1940s Detroit - History Porn

[GoGrixdale]

I'll just leave this here.

[DetroitPlanner]

Mislabeled... nary a boobie in the whole movie.

[Sandhouse]

Did anyone else spot the sign, "Elm Park Village - A Restricted Community?"

I couldn't resist touring Bramford Street on Google Maps. It's all still there at age 63, at 8 Mile and Van Dyke.

It looked like times were good for whoever made the movies, with new houses and new Fords. Too bad there weren't but a few seconds of the "spindizzy" event. I had read of these gas-powered toy cars but never seen one run.

[Ray1936]

Great clip of better times. Thanks for the link.

[Steve]

Thank you, GoGrixdale. That was great.

[Detroit Stylin]

Great clip of better times. Thanks for the link.

Better times? For whom?!

[Ray1936]

Better times for me, Detroit Stylin. Fifty years back was a different world. Sorry you missed it.

[steve from virginia]

Like watching folks dancing in the ballroom of the Titanic ...

[Hermod]

Like watching folks dancing in the ballroom of the Titanic ...

No, people who were living a simpler life than we have now. They had few possessions besides their homes, furniture, and cars. They were happy to have a small refrigerator instead of an ice box. No fancy telephones, gaming consoles, ipads, computers, or home theaters. In the evening, they read, played cards, or did a jigsaw puzzle.

[old guy]

I almost feel as though I've seen this video in another thread in the last few days here. But... it is a good one.

[Zacha341]

Doing a jigsaw puzzle...? Oh the horrors... too much introspection and quite time required!

No, people who were living a simpler life than we have now. They had few possessions besides their homes, furniture, and cars. They were happy to have a small refrigerator instead of an ice box. No fancy telephones, gaming consoles, ipads, computers, or home theaters. In the evening, they read, played cards, or did a jigsaw puzzle.

[Danny]

Notice Elm Park Village near Van Dyke Rd. and E. 8 Mile Rd. 'A Restricted Community' basically means keep coloreds out! There been some restrictive covenants in mostly white Detroit middle income communities. Especially in northeast side areas after the Conant Gardens and Sojourner Truth Housing Projects were set for low to middle income black Detroiters.

[Danny]

Did anyone else spot the sign, "Elm Park Village - A Restricted Community?"

Yes, It means keep blacks out!

The Sweet family fought for their lower east side home on Garland St. and won. The McGhees fought for their west side home on Seebaldt St. and won. In those times for better housing on Detroit neighborhoods before it become ghettohoods, how many black Detroiters have to push through the courts and mean cranky middle class white Detroit neighbors in order to keep their home? Some won others lost. It all depends on what day and year when real estate and sub-division developers will allow black families into to all white neighborhood.


In 1958 My grandmother brought a 2 bedroom bungalow in 9209 Stoepel St. just west of Livernois, South of W. Chicago St. and north of Joy Rd. The area is 81% white and 17% black. My family was first one on the second block just off on Westfield St. Through God's grace her family didn't get put out by white folks by court order. Most of them were very friendly. My family even hang out with them and help each other in times of need. However they were told not to wander off other hoods in northwest Detroit areas or near Tireman St. to Dearborn. Chances are they were get beat up, checked on by all white Detroit or Dearborn police force and jumped by white kids calling the n*&^r, coon or other names.

My Dad and his friends before they came in-laws in my grandmother's family defy that order by riding their bikes further down W. Chicago St. to an all white northwest Detroit neighborhood. When they got to Rouge Park in the corner of W. Chicago Rd. and Spinoza St. Suddenly a group of white kids more than a group of my family came up to them. One of them call names and a white kid came up to dad's face and spit on him. That was his first experience of live racism. They didn't fight because they could risk days in jail. Instead they retreated back to their homes.

My dad pass this story to my family in a way to let go of racism in their lives.

[Drexciya68]

Here is a cool video shot in Detroit in the 1970s.
http://youtu.be/ailI6LCDMTM

"Block party and bike parade filmed at 20160 Lichfield, Detroit, MI 48221 sometime in the summer of 1974"

[Jimaz]

Here is a cool video shot in Detroit in the 1970s.
http://youtu.be/ailI6LCDMTM

"Block party and bike parade filmed at 20160 Lichfield, Detroit, MI 48221 sometime in the summer of 1974"

Thanks for sharing!

[Drexciya68]

Thanks for sharing!

Cool isnt it? I teared up watching it. Please thank the woman on you tude for upping that old video.

[Danny]

It's it amazing, not that far from my old hood of Martin Park where I used to live at 16210 Lawton St. There was white middle class folks dominating Green Acres, Palmer Woods and Sherwood Forest. It the time there were lots of Orthodox Jews living in Palmer Park and Temple Israel Synagogue was operating. Now there almost long gone. But the old hood still kept up.

[terryh]

These films are real gems for Detroit history pundits and afficianados! Thanks for the clips.Lichfield rd looked like a working class area..I know the 1940 clip didn't represent the lives of all Detroiters..workers were still struggling..there was not nearly as much personal freedom as there is now, although society was more libertarian then than now on some social issues I think...

[Danny]

These films are real gems for Detroit history pundits and afficianados! Thanks for the clips.Lichfield rd looked like a working class area..I know the 1940 clip didn't represent the lives of all Detroiters..workers were still struggling..there was not nearly as much personal freedom as there is now, although society was more libertarian then than now on some social issues I think...

Detroit in the 1940s was in a 'Arsenal of Democracy' phase. Folks from all over the states came to Detroit to find jobs. There were instant hiring signs all over the place. Even a 12 year old can look for work and get hired right away. When more people moving to Detroit means demand for more housing. The Youtube photo that some of you all saw was quick housing development ready for middle income families. The modern 'Levittownesque' suburbs came later. White folks left Detroit fast and you all know what happens next after 1967.

[David L]

Strange how things come full circle. I lived on the other side of Van Dyke from Elm Park Village. It is now a restricted community... for blacks. The house I grew up in was extensively remodeled before the crash, but is now in the foreclosure process with over 11k in back taxes. I would like nothing more than to buy the house I grew up in, but would not feel safe living in it. Racism is endemic in Detroit, and is a huge obstacle for neighborhood revitalization.

[eno]

Here are a couple of home movies capturing moments in time during the 70s. The first is a bicycle parade gathering at 20160 Lichfield in Detroit. The other is a video shot by a young adult "18?" in one of the suburbs then goes on a tropical vacation. Don't watch if it doesn't have enough Detroit content for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ailI6...ature=youtu.be


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6856CnuRX4