Original features of Detroit's grand old squares & parks

All of these features in the parks require two things:

1. City employees competent to to maintain the plumbing and landscaping.
2. City employees to whom the word "work" is not a nasty four-letter word.

You don't get this with fifty years of "friends and family" hiring and staffing practices.

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Originally Posted by Hermod

All of these features in the parks require two things:

1. City employees competent to to maintain the plumbing and landscaping.
2. City employees to whom the word "work" is not a nasty four-letter word.

You don't get this with fifty years of "friends and family" hiring and staffing practices.

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Fifty years seems like an odd, even number, Hermod. What happened fifty years ago to prompt the change you mention?

Also, what was it like before?

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Originally Posted by Hermod

All of these features in the parks require two things:

1. City employees competent to to maintain the plumbing and landscaping.
2. City employees to whom the word "work" is not a nasty four-letter word.

You don't get this with fifty years of "friends and family" hiring and staffing practices.

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I think this has more to do with the cost of wages now vs. the 1910s. In the past, people power was cheaper. Even Henry Ford's vaunted $5 a day comes out to about $30K a year in today's dollars, and that was considered the pinnacle of pay scales. Most people worked for a lot less; the people mucking out fountains worked for way less.

Back in the day there was a fear that polio was spreading through
public pools. I can't say if this is the reason why, but I think the
fountains were taken out well before African American southerners
become the most prevalent City of Detroit employee ethnic group.

Hermod you hit the nail on head. I recall spending a lot of time in the parks as part of my work schedule, getting things done was a major frustration factor. In the early 70's Palmer Park had a casting pond where folks could gone to work on fishing skills. The pond was on the west side of the park near the golf course. During the summer there were some individuals who would be there on Sunday mornings. I got a chance to see some real experts when it came to casting, fly, bait and spin casters. A quiet sport they enjoyed at the pond. It has probably been filled in or removed.

Well, here is what happened to Eppinger Pond near the Dearborn Civic Center
at Michigan and Greenfield Roads:

http://www.pressandguide.com/article...ewmode=default

And this history page on Palmer Park mentions the casting pond, but
a very nice lake next to it was filled in with debris from the Lodge Freeway
right before I was born on the same day the ribbon cutting for the Lodge
Freeway was held outside Crittenton Hospital, right by the Lodge Freeway
at that time:

https://peopleforpalmerpark.wordpres...f-palmer-park/

And the Phragmites and the pond both have resurfaced. I'd want my money back.

Does anyone remember a small hot dog stand at the SE corner of Temple and 2nd? Iwas across the street from the Masonic Temple and the lady who owned it sold pretty good hot dogs, this is in the early 70's. Reading this post brought back some memories, it was a very small restaurant.

Thanks everyone for sharing their stories, photos, and opinions

It appears that Scripps Park in Woodbridge looked a lot different in the late 1800's to early 1900's than it does now. It contained a library which was originally the mansion of a Mr. and Mrs. George Booth. The park once had a fancy stone-lined cascade and canal running through it as well

I have exceeded my upload allocation, so a link to the article with photos is below:

https://cranbrookkitchensink.wordpre...-land-library/

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Originally Posted by masterblaster

It appears that Scripps Park in Woodbridge looked a lot different in the late 1800's to early 1900's than it does now. It contained a library which was originally the mansion of a Mr. and Mrs. George Booth. The park once had a fancy stone-lined cascade and canal running through it as well

I have exceeded my upload allocation, so a link to the article with photos is below:

https://cranbrookkitchensink.wordpre...-land-library/

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An image of the library.

The library from the James Scripps house was moved across Trumbull to the Scripps Library in 1927.

It wouldn't be the first time in Detroit a park..........[[1896)
Attachment 31547

....became a subdivision [[1903)
Attachment 31548

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Originally Posted by Gistok

One has to realize that Grand Circus Park east and west were totally ripped apart in 1955 in order to put underground parking there. Everything was torn out, trees and fountains.

Only what could be saved [[statuary and some fancy fountainworks) was saved, and reinstalled [[not often at the same location)....

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In Paris they somehow manage to put in multi-level underground parking without disturbing the historic buildings on the site.

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Originally Posted by expatriate

In Paris they somehow manage to put in multi-level underground parking without disturbing the historic buildings on the site.

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Somehow I think Detroit would have ended up with some sink holes had they tried that. After all soil reacts differently than building foundations. Also... the GCP re-do was 60 years ago. Any innovations for underground parking in a different way of creating them, would likely be do to more recent innovations.

From my window I can see that they're ripping out portions of Capitol Park again. Did not notice this earlier today. What do you all think the odds are we'll get more green space, or, dare I say, a water fountain?