Anyone lived in Chaldean Town (Detroit) in mid to late 50's early 60's?

Hello,
My name is Angela and I am doing some genealogical research on my family. My grandfather, Larry Payne owned Duggan's Irish Pub in Royal Oak, he passed away in 2009. My grandmother, [[his wife) Carolyn Wilson [[Payne) passed in '83 and my mother Donna in 2002. I really don't have anyone to ask this question because most are gone and the ones left don't know the answer ,so I am in need of some much appreciated help. I am trying to find out the name of the schools [[Middle and High school) my grandmother Carol may have attended. She lived in Chaldean Town in the mid 50's and the address I have is 19391 Charleston Av [[st). I was wondering if anyone who may have grown up there would know what middle school and High school someone in that area would attend. She would have been the class of '62 but she would have left school before graduation due to being pregnant with my mother. If anyone knows or may be able to just give me a few hints that would be great! I am just trying to see if I can find any year books that she might be in.
Thank you very much,
Angela Payne

Chances are that she attended either Greenfield Union [[420 West Seven Mile) or Grayling Elementary School [[744 West Adeline). Then students from those schools would have been assigned to Nolan Middle School [[1150 East Lantz). Pershing High School [[18875 Ryan Road) would have been the neighborhood high school. Grayling and Nolan are no longer open.

Chaldeantown was formed on W. 7 Mile Rd. between Woodward Ave. to John Rd. in the late 1940s by group of Chaldean families wanted to set up shop. Chaldeans came to Detroit historically after 1910 to work in most industry plants and setting up shop. Their first community was near Belle Isle from Mt. Elliot Rd. to Van Dyke Rd. North of E. Jefferson Ave. to Mack Ave. By the late 1940s Most Chaldean families move further northwest and settle in W. 7 Mile Rd. from Woodward Ave. to John R. Rd. Sacred Heart Catholic Church was their main church of mass services. The neighborhood at the time was mostly Greek, Scottish and few blacks. In fact there was a small Greek Eastern Orthodox Church building in W. 7 Mile Rd. now its long gone.

In the 1980s Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein donated $700,000 to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church to build their community center which it stands today. Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young presented Hussein the keys to the City of Detroit. The letter 'S' and 'H' on the community center does not stand for Saddam Hussein, but Sacred Heart instead.

By the late 1970s the surrounding neighborhoods near Chaldeantown started to turn into blight. White middle class folks have quickly move away to the suburbs. Houses were rented out to poor low income welfare and food stamp pacifying black families. Fewer black middle class folks from Detroit and Highland Park were moving into their communities. Most Chaldeans were having a hard time get along with them other than being too friendly to blacks as loyal customers in their liquor stores and other businesses.

Last attempt to save Chaldeantown happen in the late 1990s when the Arab-American and Chaldean Council built their community center at W. 7 Mile Rd. and John Rd. Later a extension was built across the street with a charter school. Other shops and new homes were in the works, but their plans had failed! By the 2000s Chaldeantown was in the brink in dying [[ just like Detroit's Chinatown) more neighborhoods were in total blight and violent crimes was everywhere. While Sacred Heart Catholic Church and community center is still there, more Chaldean families are currently living on Charleston and Danbury Streets.

Fewer Chaldeans has started to move to other areas in the suburbs. Most of the them started to set up shop along 9 Mile Rd. from Coolidge Rd. in Oak Park to the border of Ferndale since in the early 1980s. Later fewer Chaldeans started to move further away in isolated areas in the suburbs. Until they meet again for service at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Detroit. in the old Detroit North Side community where they proudly built.

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Originally Posted by Danny

Chaldeantown was formed on W. 7 Mile Rd. between Woodward Ave. to John Rd. in the late 1940s by group of Chaldean families wanted to set up shop. Chaldeans came to Detroit historically after 1910 to work in most industry plants and setting up shop. Their first community was near Belle Isle from Mt. Elliot Rd. to Van Dyke Rd. North of E. Jefferson Ave. to Mack Ave. By the late 1940s Most Chaldean families move further northwest and settle in W. 7 Mile Rd. from Woodward Ave. to John R. Rd. Sacred Heart Catholic Church was their main church of mass services. The neighborhood at the time was mostly Greek, Scottish and few blacks. In fact there was a small Greek Eastern Orthodox Church building in W. 7 Mile Rd. now its long gone.

In the 1980s Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein donated $700,000 to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church to build their community center which it stands today. Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young presented Hussein the keys to the City of Detroit. The letter 'S' and 'H' on the community center does not stand for Saddam Hussein, but Sacred Heart instead.

By the late 1970s the surrounding neighborhoods near Chaldeantown started to turn into blight. White middle class folks have quickly move away to the suburbs. Houses were rented out to poor low income welfare and food stamp pacifying black families. Fewer black middle class folks from Detroit and Highland Park were moving into their communities. Most Chaldeans were having a hard time get along with them other than being too friendly to blacks as loyal customers in their liquor stores and other businesses.

Last attempt to save Chaldeantown happen in the late 1990s when the Arab-American and Chaldean Council built their community center at W. 7 Mile Rd. and John Rd. Later a extension was built across the street with a charter school. Other shops and new homes were in the works, but their plans had failed! By the 2000s Chaldeantown was in the brink in dying [[ just like Detroit's Chinatown) more neighborhoods were in total blight and violent crimes was everywhere. While Sacred Heart Catholic Church and community center is still there, more Chaldean families are currently living on Charleston and Danbury Streets.

