Dubois Street name change

**Farwell** · September-23-16, 09:32 AM

When [[and why) was Dubois Street on Detroit's east side changed to Shelele Avenue?

**MSUguy** · September-23-16, 10:05 AM

Uh..ok it was Dubois last time I knew. You want to explain what you're talking about?

**dtowncitylover** · September-23-16, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by MSUguy

Uh..ok it was Dubois last time I knew. You want to explain what you're talking about?

Google Maps has it changed over to Shelele Ave...interesting...

I tried looking up what "Shelele" could mean but didn't find much. Nor anything from media sources or the city...

**MSUguy** · September-23-16, 10:28 AM

Weird. I am going to guess it was just some internet joker screwing around.

**Farwell** · September-23-16, 10:29 AM

Was doing some genealogy research on relatives that lived on Dubois. WHen I went to Google maps they had it listed as Shelele Ave.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sh...!4d-83.0354284

**Gistok** · September-23-16, 11:24 AM

Well if you zoom in on that map [[it is dated Sept. 2013).... the street signs still say Dubois. Sounds like a Google Maps error.

**Sandhouse** · September-23-16, 03:22 PM

I had occasion to look up a location in Kalamazoo, and discovered two street-name errors in one neighborhood relative to the official city maps filed with MDOT. Google Maps is not infallible. I find that somehow comforting.

**Ray1936** · September-23-16, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Well if you zoom in on that map [[it is dated Sept. 2013).... the street signs still say Dubois. Sounds like a Google Maps error.

Nope. If it's on the internet, it must be true.

**EastsideAl** · September-23-16, 05:17 PM

That's completely bizarre. But I was just on that street last weekend. And it was certainly still Dubois then.

**archfan** · September-24-16, 01:48 AM

I could be a trap street. Sometimes map makers put in false names. If that false name shows up in anyone's map, you know they copied their data from you, and violated your copyright.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

**Scottathew** · September-24-16, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by archfan

I could be a trap street. Sometimes map makers put in false names. If that false name shows up in anyone's map, you know they copied their data from you, and violated your copyright.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

Fascinating. If so, perhaps it was picked due to it being rather long, but barely inhabited.

**missn** · September-24-16, 10:58 AM

If you go on Google Streetview, it is listed as Dubois

**bust** · September-25-16, 01:43 PM

The street name is unsettlingly close to Sheneneh, the over-the-top stereotypical ghetto fabulous Detroit character Martin Lawrence played in drag in "Martin".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0uFcf7Cft4

it must be someone's idea of a joke.

**Sandhouse** · September-26-16, 09:15 AM

"The street name is unsettlingly close to Sheneneh,"

I was thinking it sounded like shillelagh, and maybe a Fenian conspiracy was involved. It's also unsettling to think that maybe someone in the electronic-map world doesn't like W.E.B. DuBois, but I don't think he was the namesake of the street. I love the notion of an intentional trap for copyright violators, but I doubt they would pick anything other than a very short street.

**MikeM** · September-26-16, 10:52 AM

Fixed it for ya.

**Scottathew** · September-26-16, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by MikeM

Fixed it for ya.

W00t! Can confirm, is fixed for me too!

**EastsideAl** · September-27-16, 11:26 AM

Well thank you MikeM.

**EastsideAl** · September-27-16, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Sandhouse

It's also unsettling to think that maybe someone in the electronic-map world doesn't like W.E.B. DuBois

According to the Silas Farmer history it was named after land owner James Dubois [[who was married to Sophia Campau) in the 1850s.

**canuck** · September-27-16, 09:34 PM

Dubya Eebee Doobwah!

**mtburb** · September-30-16, 07:37 AM

From one to another...I just noticed that Drake Street in Southgate is now Shire Lane.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.1989...7i13312!8i6656

**Scottathew** · September-30-16, 07:51 AM

Originally Posted by mtburb

From one to another...I just noticed that Drake Street in Southgate is now Shire Lane.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.1989...7i13312!8i6656

This one at last makes some sense. Directly north about 1 mile of Drake Street there is a Shire Lane, that if you extended it south it would turn into Drake.

**Jimaz** · September-30-16, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by mtburb

From one to another...I just noticed that Drake Street in Southgate is now Shire Lane.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.1989...7i13312!8i6656

Someone forgot to spellcheck that sign on the computer store across the street.

"Quality ... componets" LOL

**Scottathew** · September-30-16, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Someone forgot to spellcheck that sign on the computer store across the street.

"Quality ... componets" LOL

Thanks, I needed a giggle, it's been a long week!

**EastsideAl** · September-30-16, 01:14 PM

I have a question about how folks pronounce the name of this street [[no, not Drake, silly). Of course, the actual French pronunciation is something like Du-bwah, which likely how the family it's named after actually pronounced it. While the historical African-American leader by this name, mentioned above in this thread, reportedly pronounced it Du-boise.

As we all know though, French names in Detroit almost always end up being pronounced in the fashion of our local Detroitese [[like, say, Gra-shit). The name of Dubois street certainly hasn't come up a lot during my life on the east side, but somehow I have the impression that it has generally been pronounced as "Du-boy". Do others here concur?

**220hendrie1910** · October-01-16, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by MikeM

Fixed it for ya.

Looks like the Dubois Street joker has moved on up to Hamtramck, sticking the "Shelele Avenue" name on an unnamed lane between Florian and Bernard.

I'm a Google Map Maker reviewer, and it never ceases to amaze me how much vandalism goes on.