River Rouge and Ecorse

I thought it'd be interesting to get people's thoughts and recollections on these two cities. Both are basically ignored by the media and other writers, but if you want a vintage glimpse at classic working class Detroit industrial neighborhoods, this is it. River Rouge is a gritty, old school Detroit neighborhood in all but name.

And it, along with Ecorse, is fading away right before our eyes. Jefferson, the big strip in both of those communities, has lost scores of businesses. More homes are being torn down or boarded up. It's strange to me that with all the supposed interest in urban areas and all the talk about how great Detroit was, there are no tears shed over these two historic communities.

In a way, it's so Detroit that in the places where people really try to fight to stay, we practically kick 'em out. In this case, the boot is heavy industry, which has been increasingly concentrated Downriver while old industrial areas in abandoned sections Detroit are left to rot. You only have to smell RR to understand why it's doomed, but it didn't have to be that way.

I don't know where else this post can go, so I guess I'll just crack a metaphorical digital beer to RR and Ecorse. Here's to you.

This is unbelievable-I used to travel through Ecorse and River Rouge several times throughout the 1980's, right around the time the steel industry was about to enter a decline. Jefferson was still pretty much intact at the time. I believe it all went downhill at one point in the early 1990's-probably around the time of the LA Rodney King riots and the fear of similar unrests igniting in Detroit that would easily spread into both cities.

Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Allen Park and Taylor are all now starting to also turn into Detroit neighborhoods in everything but in name. Same thing has just started in Southgate and Wyandotte and in ten years, this will also spread to Trenton. Wyandotte, in particular, has neighborhoods that look pretty much like those pictures of older Detroit neighborhoods in their heydays, but sadly, for quite a while, it's been starting to get a bit unsafe.

Yeah, I walked up and down Jefferson in RR and Ecorse about a year ago, and it's definitely a struggling commercial area. That said, there were still some quality establishments and it was far from hopeless. The trends just don't look good. When Metro Detroit loses Zenith Diner, it will be a true cultural loss that few - if any - will appreciate.

These towns both seem pretty dumpy to me, but to me the interesting division isn't between the towns themselves [[they are about the same) but between the riverfront and inland areas. Riverfront is clearly white and Mexican, inland is black.

The dividing line, actually, is the railroad tracks. River Rouge and Ecorse are cities where "the wrong side of the tracks" was taken literally. West of the tracks was black, and east of the tracks was white. As whites continue to flee both cities, that divide is quickly breaking down. Many traditionally white neighborhoods in River Rouge are now a quarter or more black.

What remains true, however, is that it's still exceedingly unlikely to see a white move west of the tracks.

When I worked Downriver I visited this area often. I came to the conclusion that the area was ill-served by small communities without adequate resources to manage themselves, and each with poorly-performing brands. Instead, I surmised, the area might best be served by re-incorporating under the old Ecorse Twp. charter, from which the five cities there were created [[Ecorse, River Rouge, Melvindale, Allen Park, and Lincoln Park).

Doing this would give them about 100,000 people and let them come up with a new name and identity. They could shed some of the cost of redundant leadership in the five small communities and attract better professionals with better paying government jobs. The kind of City Manager you get for a city of 100,000 is usually better trained than the one you get for a city of 8,000.

That said, there are longstanding differences between these communities that would need to be set aside by forward thinking people in order to make this happen. Still, it seemed the right thing to do. You could maybe even consolidate some of the school districts there, too.

1953

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Originally Posted by 1953

When I worked Downriver I visited this area often. I came to the conclusion that the area was ill-served by small communities without adequate resources to manage themselves, and each with poorly-performing brands. Instead, I surmised, the area might best be served by re-incorporating under the old Ecorse Twp. charter, from which the eight cities there were created [[Ecorse, River Rouge, Melvindale, Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Southgate, Wyandotte and Taylor).

Doing this would give them about 100,000 people and let them come up with a new name and identity. They could shed some of the cost of redundant leadership in the five small communities and attract better professionals with better paying government jobs. The kind of City Manager you get for a city of 100,000 is usually better trained than the one you get for a city of 8,000.

That said, there are longstanding differences between these communities that would need to be set aside by forward thinking people in order to make this happen. Still, it seemed the right thing to do. You could maybe even consolidate some of the school districts there, too.

1953

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Fixed. Plus, Taylor was once part of Ecorse Township before it split off into it's own township.

When Carter's Hamburgers left both Ecorse and Wyandotte, that was the turning point for me.
Actually, the Carters on Jefferson and Southfield, may have been in River Rouge. Growing up
there was always talk about political corruption in Ecorse, RR and Taylor. I'm talking a long time ago. Last visited the Dairy Queen along Jefferson a few years ago and the owner was still complaining about their mayor.

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Originally Posted by preserve

When Carter's Hamburgers left both Ecorse and Wyandotte, that was the turning point for me.
Actually, the Carters on Jefferson and Southfield, may have been in River Rouge. Growing up
there was always talk about political corruption in Ecorse, RR and Taylor. I'm talking a long time ago. Last visited the Dairy Queen along Jefferson a few years ago and the owner was still complaining about their mayor.

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Jefferson and Southfield has always been in Ecorse and yes, there was a Carter's in River Rouge, just barely across the border.

As for Wyandotte-you actually mean Watkin's?

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Originally Posted by mtburb

This is unbelievable-I used to travel through Ecorse and River Rouge several times throughout the 1980's, right around the time the steel industry was about to enter a decline. Jefferson was still pretty much intact at the time. I believe it all went downhill at one point in the early 1990's-probably around the time of the LA Rodney King riots and the fear of similar unrests igniting in Detroit that would easily spread into both cities.

Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Allen Park and Taylor are all now starting to also turn into Detroit neighborhoods in everything but in name. Same thing has just started in Southgate and Wyandotte and in ten years, this will also spread to Trenton. Wyandotte, in particular, khas neighborhoods that look pretty much like those pictures of older Detroit neighborhoods in their heydays, but sadly, for quite a while, it's been starting to get a bit unsafe.

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You are correct about Lincoln Park. The slumlords have purchased a lot of homes and turned them into rentals. Watched my neighborhood that I grew up in turn down quickly.

There are gems downriver over by Humbug Marsh

http://www.mac-web.org/DiscoverOurWi...YourRefuge.htm

Rouge River has had an awakening as well
http://therouge.org/recreation/paddling-the-rouge/

I love both places. I just uploaded some videos on YouTube. Tom YouTube Name: Chosen Won

And here's an excellent site that describes not only the histories of both communities, but of all of Downriver.

http://www.downriverthings.com/

I have 2 co-workers that live in River Rouge. One thing they've both told me about it is that it's so small everyone knows or knows of everyone else in town.

I was a security guard in River Rouge when I was going to college. I worked at Fritz Enterprizes. I drove by there the other day and it didn't look like too much was going on. I know the company is still in business. Anyone know what's going on there? I ordered pizza from Guy's a million times and I see that it's closed. I looked on a FaceBook page and it appears it closed in 2011. Anyone have any details? The place had great food and when I was going there was super busy. It's sad to see downriver go through these tough times. There is so much culture associated with the area.