Woodward Avenue, 1915

**Ray1936** · November-12-09, 08:54 PM

Another absolutely amazing photo provided by the fantastic "Shorpy" web site at http://www.shorpy.com/node/7136?size=_original

Looking up Woodward Avenue from around old City Hall in 1915. How wonderful it was!

**Cooper** · November-12-09, 09:25 PM

Great photo. I love the banner on the Hudson's building: "Hudson's Grows With Detroit." It also shrinks!

**Gsgeorge** · November-13-09, 05:13 AM

Jaw-dropping and extraordinary-- a stunning capture of what once was. The Wright Kay Building, Soldiers and Sailors Monument, and Central United Methodist Church are the only remaining structures visible in this view [[well, almost -- the fountain in front of the opera house was moved to a city park and now stands overgrown and decrepit). And when do you ever see that many pedestrians in Downtown Detroit? It is a testament to the city's vibrant and exciting past, and the lack of historic appreciation, planning foresight, political leadership, and public transportation today. How could so much have gone so quickly? Detroit was unlike any other city in the country -- and I suppose you could confidently say it still is.

**sumas** · November-13-09, 07:10 AM

Thank you for sharing this great photo.

**gnome** · November-13-09, 08:55 AM

Another great find, Ray. A couple of things... I'll bet ya that the tent in front of the Palmer/Merrill Fountain has something to do with a Boy Scout Jamborie as I espy a few of those boys amoungst the crowd.

Another thing, you can see a Detroit Electric Auto near the Fort Street corner, looks like they're double parked or at least looking for an open spot. In fact, just to left of the Electric Auto it looks like your Uncle Conrad's Oldsmobile. License number 43222

**45thParallel** · November-13-09, 09:06 AM

Good morning!

To use a hackneyed phrase: Long-time lurker, first-time poster, here!

Thanks for posting that wonderful photo. I spent about a half hour studying it; I found it to be mesmerizing.

I was hard pressed to find anyone not wearing a hat. People appeared to be dressed in their "Sunday Best." Also took note of the servicemen walking about! A different era, that's for sure.

One question, though......A couple of clothiers' signs advertised $10/$15 clothes.
Would that not have been expensive back in 1917?

In the lower left corner there appears to be some incredibly tight parallel parking going on!!

...

**detourdetroit** · November-13-09, 09:31 AM

thank you ray!

**KENSINGTONY** · November-13-09, 10:13 AM

What a marvelous photo!Almost too much to take in.The thing I noticed was the dearth of Model T Fords.There's a lot of mid to large sized[[and priced) cars in the photo-Hudson,Packard,Cadilllac,and the Detroit Electric.Note,too, the preponderance of open cars-closed cars didn't begin to dominate until the early 20s.
I have to brush up on my old car I.D. skills.I couldn't recognize as many of them as I could have a few years ago.Ah, the creeping rot of age[[sigh).

**skyl4rk** · November-13-09, 11:42 AM

Anyone have a more recent picture of that area?

**d.mcc** · November-13-09, 11:50 AM

Might be a slightly different perspective, but I think it captures the feel now

**Eastside** · November-13-09, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by d.mcc

Might be a slightly different perspective, but I think it captures the feel now

Good One!

**Gsgeorge** · November-13-09, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by 45thParallel

Good morning!

To use a hackneyed phrase: Long-time lurker, first-time poster, here!

Welcome, GREAT username!

**old guy** · November-13-09, 12:59 PM

Yeah, I just spent about an hour pouring over that photo. That's incredible detail and you almost feel like you're there. Thanks.

**EastsideAl** · November-13-09, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

Anyone have a more recent picture of that area?

From more or less the same area, but much lower. The Campus Martius park is where the big intersection used to be, and the traffic now circles around the park. Compuware dominates the skyline where the Opera House etc. used to be. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is still there, but has been moved a few hundred feet to a location just to the right of this view.

**Nicodeme** · November-13-09, 03:09 PM

Shorpy's site says 1917, not 1915, which makes me think that maybe that tent by the Palmer Fountain is for army recruiting? There appears to be a soldier in the bottom about to cross Fort as well. But maybe the army didn't recruit using tents in the middle of cities, I'm just guessing.

