The Concrete Dispute

[Bong-Man]

We have all heard that a portion of Woodward Ave. in front of the model T factory in Highland Park was the first portion of concrete road layed in the country. It seems the small U.P. town of Calumet begs to differ......

[catch22]

Bellefontaine, Ohio would likewise beg to differ. Their claim is from 1891.

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/W...efontaine_Ohio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellefontaine,_Ohio

[East Detroit]

We have all heard that a portion of Woodward Ave. in front of the model T factory in Highland Park was the first portion of concrete road layed in the country. It seems the small U.P. town of Calumet begs to differ......

There is a difference between "first" and "oldest."

[jgavrile]

The historical marker refers to the "First Mile of Concrete Pavement"

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, that Woodward strip was the first "mile" of concrete road.

[Stosh]

I think the qualifier would be as Jgavrile says. Mile is the operative word in the Woodward site.

[Ray1936]

This is an argument like the 'first traffic light' that a dozen cities, including Detroit, claim.

Yawn. So what?

[Todd_Scott]

We have all heard that a portion of Woodward Ave. in front of the model T factory in Highland Park

The world's first mile of concrete road was north of the Ford Highland Park plant as it ran from McNichols to 7 Mile in what was then Greenfield Township. It was recognized as the first by the National Cement Association in 1914. Concrete wasn't being used for highly traveled roads at that time because common wisdom said it wouldn't be durable. You could say this mile paved the way for future concrete roads.

[Lorax]

Can we add to the concrete dispute by including the "pad" on Belle Isle?

This piece of crap wouldn't be allowed in any public park in America, especially sited near such a monument as the Scott Fountain.

[Detroitnerd]

Here's the rant I believe is coming up:

but your crazy the concrete pad is their to help racers and bring peeople to belle isle without those people coming to belle isle there wouldnt be as much activity and we need that concrete there it doesn't hurt the appearance of the park at all racing is recreation and its not that loud you guys are a bunch of winers if you want to have people come into you're city than you have to haf things that will draw them in

See? When we do it pre-emptively, it's much quicker than usual.

[Jimg]

More than a Historical marker is necessary for that piece of road to cement its claim as the first mile of paved road...

[Lorax]

Here's the rant I believe is coming up:

but your crazy the concrete pad is their to help racers and bring peeople to belle isle without those people coming to belle isle there wouldnt be as much activity and we need that concrete there it doesn't hurt the appearance of the park at all racing is recreation and its not that loud you guys are a bunch of winers if you want to have people come into you're city than you have to haf things that will draw them in

See? When we do it pre-emptively, it's much quicker than usual.

Gosh, thanks for taking the steam out of all that vitriol I was about to enjoy!

If I had endless money, I'd hire a firm to jackhammer it up, and leave it there in a pile, and face the consequences later.