Hamtramck

[hamtown mike]

As long as immigrants continue to pour into Hamtown, we'll be just fine. As I have stated on previous threads, on my block alone, 5 houses have been gutted down to the studs and completely rebuilt and rewired for them to live in. I say that's good for the community and think this city and state could use more of them, as they make the area a better place, as evident by all the rebuilt houses.

I agree but have some reservations about the reliance upon an immigrant community.

Hamtramck has an income tax. Many immigrants have not yet found work, or work off the books-making their incomes difficult to tax.

Rental housing is also taxed at a higher non-homesteaded rate. Often times these rental properties are hard to track. There are cases where you could have two families living/renting a homesteaded property. I believe all rental properties should have a rental certificate displayed in a front window.

Whether an intentional dodge or simple ignorance of the rules, there are many who enjoy city services without contributing.

I think Hamtramck will really begin to take off as the legitimate ownership to rental ratio shifts. I have heard that it is close to 60% rental. As people develop a vested interest in property the will develop a vested interest in the city.

How about an ordinance stating that no one individual/company/family can own more than 8 non-contiguous structures/parcels?

[RickBeall]

I know where you are coming from but I don't think that would be a good idea. It would be better to just use existing laws and make sure they keep their properties up to code.


How about a law where you cannot garden on a parcel unless it is contiguous to your house? Ha ha . Just messin' with you.

[CassTechGrad]

1950's looking south from Caniff & Campau.

1960's from near the Polish Art Center looking north.

[Shollin]

I was thinking about the difference between Hamtramck and Highland Park. I was touring Highland Park yesterday, and the housing stock is just so beautiful, or at least it was. Some of the streets looked like they could rival areas of Grosse Pointe had they not been abandoned. You also have Woodward running right through the middle of it. With this great housing stock and commercial thoroughfare, why did Highland Park decline so much more than Hamtramck? Why did immigrants chose Hamtramck over Highland Park? I know the Ford plant closed in Highland Park, but Hamtramck also experienced the closing of Dodge Main. Perhaps the final blow was Chrysler moving from Highland Park to Auburn Hills? I also wonder if Hamtrack being 90% polish had anything to do with it? Perhaps being dominated by one ethnicity there was more a sense of community and more a sense to stay.

[Detroitej72]

I was thinking about the difference between Hamtramck and Highland Park. I was touring Highland Park yesterday, and the housing stock is just so beautiful, or at least it was. Some of the streets looked like they could rival areas of Grosse Pointe had they not been abandoned. You also have Woodward running right through the middle of it. With this great housing stock and commercial thoroughfare, why did Highland Park decline so much more than Hamtramck? Why did immigrants chose Hamtramck over Highland Park? I know the Ford plant closed in Highland Park, but Hamtramck also experienced the closing of Dodge Main. Perhaps the final blow was Chrysler moving from Highland Park to Auburn Hills? I also wonder if Hamtrack being 90% polish had anything to do with it? Perhaps being dominated by one ethnicity there was more a sense of community and more a sense to stay.

The other thing that is interesting is that Hamtramck was mostly line workers, very blue collar while Highland Park was more management. In fact, at one time HP rivaled Grosse Pointe, complete with their own water system.

I think the biggest reason for the two cities treading in opposite directions is due to immigrants. Hamtown has been a destination and has welcomed multiple waves of immigrants over the years. Meanwhile, HP never really attracted any new ethnic groups once the white folks moved out to greener pastures.

I would hold this up as another example why immigration is good for the United States, they stabilize older neighborhoods and create jobs.

[Islandman]

I was thinking about the difference between Hamtramck and Highland Park. I was touring Highland Park yesterday, and the housing stock is just so beautiful, or at least it was. Some of the streets looked like they could rival areas of Grosse Pointe had they not been abandoned. You also have Woodward running right through the middle of it. With this great housing stock and commercial thoroughfare, why did Highland Park decline so much more than Hamtramck? Why did immigrants chose Hamtramck over Highland Park? I know the Ford plant closed in Highland Park, but Hamtramck also experienced the closing of Dodge Main. Perhaps the final blow was Chrysler moving from Highland Park to Auburn Hills? I also wonder if Hamtrack being 90% polish had anything to do with it? Perhaps being dominated by one ethnicity there was more a sense of community and more a sense to stay.

Also keep in mind that Highland Park was the "canary in the mine" in the 80s; it was the first area of town to really get hit with the crack epidemic.

[RickBeall]

Highland Park was circling the drain even when Chrysler was there. I lived in Highland Park in the 1980's. It looked the same. The loss of Chrysler did not cause the problem.

[piczka]

What churches are empty? I can't think of a single one.

Not only are they empty, all are locked up like bank vaults during the day. No stopping in for a quick prayer or meditation as may be desired for some. You might be lucky to find someone in the rectory to let you in if they happen to be in a good mood or you slip them a fin. Many have been vandalized and are afraid to keep their doors open other than for scheduled services. St. Florian is a prime example. There is nothing to steal in a mosque other than a throw rug.

