Answer a Difficult Question on the History of Detroit High Schools and Win a Book

**MrWCF** · April-11-13, 10:48 PM

This post will be in three parts because of the space limitations put on individual posts.

My book on the history of Detroit's high schools, Shadowed Brilliance: A Photographic Exploration of Detroit’s Legendary Public High Schools, is almost complete, but there are a few unanswered questions. The book will not be available to the general public, but if you are the first to answer any one of the four questions below [[and the source of your information can be confirmed), I will send you a copy of my book, free of any charge. If you help with any of the unknown colors, nicknames, or architects, I will be very grateful, and depending upon how many answers I get, I may be able to send you a copy of the book, also. If you don’t care about the book, but can provide any of the missing information, your help will be most appreciated. Here are the unknowns:

Dickinson Elementary School was built in 1889 at the NW corner of 12^th Street and Brigham Street [[later renamed Calumet Street with an address number of 1910 Calumet). The school was abandoned in 1926, but began use as a cooperative school on May 28, 1928. On November 6, 1928, the school was destroyed by fire, and classes were moved to the George Trade School until a new building was built on the Dickinson site and opened on January 27, 1930, as Wilbur Wright High School at 4333 12^th Street.

For whom was Dickinson School named? [[I have my suspicions, but no corroboration.)

Nordstrum High School [[1916), later connected to and merged with Southwestern High School [[1922), was named in honor of John A. Nordstrum [[1835-1905), glass manufacturer, retail grocer, and 15-year Board of Education member in Delray [[annexed by Detroit in 1906). Nordstrum died on August 18, 1905.

Can you find a photograph of John A. Nordstrum?

Hunter School was built in 1914 at 530 S. Colonial in the Village of Navarre [[renamed Oakwood in 1918). The school was named in honor of Alex M. Hunter, President of the Navarre Board of Education. In 1920, a new school building was constructed on the site, and the school became Hunter High School. In 1922, Oakwood was annexed by Detroit, and Hunter was converted to an intermediate school.

Can you find a photograph of Alex M. Hunter?

Aero Mechanics High School resided at 13214 French Road from 1943 to 1968. In 1941, the State Board of Control for Vocational Education purchased a building at 13214 French Road from Barkley-Crow Corp. From 1941 to 1943, the building was operated as a school by the Detroit Board of Education for training war production workers in the National Defense Program. In 1943, the Detroit Board of Education purchased the building, and began operations as a high school that not only granted high school degrees but also awarded Civil Aeronautics Administration Certificates that entitled graduates to work as licensed aircraft mechanics. Due to a needed expansion of City Airport, in 1968 the school moved to its present location at 10200 Erwin Ave. The school’s name was changed in 1982 to Davis Vocational Technical Center, then in 1986 to Davis Aerospace Technical High School, both in honor of Lieutenant General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.

Can you find a photograph of Aero Mechanics High School at its first location at 13214 French Road?

**MrWCF** · April-11-13, 10:54 PM

HIGH SCHOOL	COLORS	NICKNAME
East Commerce	?	Cardinals
Higgins	?	?
Hunter	?	?
McMillan	?	?

What are the unknown colors and nicknames?

**MrWCF** · April-11-13, 10:55 PM

HIGH SCHOOL	HS PERIOD	ADDRESS	BUILT	ARCHITECT
Aero Mechanics	1943-1968	13214 French	?	?
Aero Mechanics Davis Aero Tech	1968-1982 1982-present	10200 Erwin	?	?
Capitol [[Biddle House Hotel)	1893-1896	234-240 E. Jefferson	1849	?
Cass Union Cass Technical Commerce	1907-1910 1910-1912 1909-1912	2330 Grand River	1861	?
Cass Technical Commerce Commerce	1912-1922 1912-1918 1922-1964	2330 Grand River	1912	?
Crockett Tech	1992-2006	571 Mack	1980	?
Detroit	1858-1863	50 Miami [[1354 Broadway)	1858	?
Eastern [[Williams School)	1895-1897	3693 E. Canfield	1890	?
Eastern [[Harris School)	1897-1901	3622 Pulford	1897	?
Higgins	1907-1913	9220 Olivet	1878	?
Hunter	1920-1922	530 S. Colonial	1914	?
Northwestern	1980-present	2200 W. Grand Blvd.	1980	?
Philip Murray Murray-Wright	1965-1967 1967-2007	2001 W. Warren	1965	?
Western [[Webster School)	1895-1898	1280 Twenty-first	1874	?
Wilbur Wright [[Dickinson School)	1928-1930	1910 Calumet	1889	?
Wilkins	1918-1922	643 Porter	1869	?

Who are the unknown architects?

**old guy** · April-11-13, 11:22 PM

What's the book?

**old guy** · April-11-13, 11:25 PM

Whoops, went from the first line to the questions. Never mind.

**p69rrh51** · April-12-13, 11:12 AM

MrWCF you probably have a copy of this image. It popped up on Facebook today and I am posting it just in case you don't. I had not seen this particular image.

Central High School fire April 2, 1893.

**48217** · April-12-13, 11:26 AM

The first Hunter school was on Bayside st. I do not know what years.
Ray Hunter Florist in Southgate is the grandson of Alex M's brother. I did some research on the family a few years back. I had it posted on the face book page, Oakwood Blue Jackets. When FB changed over, all the info got lost. And, I didn't save it.
I will look to see if I can find some of the notes I took while researching.

**MrWCF** · April-12-13, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by p69rrh51

MrWCF you probably have a copy of this image. It popped up on Facebook today and I am posting it just in case you don't. I had not seen this particular image.

