Detroit's Birthday Getting Overlooked?

**easternshorebird** · July-24-17, 04:53 PM

Surprised no one has yet mentioned the importance of July 24 yet? [[aside from the 1967 riot) No celebrating? Huh?

http://www.wxyz.com/news/celebrate-d...adillac-square

Happy 316th Birthday to Detroit
Wish I was there for a taste of that Vernor's ginger ale-flavored ice cream freebie.

For my part, if I hear anyone today utter "DEE-troit" instead of the correct pronunciation, will remind them the word comes from the French.
At times in the past some oaf will ask - "So, what does it mean?
And I delight in saying "Oh, historians have translated it as
a name deriving from the native Indians as "city at confluence of 2 mighty rivers that will make good place to manufacture automobiles"
Believe it or not, many times the oaf would believe me.
Sometimes, if they press me for more interesting historic bits about Detroit, I will tell them the mighty Indian warrior Chief Pontiac planned to fight his rival Chief LaSalle at the site which is now Ambassador Bridge, changed his mind at last minute and broke out peace pipe. Hence, the naming of the bridge to honor the great warriors coming together as ambassadors of peace.
More than one ignoramus has bought that, too.

**Jimaz** · July-24-17, 07:00 PM

↑ Two chuckles. That was good.

Welcome to the board.

**Zacha341** · July-24-17, 08:08 PM

Thanks for the reminder! It happens I brought a bottle of Vernors today. Not the same as it was but a slice of lemon, ice. Ahhhh!

**ThunderTrap** · July-26-17, 12:38 AM

The site of the one-time home of Sieur de Cadillac in Downtown Montreal is now the site of a McDonald's.

**easternshorebird** · July-26-17, 02:28 PM

His birthplace, you mean?
Wow. That is sad.
Is that a reflection on how Canadians value their history.....

**401don** · July-26-17, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by easternshorebird

His birthplace, you mean?
Wow. That is sad.
Is that a reflection on how Canadians value their history.....

Canadians don't spend as much time learning about their history as we should. We do however spend a little time looking at the rest of the world [[unlike many Americans). Either way, since Cadillac was the founder of Detroit you should at least know he was a French explorer, from you know, France.

**dtowncitylover** · July-26-17, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Canadians don't spend as much time learning about their history as we should. We do however spend a little time looking at the rest of the world [[unlike many Americans). Either way, since Cadillac was the founder of Detroit you should at least know he was a French explorer, from you know, France.

And his childhood home there is still standing!

**easternshorebird** · July-26-17, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

......was the founder of Detroit you should at least know he was a French explorer, from you know, France.

Oooops! Knew he was French dude, of course, but did not know if that meant he was born on French soil or his folks had emigrated to Montreal
Thanks to 401don and dtowncitylover for the info. Relieved to hear that his birthplace in France got historic preservation, not the golden arches.

Posts generated me to do some poking around. Before he got famous in Motor City, he was in Maine and that is how Cadillac Mountain there got its name.
He also, after his stint in Detroit, got a gig as governor of Lousiana colony, but was unpopular there [[?) and his political enemies around Quebec got him sent back to France. He was even briefly thrown into the Bastille jail. [[Hmmm, maybe portending Detroit's future leaders......around 300 years later....
Fascinating stuff

**renf** · July-26-17, 07:14 PM

Antoine Laumet was born on 5 March 1658 in Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Gravre pres de Moissac in the home of his maternal grand father. A good and fairly recent and quite informative biography of Cadillac is: Le destin extraordinaire du Gascon Lamothe Cadillac fondateur de Detroit by Rene Toujas. It should be available on the French Amazon site.