Belle Isle Then and Now

[p69rrh51]

The Detroit Boat Club on Riverbank designed by Alpheus Chittenden and built in 1902.

[p69rrh51]

The Detroit Boat Club Pool was built for the 1928 Olympic Trials. Johnny Weissmuller set a couple world records in the pool during the trials. I do not have the image of him taken at the club unfortunately, but the rowers do have the image.

[Zacha341]

Nice collection of photos... I'm looking forward to spending time on the Isle!

[canuck]

The original Bath House on Riverbank.

That is one heck of a piece of municipal equipment. Beautiful and odd at the same time. It seems inspired by the Vienna Secessionist movement.

[old guy]

Renowned Henry Jamison "Jam" Handy swam daily in the Boat Club pool during the summer. Well known for his film work, little known is that he is the creator of the swimming stroke butterfly.

So, here's a guy I really don't like. I swam the butterfly for three years on the swim team, I think because the swim coach didn't like me. if you ever had to do that you'd understand what I mean. The 100 yd. race was not fun. Actually the 50 yd. and practice every day was no picnic.

[Lowell]

Editorial note: For technical reasons, the above deleted posts had have their content combined into the first post of this thread. This was required to maintain order with posts from the 2013 Picnic thread into this dedicated Belle Isle thread.

[p69rrh51]

Looks like in the merge eliminated the images of Shadynook Comfort Station.

[Ray1936]

The second floor of the police station on Belle Isle, now offices, was originally living quarters for the police executive named the Harbormaster. He was expected to live there with his family, and usually did. I think that perk lasted well into the forties.

[p69rrh51]

Belle Isle Stables/Maintenance Building on the corner of Inselruhe & Loiter Way.Built in 1897 and designed by Mason & Rice.

[p69rrh51]

Another of the casualty of the move. Spanish-American War Commerative at the coorner of Central Avenue & Picnic Way. Built in 1932 the sculptor is Allen G. Newman.

[EastsideAl]

The original Bath House on Riverbank

That is one heck of a piece of municipal equipment. Beautiful and odd at the same time. It seems inspired by the Vienna Secessionist movement.

Here is a shot of it from the beach side. Complete with a mini "moonlight" lighting tower!



Unfortunately, it never reopened after its use as a holding pen for people arrested during the 1967 riot.

[EastsideAl]

Was this station on the Southeast corner, and when was it torn down? Thanx.

The bus station was torn down in the summer of 1980, without warning and in the middle of the night. The Friends of Belle Isle had been working with the state to get a historical designation for the building and to refurbish it or perhaps move it. This was opposed by the Young administration, which had the final word with a couple of bulldozers.

Here is a fun picture of it in better times with the Electric Park roller coaster in the background:

[Honky Tonk]

The bus station was torn down in the summer of 1980, without warning and in the middle of the night. The Friends of Belle Isle had been working with the state to get a historical designation for the building and to refurbish it or perhaps move it. This was opposed by the Young administration, which had the final word with a couple of bulldozers.

In the mid to late 70's, I was involved with Preservation Wayne. That was CAY's standard modus operandi. I remember trying to designate and save some Victorian houses around Wine State. 'Dozers showed up one Sunday, 7 a.m., and leveled the houses, before people could get trousers on and stop them. [[in hindsight, probably should've skipped the trousers). I believe one incarnation of Hiedelberg also met the same fate. GREAT photos everyone! I snatch and store the really old ones.

[p69rrh51]

Nancy Brown Peace Carillon near the corner of Loiter Way and Picnic Way. Built in 1940 the Carillon was designed by Clarence Day.

[p69rrh51]

William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse located east of Lakeshore Drive. Built in 1929 and designed by Albert Kahn.

[marshamusic]

The bus station was torn down in the summer of 1980, without warning and in the middle of the night. The Friends of Belle Isle had been working with the state to get a historical designation for the building and to refurbish it or perhaps move it. This was opposed by the Young administration, which had the final word with a couple of bulldozers.

Here is a fun picture of it in better times with the Electric Park roller coaster in the background:

So is this building on Jefferson? Is this a view of the way into the Island?