[poobert]

Not only are they empty, all are locked up like bank vaults during the day. No stopping in for a quick prayer or meditation as may be desired for some. You might be lucky to find someone in the rectory to let you in if they happen to be in a good mood or you slip them a fin. Many have been vandalized and are afraid to keep their doors open other than for scheduled services. St. Florian is a prime example. There is nothing to steal in a mosque other than a throw rug.

Welcome to the 21st century in the United States. So your gripe with Hamtramck is that their churches aren't open for you to walk into anytime? I can't think of a single suburban church - ever - that left their doors open. You only see it anymore in major cities, mostly touristed ones.

I think St. John Episcopal and the Cathedral Church of St. Paul [[Episcopal) in Detroit are still open around lunchtime for prayer and meditation. Funny thing is I don't know if any Catholic Churches are [[despite being Catholic) and they're traditionally the ones that are open, if any.

[Danny]

The other thing that is interesting is that Hamtramck was mostly line workers, very blue collar while Highland Park was more management. In fact, at one time HP rivaled Grosse Pointe, complete with their own water system.

"No! Highland Park get its own water via pipeline from Grosse Pointe not from some underground well system."

Originally Posted by Shollin

"I was thinking about the difference between Hamtramck and Highland Park. I was touring Highland Park yesterday, and the housing stock is just so beautiful, or at least it was. Some of the streets looked like they could rival areas of Grosse Pointe had they not been abandoned. You also have Woodward running right through the middle of it. With this great housing stock and commercial thoroughfare, why did Highland Park decline so much more than Hamtramck? Why did immigrants chose Hamtramck over Highland Park? I know the Ford plant closed in Highland Park, but Hamtramck also experienced the closing of Dodge Main. Perhaps the final blow was Chrysler moving from Highland Park to Auburn Hills? I also wonder if Hamtrack being 90% polish had anything to do with it? Perhaps being dominated by one ethnicity there was more a sense of community and more a sense to stay."


"For starters Highland Park was a Scottish farming and village settlement from Greenfield Township in the west and Hamtramck ownship in the east. By 1818 Judge August Woodward brought the piece of the land and by 1825 he called it "Woodwardville". It failed due to lack of regional development. Later Judge Benjamin Witherell bought the land in 1836 and called it 'Cassandra'. That too failed due to lack of regional development. Greenfield Township and Hamtramck Township took over its land. By 1860 a post office was built and the area was giving a name called 'Whitewood'. Scottish folks who lived in that small plot on land along Woodward to the 6 Mile Rd. line incorporate that area the Village of Highland Park. It's was called Highland Park after the Scottish "Highlands" after England finally took over and the United Kingdom was born.

When Henry Ford built his "Crystal Palace" called the Highland Park Assembly Plant in 1909, he issued his five dollar a day wage. It lured thousands of people to plant and homes and local businesses were developed. People rallied to incorporate their village to the City of Highland Park to protect its tax base from Detroit's annexation attempts. The Chrysler Corporation also came to Highland Park in 1925 to built their plant and its world headquarters.

By 1944 The completion of Davison Freeway is the first urban freeway that ran from west to east, east to west in a matter of minutes.

Suddenly by the late 1940s an influx of mostly first wave middle income African American families came to Highland Park following the exodus of ethnic Jewish communities from Paradise Valley to the Detroit's West Side areas. After the 1967 riots white flight was accelerated to the suburbs, their businesses went with them and its tax base started to decline. Then the influx of second wave of African American families move to Highland Park via from the first wave African American families. Most of its neighborhoods other the well kept up middle income areas were turned into mixture of boarding and rental homes. Some landlords who were from middle income families who are now living in the suburbs. They are trying to save their income by renting their properties to mostly up and coming 2nd wave African American families who were down on their luck and with low educational skills and ready to work manufacturing skills.

When violent crime in Detroit loomed flowing with neighborhood gangs, thieves, murders and the crack epidemic, It spread quickly to Highland Park's neighborhoods. It frightened the 1st wave middle income African American families that they move further away to Detroit's Northwest Side towards to Oak Park, Southfield, Lathrup Village, Farmington Hills and even up to West Bloomfield Township via the exodus of Indo-European Jewish communities. To keep the urban oppression going most middle income families who still own much of Highland Park, homes and apts. turned into slumlords refusing to fix up their properties for their tenants who were mostly 2nd wave African American low-income impoverished families.

In the meantime The Ford Highland Park Assembly Plant started to close offically in 1973 was sold to various private industries. By 1991 Chrysler closes its plant and moved its WHQ to Auburn Hills.