Central High School fire April 2, 1893.

Thank you; I do have many images of the 1893 fire, including this one. It must have been a scary sight!

**MrWCF** · April-12-13, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by 48217

The first Hunter school was on Bayside st. I do not know what years.
Ray Hunter Florist in Southgate is the grandson of Alex M's brother. I did some research on the family a few years back. I had it posted on the face book page, Oakwood Blue Jackets. When FB changed over, all the info got lost. And, I didn't save it.
I will look to see if I can find some of the notes I took while researching.

Thanks for the florist lead--I'll follow it up.

The schoolhouse on Bayside was still standing as of 1961, but that's where my information on that ends.

I'll look forward to any info you can provide from your notes--thanks, again.

**MrWCF** · April-12-13, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by MrWCF

Thanks for the florist lead--I'll follow it up.

The schoolhouse on Bayside was still standing as of 1961, but that's where my information on that ends.

I'll look forward to any info you can provide from your notes--thanks, again.

Well, Ray Hunter the florist does not have any photos of Alex M. Hunter, his ancestor, so that is a dead end. But it was a nice try.

**scribe114** · April-13-13, 01:18 PM

Smith Hynchman and Grylis built Murray High School, was constructed and opened around the same time as Eastern and Kettering. There were lots of complaints from the community in regards to lack of school construction within the inner-ring of the city in the early 60's after Cody, Mumford, and Ford had all been constructed on the West Side and improvements were made to Redford. So Superintendent Norman Drachler pushed for more school construction on the East Side.

There were only four schools that supported the inner-ring attendance areas which were Eastern, Northern and Northeastern. Northern had supported the Cass Corridor, and Murray took on those students upon opening. Due to it's central location and vocational programs offered, Murray Wright had a very liberal attendance policy and took on kids from Northeastern, Kettering, Northern, Northwestern and Western's attendance areas.

**MrWCF** · April-13-13, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by scribe114

Smith Hynchman and Grylis built Murray High School, was constructed and opened around the same time as Eastern and Kettering. There were lots of complaints from the community in regards to lack of school construction within the inner-ring of the city in the early 60's after Cody, Mumford, and Ford had all been constructed on the West Side and improvements were made to Redford. So Superintendent Norman Drachler pushed for more school construction on the East Side.

There were only four schools that supported the inner-ring attendance areas which were Eastern, Northern and Northeastern. Northern had supported the Cass Corridor, and Murray took on those students upon opening. Due to it's central location and vocational programs offered, Murray Wright had a very liberal attendance policy and took on kids from Northeastern, Kettering, Northern, Northwestern and Western's attendance areas.

Thanks for the information.

By the way, for anyone wondering, I do have all of the school colors, school nicknames, and architects for all of the high schools and buildings that I did not list in my original post. The ones that I listed are the ones for which I am missing information.

**EastsideAl** · August-12-13, 04:16 PM

The old Hunter School on Bayside stood as an abandoned wreck into the 80s. It was right next to the house of a good friend of mine. It was torn down not that long after some guys who had murdered someone in Indian Village tried to use it as a hideout.

**Hamtragedy** · August-12-13, 11:57 PM

Hamtramck has two Dickinson schools, East and West. Your answer may lie there?

**sumas** · August-13-13, 02:51 AM

Mrwcf, as a published author on Detroit east area history with a new one soon coming, I so commend you for caring about our history.

I so wish I could help you but what you are doing is out of the scope of our research.

**MrWCF** · August-13-13, 04:28 AM

Originally Posted by sumas

Mrwcf, as a published author on Detroit east area history with a new one soon coming, I so commend you for caring about our history.

I so wish I could help you but what you are doing is out of the scope of our research.

Thank you, anyway. The book has been published.

**48217** · August-13-13, 10:39 AM

Yes, I remember that. Was it Alton Coleman, or was that a another one that hid there?
Is you friend MM? I know him! His mother is a cook at Giovanni..

**Brian1979** · August-13-13, 11:06 AM

I'm assuming that Dickinson was named after Donald Dickinson, the U.S. Postmaster General under President Cleveland. He was a politician from Michigan.

**48217** · April-14-14, 06:41 AM

Hunter school 1927

**MrWCF** · April-14-14, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by 48217

Hunter school 1927

Thank you! If I ever reprint the book, I'll add this photo.

**EastsideAl** · April-14-14, 10:31 AM

That picture is of the "new" Hunter School, which was on Colonial and Ormond. Not the old Hunter school discussed above, which was at the dead end of Bayside west of Sanders.

[[Yes, I know MM. I'm friends with his brother.)

**48217** · April-15-14, 09:30 AM

Discussed above says "530 Colonial" not Bayside. No need to be rude. I was just trying to help.

**EastsideAl** · April-15-14, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by 48217

Discussed above says "530 Colonial" not Bayside. No need to be rude. I was just trying to help.

Whoa... rudeness was most definitely not my intent! Very sorry, if it came off that way. I was just trying to clarify which Hunter School it was in the 1927 picture you posted, since there were two of them and they were in different locations.

**TheUsualSuspect** · April-15-14, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by 48217

Yes, I remember that. Was it Alton Coleman, or was that a another one that hid there?
Is you friend MM? I know him! His mother is a cook at Giovanni..

Alton Coleman hid out in a house on Trumbull, near the WSU campus. Maybe he hid other places. Mr. Colemen struck me as a particularly frightening person and remember driving by the house a number of times after he was captured.