The Pontch -- 1912 Shorpy again

**Ray1936** · July-03-11, 05:25 PM

The street scenes in this posting of the Pontchartrain Hotel on Woodward are just great. The automobiles outnumber other modes of transportation by far; Detroit was really becoming "The Motor City", I guess.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is always a worthwhile look-at. At this moment in time, the Civil War was observing it's 50th Anniversary, as, today, we observe the 150th [[sesquicentennial? Is that the word???) As my ancestry was deeply involved in the Civil War, I always pause a moment when viewing that monument....be it photo -- or in person, as I shall pass by it again next month.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/10743?size=_original

**stromberg2** · July-03-11, 06:13 PM

Hard to believe that big building was demolished. Another winner from Ray!

Stromberg2

**mikefmich** · July-03-11, 06:56 PM

Is that the top of the old Ferry Seed plant in the background? Only thing maybe still standing.
Great image....

**detroitbob** · July-03-11, 10:51 PM

The Ferry Seed bldg would have been about 4 blocks due east, not visable in this picture.

**Gistok** · July-04-11, 12:57 AM

The old Ponchartrain was already obsolete by the time the upper floors were added around 1916. It didn't have a bath in every room [[one down the hall)... and the rooms were very small by today's standards. Although very beautiful on the outside, it's obsolescence doomed it to be replaced by the First National Building in 1922.

**wolverine** · July-04-11, 01:47 AM

Pretty interesting how many floors were up in that roof/mansardish thing on top.

**Maof** · July-04-11, 07:44 AM

wonder what the "misfit" sign is about. far right

**Bigb23** · July-05-11, 12:03 AM

Looks like a major parking "crash" just to the right of the entrance. WTF?

**Ray1936** · July-05-11, 08:09 PM

Here's today's Shorpy offering: Detroit in 1917!

http://www.shorpy.com/node/10755?size=_original

**Jimaz** · July-05-11, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Here's today's Shorpy offering: Detroit in 1917!

http://www.shorpy.com/node/10755?size=_original

What the heck is this behemoth vehicle way off to the right?

Attachment 10081

A street sweeper? A Zamboni? It has pulleys for some reason.

That photo is the most overwhelming yet. There are so many comment-worthy snippets in there.

**Jimaz** · July-05-11, 09:16 PM

It appears to be on the right side of the road moving toward the left of frame. The lower side of the pulley belt seems to be in tension which would drive that big central wheel [[which seems large enough to touch the ground) forward against the direction of travel. I think that's a street sweeper!

**Bigb23** · July-05-11, 09:19 PM

Look at the cars parked [[?) above, and these from the previous picture. Are these people insane ? Or just bad camera angles ?

Attachment 10082

**Jimaz** · July-05-11, 09:47 PM

Then we have this little confrontation:

Attachment 10083

**Jimaz** · July-05-11, 09:53 PM

Okay now we're interlacing comments about different photos. Maybe it would be better to start a new thread for each new Shorpy photo? That would help keep responses separate.

**beachboy** · July-05-11, 10:39 PM

[QUOTE=Ray1936;255716]The street scenes in this posting of the Pontchartrain Hotel on Woodward are just great. The automobiles outnumber other modes of transportation by far; Detroit was really becoming "The Motor City", I guess. [QUOTE]

Yep Ray, if you compare this with Shorpy's earlier 'downtown' pix, the streets have fewer horse doots ...

Also, the street in front of the Pontch looks like concrete or asphalt - any ideas on when the paving of Detroit began?

**mikefmich** · July-06-11, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by Bigb23

Look at the cars parked [[?) above, and these from the previous picture. Are these people insane ? Or just bad camera angles ?

Attachment 10082

Naw their not insane.
Per chance you're injecting current day thiking/sensibilities/etc into a 100 yrs ago? "Normal" can change in less than one generation. Part of studying history that I find fascinating.

**old guy** · July-06-11, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

What the heck is this behemoth vehicle way off to the right?

Attachment 10081

A street sweeper? A Zamboni? It has pulleys for some reason.

That photo is the most overwhelming yet. There are so many comment-worthy snippets in there.

Looks like the street is torn up there. Might be a piece of paving equipment. They were coming up with all kinds of weird new equipment around that time for paving.

**Danny** · July-06-11, 01:56 PM

At the Old Metropole Hotel Building the other 2 buildings which now house the Kacent, Bangkok Express, Woodward Coney Island, Grand Trunk Bar is still there.

**missn** · July-06-11, 08:56 PM

When those ladies dressed to go downtown that day so long ago, they would never imagined that people could enjoy their fashion choices almost 100 years later. I can imagine my grandfather ogling the ankles on the woman in the lower center ...