Highland Park today is 95% black. Eight-five percent of them are low-income coming from a 4th generation from the 2nd wave African American families who dwell in their those neighborhoods. There is an arsonist on the loose setting HP homes, apts and businesses on fire. Their school district is run by Detroit Public Schools [[ temporarily). It's city government is suffering financially in debt under its emergency manager and two thirds of their neighborhood streetlights are gone because they can't pay their electric bill."

"In 1798 Gen. Jean Francois Hamtramck started to found a former former French and Brittish ribbon farming community and called Hamtramck Township. By the 1800s German families came and bought plots of land from Detroit River to 8 Mile Base and County line Rd and from Woodward Rd. [[ Piety Hill area) to Conner Creek TWP. Line to Grosse Point border. By 1914 After the Dodge Brothers open their plant, an influx of Polish Families came. They build fewer wooden shacks until some developer decided to build a mixture of rows of wood frame flats and single family homes detatched but close toghether. The Village of Hamtramck was incorporated in 1901 and its tax based increased.

In the meantime and over the years Detroit was annexing smaller parts of Hamtramck Township. When folks in Hamtramck heard that Highland Park became a city to prevent Detroit's annexation attempts. Folks rushed to incorporate the City of Hamtramck in 1922 and it was Polish dominate.

Since the 1920s to the 1950s an Influx of 1st wave middle income African American families came to Hamtramck from Black Bottom, Paradise Valley to Old Little Italy to Polonia communties [[Poletown) along Chene Rd. to East Grand Blvd. in Detroit Lower East Side. They settled along Mt. Elliot and Conant St. Areas and further south of Clay St. White folks noticed the influx of Black families and set up restrictive covenants to keep them moving further into Hamtramck neighborhoods. House of Urban development notices the lack of housing for blacks in Hamtramck and Detroit and the destruction of Black Bottom and Paradise Valley for Chrysler FWY. So they started to built housing complexes just west of the Chrysler FWY. along Common St. Unfortunately those housing complexes were meant for 2nd wave African American families who are low-income with a lack of educational skills but have ready to work skills. Later fewer white folks in west side of Hamtramck who are living on Dyar and Grand Haven St. noticed that project is filling up with black families that most of them moved away or become landlords or sold thier homes to them. By the 1960s to 1970s those two streets hit hard with carelessness, violent crime and building fires. The Hamtramck City Council decided to have those homes in those two streets torn down and not to be built turning those two streets into instant blighted urban praries. To keep the 2nd wave African American families in check more police presence had been patrolling the housing complexes.

By 2000s The U.S. Dept of HUD opposed the racial real estate scheme from Hamtramck City Council and have a private developer to built new single family homes for African American families on Dyar and Grand Haven St.


By the mid 1970s After the OPEC Oil Crisis, Americans were starting to buy more fuel efficient cars from Japan. This put an effect only the Dodge Plant, but also Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and of course American Motors. By 1978 Most of the car models were end up in "Car Banks" meaning lots of cars being parked there are clearance. By 1980 The Dodge Main Plant closed and the Dodge corporate brand was bought by Chrysler. Also Detroit mayor Coleman A. Young and General Motors wanted to build the Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant in Detroit's Poletown community. The people in Poletown rallied to save their neighborhood but they lost. Poletown was demolished and over 1400 of Polish descent residents either moved further to to Hamtramck or the suburbs. Some of them moved to City of Warren.

From the early 1980s to the today, after the completion of Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant. An influx of Middle Eastern Arabs and East Indian people came. Not only to work at the plant about also brining thier businesses to the area. Some of them made thier settle along the Detroit Hamtramck Border along My Elliot St. and Conant St. where 1st wave African American families used to live. Others spread further along Conant St. from Holbrook St. to Carpenter St. By the 1990s An influx of Bengladshis came from New York City's Astoria community to settle in Hamtramck and Detroit's Conant Gardens Area from Conant Ave to Joseph Campeau St and South of Davison Street and FWY.

Today Hamtramck is very diversed well kept community filled ethnic cultures and festivals. However its city government will have to deal with bankruptcy rather having an emergency manager like they did since 2000."

[Shollin]

IIRC Highland Park has a water resoivor on Dequindre by 6 mile.

[Danny]

IIRC Highland Park has a water resoivor on Dequindre by 6 mile.

That reservoir is connected with a series watermains which comes from Grosse Pointe.

[GUSHI]

Danny you forgot about all the Albanians and former Yugoslavian, that's also lived in Hamtramck,at that time, some still do, the streets of dorthy, Oliver, winkle man, and miller and few other streets around there housed a shit load of Albanians, from the 1970 to early 1990s between Conant and mt Elliott, the former resurrection parish[[Polish parish) on miller which is now a Mosk, use hold mass in Albanian in the 1970s for a short time, I grew up in that area when I moved out in tue early 90s there were still over a dozen Albanian families in that area,

[GUSHI]

Not to mention a lot of Albanians in other parts of Hamtown,

[RickBeall]

Hey Danni, that was an unvarnished, pretty impressive history you gave there! Nice!