began on the Delray 1 power plant, and Henry Ford, who had left Edison Illuminating four years earlier, founded Ford Motor Co.
25 Most Amazing Dash Cam Videos From RussiaQuote:
Originally Posted by Ray1936
Apparently tanks always have the right-of-way in Russia. Makes sense.
Cows!
Found this one by MGM Casino - 1918. Attachment 28650
Cool stuff. Was walking through Midtown [[or for old farts like me Cass Corridor) and ran across the one near a local watering hole. Not a winner but definitely wanted to share.
Found another one. Oldest that I have seen to date. This is getting obsessive for me.....
1906 Edison Illuminating Co. Eastern Market area. Oldest I recall seeing.
[[Cincinnati also has a lot of old [[20's and earlier) manholes.)
[EDIT FINALLY got this site to accept a picture]
http://i65.tinypic.com/21f0igx.jpg
Just ran into the 1906 cover today. I have 55 of them spanning years from 1906 to 2017. Going to have to create a cool wall poster or something to show these off.
Sprint also has fiber running through these same tunnels. There is a whole bunch of mini cellsites on the lightpoles throughout downtown.
Artist in Europe make art using old manhole covers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITOXCt-JQhc
https://www.facebook.com/raubdruckerin/?fref=mentions
Very clever and very cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by ddaydetroit
May I know where this one is located? Thank you!Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryC39
The manhole thing isn't exactly standardized.
You might find the steel plates in a gym, they do get "taken"
Don't offer up the location - I don't think she created an account here just to print a T-shirt !Quote:
May I know where this one is located? Thank you!
And if I'm wrong, I'll buy one.
So I have an excel spreadsheet linked to pictures and locations. I have 1905 - 2019 with some gaps in between. I am thinking with the lack of resources during the war years they were not making new ones.
I was riding the bicycle this morning and ran across the oldest one that I have ever found. Oldest previously was a 1906. Fun distraction from a 30 mile ride! Looking for a 1972 so anyone that can help find one for me I would much appreciate it. Happy Memorial Day!
Attachment 42107
Pretty cool thread
1905 was Edison illuminating company Edison General Electric company became GE 1889,they set up power to most cities.
1910 was public lighting commission
1886 was Detroit Edison
Many power companies started out private then sold to the city,I wonder if this was the case.
Keep looking,you can go all the way back to the 1886.
They had power 1905 but nothing to run it on outside of a lightbulb.
What year did Detroit install its moon lights? There may be some older covers around where those were located?
Public works might still have the old maps that are used to locate utilities,they may be able to show you where the original runs were.
It's more PC to call them 'Personhole Covers'
Them covers.
Thanks for keeping the hunt alive, cassique.
Wikipedia's article on Edison Illuminating Company says it was purchased by Consolidated Gas in 1901 {and became defunct} yet here we have evidence that its name was used as late as 1905.
Very cool!! Congrats on spotting this gem!!Quote:
Originally Posted by cassique
Actually Edison Illuminating was broken up into smaller local operating companies. The Wikipedia article is quite unclear, and the purchase it references was only for the NYC area company - which resulted in today's ConEd.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimaz
The Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit was a separate company that survives today as DTE. It merged with Peninsular Electric Light to officially become the Detroit Edison Co. in 1903, but continued to use the Edison Illuminating name for its power generation business for several years thereafter.
Well thanks for clearing that up, Al. You did a better job than Wikipedia. :)
Found it interesting as I was looking through my collection of photos that the Edison Illuminating Company was indeed used for many years after and in tandem with the Public Lighting Commission [[later years Department). Here is a 1916 that uses the Edison name and an earlier 1912 that uses the PLC name.
Attachment 42114
Attachment 42115
Two different entities with two different systems and purposes. Edison Illuminating becoming Detroit Edison for residential and commercial service and PLC becoming DPL for street lighting and city property power.Nice finds!Quote:
Originally Posted by cassique
Leave it to a Cass Tech Grad to not really get the point of the thread...Quote:
Originally Posted by CassTechGrad