I always thought that "the Woodward plan" was the reason for the spoke pattern in downtown until I read this recently:
http://michiganradio.org/post/8-mile...ht-miles-whereThe spoke-wheel layout of Detroit's streets is often attributed to Judge Augustus Woodward. But according to Joel Stone, senior curator at the Detroit Historical Society, that's a common misconception."The spoke-wheel plan we can attribute to the Native Americans," Stone explained. "They were here long before anyone else, and they had established trails."
These trails would take them down to Toledo, up to Port Huron, off to Grand Rapids, or up towards Pontiac. They were used for trade and travel and still stand today, just with different names than they once had: Jefferson, Gratiot, Woodward, Grand River, Michigan Avenue, and Fort Street.
The streets are the major spokes of Detroit's wheel system and their hub is Campus Martius Park.
Bookmarks