Or is it on the Island, and the view is on the way off?

[EastsideAl]

View is looking south [[well, really southeast-ish) from Jefferson. Eastbound traffic on Jefferson can just be glimpsed in the extreme foreground. The underpass carries traffic from E. Grand Blvd. under Jefferson onto the bridge [[as it did until 1985). Belle Isle itself is in the deep background at the other end of the bridge. Electric Park and its roller coaster is where Gabriel Richard Park is today.

The bus station is on the east side of the bridge approach just south of the southeast corner of Jefferson and E. Grand Blvd. The buses coming off the island would drop off passengers there [[a short walk from the Jefferson and Crosstown -later Grand Belt- streetcars), and then load passengers headed to the island, go through the turnaround shown in front of the underpass, and head out across the bridge.

The date of the photograph is about 1923. And, as a personal aside, my paternal grandfather grew up in that era just a block off to the left of this picture, on Field just north of Jefferson. As a kid he sold papers, carried beer buckets, and cleaned saloons in Electric Park and on the surrounding streets.

[Honky Tonk]

So is this building on Jefferson? Is this a view of the way into the Island?

Or is it on the Island, and the view is on the way off?

Belle Isle is in the background. I wonder what schooner that is docked in the background?

[EastsideAl]

I wonder what schooner that is docked in the background?

I believe that's the USS Yantic, whose anchor sits in front of Brodhead and hull is reportedly buried in Gabriel Richard Park.

[Honky Tonk]

Why was it there? [[can you tell I was an annoying child?) As an exibit, or for tours? NEVER MIND! An interesting little blurb about Detroit in the last line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Yantic_[[IX-32)

[marshamusic]

View is looking south [[well, really southeast-ish) from Jefferson. Eastbound traffic on Jefferson can just be glimpsed in the extreme foreground. The underpass carries traffic from E. Grand Blvd. under Jefferson onto the bridge [[as it did until 1985). Belle Isle itself is in the deep background at the other end of the bridge. Electric Park and its roller coaster is where Gabriel Richard Park is today.

The bus station is on the east side of the bridge approach just south of the southeast corner of Jefferson and E. Grand Blvd. The buses coming off the island would drop off passengers there [[a short walk from the Jefferson and Crosstown -later Grand Belt- streetcars), and then load passengers headed to the island, go through the turnaround shown in front of the underpass, and head out across the bridge.

The date of the photograph is about 1923. And, as a personal aside, my paternal grandfather grew up in that era just a block off to the left of this picture, on Field just north of Jefferson. As a kid he sold papers, carried beer buckets, and cleaned saloons in Electric Park and on the surrounding streets.

Thanks EastsideAl, that's what I thought. It is really amazing how time can cause so many structures to recede out of memory; then to see a photo and totally recall that a building was once there.

Also, wasn't the Giant Stove there too? Wouldn't it have been in the area of the right foreground [[if it were visible)?

I suppose that roller coaster was before my time; I really don't remember that at all.

Thanks for these great picks p69rrh51!

[56packman]

I recall having a discussion with Dr. Leonard B. Smith as to why the Detroit Concert Band concerts ceased, this would have been around 1980-'81. His reply had to do with owners of custom vans parking right next to the band shell, taking these huge home-size [[circa 1980) stereo speakers out of the custom vans and blasting music that was.........well, let's say it wasn't concert band music. Several politically incorrect adjectives were used to describe the people and their music.

[EastsideAl]

The big stove would probably still have been further east on Jefferson in front of the Michigan Stove Works at the time this picture was taken. On Jefferson between Adair and Leib [[present location of Harbortown).

It was moved over to just west of the Belle Isle Bridge approach in 1926 [[just off to the right of the picture I posted), where it remained until it was moved to the State Fairgrounds in 1965.

Here is the late, lamented stove in front of the stove works on Jefferson where it was located from 1893 to 1926:



And here it is by the Belle Isle Bridge approach, where it was 1926-1965.

[p69rrh51]

The Windmill near the entrance to Belle Isle.

[p69rrh51]

The old Belle Isle Bridge and parts of Electric Park.