**ghettopalmetto** · November-13-09, 03:22 PM

It's obvious to me that the people depicted in the photo are unaware of the following:

1. Detroit was never a densely populated city like New York or Chicago, and never will be.

2. Nobody wants to walk in Detroit.

3. There isn't enough parking downtown.

**zitro** · November-13-09, 03:27 PM

Incredible detail! In the lower left portion there is a man who is looking at what I would assume to be a street map. In front of him by the curb there is a big box, at first I thought this may have been a police call box but it seems to sit fairly low. Could this have been a drive up mailbox?

**iheartthed** · November-13-09, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

It's obvious to me that the people depicted in the photo are unaware of the following:

1. Detroit was never a densely populated city like New York or Chicago, and never will be.

2. Nobody wants to walk in Detroit.

3. There isn't enough parking downtown.

Detroit would still look like that if it weren't for all the crime and taxes. Everybody knows that.

**ghettopalmetto** · November-13-09, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Detroit would still look like that if it weren't for all the crime and taxes. Everybody knows that.

Don't forget the Unions and the tag-team duo of Coleman Young / Jennifer Granholm.

**English** · November-13-09, 03:45 PM

I always love seeing the Detroit that my first family members saw when they arrived in the first decade of the 19th century. My grandfather did not arrive until 2 years after this picture was taken, but some of his mom's relatives were already there.

Sad we can't just enjoy the photos instead of ascribing blame. Even if the Fairy Godmothers of Cities were to wave her magic wand, the Detroit of 1915 will never, ever come back... because it's almost 2010. And that can be a good thing if we let it be.

**d.mcc** · November-13-09, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

Don't forget the Unions and the tag-team duo of Coleman Young / Jennifer Granholm.

Damn Commie Socialist bastards!

**old guy** · November-13-09, 03:53 PM

In this 1942 FSA photo it's titled "Looking north on Woodward." Is that the same Bonds store, in the same place as the Bonds Clothing store in the older photo?
Attachment 3831

**English** · November-13-09, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by d.mcc

Damn Commie Socialist bastards!

I almost choked on my afternoon snack! Thanks for the laugh.

I swear that I'm going to open up an anti-urban, anti-Detroit t-shirt site somewhere. I will use unauthorized quotes from DYes curmudgeons, and then I will donate all the profits to the Greening, Alternatives for Girls, Gleaners, Blight Busters, and Mariner's. The more bile, the more sales, and the more sales, the more Detroiters will benefit. Talk about turning hate into love...

Anyway, while I adore photographs, footage, and stories from the past, I always wonder what is not being told or passed down. After all, the Detroit of today is the legitimate child of the Detroit of yesterday. Something was going on in the Detroit of yesteryear that was uniquely different from other, comparable cities. What was it?

We may never have all the answers.

**d.mcc** · November-13-09, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by English

I almost choked on my afternoon snack! Thanks for the laugh.

I swear that I'm going to open up an anti-urban, anti-Detroit t-shirt site somewhere. I will use unauthorized quotes from DYes curmudgeons, and then I will donate all the profits to the Greening, Alternatives for Girls, Gleaners, Blight Busters, and Mariner's. The more bile, the more sales, and the more sales, the more Detroiters will benefit. Talk about turning hate into love...

I expect, and accept all royalties!

**DetroitPlanner** · November-13-09, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by English

I almost choked on my afternoon snack! Thanks for the laugh.

I swear that I'm going to open up an anti-urban, anti-Detroit t-shirt site somewhere. I will use unauthorized quotes from DYes curmudgeons, and then I will donate all the profits to the Greening, Alternatives for Girls, Gleaners, Blight Busters, and Mariner's. The more bile, the more sales, and the more sales, the more Detroiters will benefit. Talk about turning hate into love...

Anyway, while I adore photographs, footage, and stories from the past, I always wonder what is not being told or passed down. After all, the Detroit of today is the legitimate child of the Detroit of yesterday. Something was going on in the Detroit of yesteryear that was uniquely different from other, comparable cities. What was it?

We may never have all the answers.

If you do, I promise to continue to be a crumudgeon. I support people who support people before things.