Fewer Chaldeans has started to move to other areas in the suburbs. Most of the them started to set up shop along 9 Mile Rd. from Coolidge Rd. in Oak Park to the border of Ferndale since in the early 1980s. Later fewer Chaldeans started to move further away in isolated areas in the suburbs. Until they meet again for service at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Detroit. in the old Detroit North Side community where they proudly built.

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The Chaldeans didn't start really move into this neighborhood in large numbers until the early 1970's. Before that time, the neighborhood was full of Germans, Irish/Scottish people and a few second generation Lebanese/Syrians that had lived in Highland Park or further south. Many people south of 7 Mile Rd. attended St. Bededict's in Highland Park for church/school if they were Roman Catholic. I'm not sure how far north their boundary went in that area

Chaldeantown, in 2014, is 15 Mile & Ryan in Sterling Heights for the newcomers, and Orchard Lake and Lone Pine in W. Bloomfield for the more successful business owners.

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Originally Posted by IrishSpartan

The Chaldeans didn't start really move into this neighborhood in large numbers until the early 1970's. Before that time, the neighborhood was full of Germans, Irish/Scottish people and a few second generation Lebanese/Syrians that had lived in Highland Park or further south. Many people south of 7 Mile Rd. attended St. Bededict's in Highland Park for church/school if they were Roman Catholic. I'm not sure how far north their boundary went in that area

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Yes. Growing up in the mid-'50s, we learned about Rock n' Roll at Nolan Jr. High during the dances [[doing "the half-time" and "the chicken" to "Rock Around the Clock"). I hung out with a group of young friends who called themselves a gang-the "John R. Gang". Just a bunch of friends hanging together around the John R. & 7 Mile area.

Very sad to see on Google Maps the house I grew up on Hollywood Street is no longer there.

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Originally Posted by IrishSpartan

The Chaldeans didn't start really move into this neighborhood in large numbers until the early 1970's. Before that time, the neighborhood was full of Germans, Irish/Scottish people and a few second generation Lebanese/Syrians that had lived in Highland Park or further south. Many people south of 7 Mile Rd. attended St. Bededict's in Highland Park for church/school if they were Roman Catholic. I'm not sure how far north their boundary went in that area

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That is partially correct! But a handful of Chaldean Families move to W. 7 Mile Rd from Woodward Ave. John R. Rd. since the late 1940s to early 1950s.

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Originally Posted by Bham1982

Chaldeantown, in 2014, is 15 Mile & Ryan in Sterling Heights for the newcomers, and Orchard Lake and Lone Pine in W. Bloomfield for the more successful business owners.

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For sure more, Chaldean owned stores and restaurants are popping up like mushrooms since the late 1990s in Sterling Heights and West Bloomfield TWP.

In the meantime there is a cluster of older Chaldean families lived in Hazelcrest Apt. complexes along 9 Mile Rd. and John Rd. That complex is like their old village to them. But in a modern way.

Detroit city schools back in the day operated on an 8-4 [[no middle school) or either a 6-3-3 or 6-2-4 basis with six years in elementary school [[seven if you count kindergarten), two or three years in "intermediate" [[later junior high) and three or four years in high school. Middle school for grades 6-8 came along in the late seventies or early eighties.

:[["

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Originally Posted by Hermod

Detroit city schools back in the day operated on an 8-4 [[no middle school) or either a 6-3-3 or 6-2-4 basis with six years in elementary school [[seven if you count kindergarten), two or three years in "intermediate" [[later junior high) and three or four years in high school. Middle school for grades 6-8 came along in the late seventies or early eighties.

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That is not true. I went to Greenfield Park on Brush St. North of six mile at Lousiana and it was k-8. Then went to Nolan for 9 and on to Pershing 10-12.


To the op. I went to school with a David Payne in that neiborhood and that time period.

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Originally Posted by Wheels

:[["

That is not true. I went to Greenfield Park on Brush St. North of six mile at Lousiana and it was k-8. Then went to Nolan for 9 and on to Pershing 10-12.


To the op. I went to school with a David Payne in that neiborhood and that time period.

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When did you go to Greenfield Park?

Also, I believe this is the neighborhood John DeLorean grew up in.

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Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

When did you go to Greenfield Park?

Also, I believe this is the neighborhood John DeLorean grew up in.

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I wen to Greenfied Park from 1955-1963.
John DeLorean lived near 6 mile and Dequindre not far from there.

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Originally Posted by Wheels

I wen to Greenfied Park from 1955-1963.
John DeLorean lived near 6 mile and Dequindre not far from there.

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Ahh ok a bit too early. My mother went there from 1964-1968. Lived on the tiny sliver of Goldengate east of the Chrysler.

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Originally Posted by Wheels

:[["

That is not true. I went to Greenfield Park on Brush St. North of six mile at Lousiana and it was k-8. Then went to Nolan for 9 and on to Pershing 10-12.


To the op. I went to school with a David Payne in that neiborhood and that time period.

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I went to Greenfield Park K through 4.

Preschool at Salt and Pepper Preschool.

Good times! [[kinda)