Belgian Neighborhood Tour

[skyl4rk]

Some friends would like to do a short tour of old Belgian neighborhoods later this month. We will be ending up at the Cadieux Cafe, but would like to drive around a bit before we go there.

Are there specific areas that were known as Belgian neighborhoods at one time?

Are there any landmarks or historical buildings that we should see?

Any links to stories related to historical Belgian neighborhoods?

Thanks

[kryptonite]

The Belgians largely lived in Detroit east of Cadieux. But there were Belgians in East English Village and Morningside also, plus north of I-94.

the Guilford Bar on Harper [[i think it has a new name now) was a Belgian hangout and had an
archery room. Most likely some of the Catholic churches in that area had large Belgian communities. Many of the bars on Harper and on East Warren were Belgian hangouts.

[Kathleen]

Perhaps the folks at the Belgian-American Association of Detroit, Michigan might be of help to you: http://www.thebaa.us/Default.aspx

[Lowell]

There is also a former Belgian ethnic hall that I have yet to photograph. MikeM could tell where that is. I remember him posting a picture of it on the old forum.

While not in the neighborhood, I think the ruins of the Dorais velodrome might qualify as a Belgian site too. Scroll down in this thread to see it: http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1147780842

[MikeM]

It was the former Belgian American Business Men's Association, on Hurlburt south of Sterritt, which is just northeast of the Gratiot-Harper intersection.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...02763&t=h&z=19

[EMG]

The Belgians largely lived in Detroit east of Cadieux. But there were Belgians in East English Village and Morningside also, plus north of I-94.

the Guilford Bar on Harper [[i think it has a new name now) was a Belgian hangout and had an
archery room. Most likely some of the Catholic churches in that area had large Belgian communities. Many of the bars on Harper and on East Warren were Belgian hangouts.

Yes, the general area bordered by approximately Harper/Cadieux/Mack/Radnor is the primary area that comes to my mind. Particularly the southeast corner of that area, around the Cadieux Cafe area.

[Hermod]

When my father lived on St Clair just south of Warren beginning in 1919 when he was six, he said that there were a lot of Belgian kids in his elementary school from 1st to 6th grade.

.

[EastsideAl]

The Belgains lived all across the southern east side for many decades. One of the earliest areas they were concentrated in was around St. Charles Borromeo church on Baldwin near Lafayette, which was built to serve the Flemish Belgian Catholic community. My grandfather, who was Irish-American, grew up in that area and was friends with a lot of Belgian kids. Even when I was a kid in the 60s there were still a few older Flemish Belgians in that area and at least one Belgian run store that I remember well.

In that era there were a lot of Belgians concentrated around the Chalmers-Kercheval and Chalmers-Mack areas where some of my cousins lived. I know there was a bar at the corner of Eastlawn and Charlevoix that was owned by some Flemish people, because I remember going in there several times with my great-uncle and aunt [[it was called something like the Jolly Dutchman if I remember correctly). There were a number of Belgian businesses in that neighborhood, and I believe that Verdonckt's Bakery is still operating near there on Mack and Wayburn.

Up around Harper and Cadieux was another Belgian concentration. I remember a Belgian grocery store that was operating up there well into the 80s, and I think that Vergote's Poultry is still a going concern on Harper. I knew a couple of families of Belgians up there, who were in the bar business on the east side and friends of my grandparents, who sent their kids to Austin Catholic High on Warren by Balduck Park. Of course, one of the most famous Detroit Belgians, basketball hall-of-famer Dave DeBusschere, went to high school there before moving on to stardom at U of D and in the NBA.

[Bobl]

EastsideAl's quote:

"...The Belgains lived all across the southern wast side for many decades. One of the earliest areas they were concentrated in was around St. Charles Borromeo church on Baldwin near Lafayette, which was built to serve the Flemish Belgian Catholic community. My grandfather, who was Irish-American, grew up in that area with a lot of Belgian kids, and even when I was a kid in the 60s there were still a few Flemish Belgians in that area..."

Reminds me of my aunt, one of three sisters who joined the convent, who chose Charles Borromeo as her nun name. Grandfather was Irish American, and his daughters taught in Detroit parochial schools for generations. Do any of the older forum members recall her as an elementary school teacher?

Detroit was a "checkerboard" of ethnic enclaves back then, defined by the neighborhood church and small neighborhood bars and markets.

[eno]

My Dad was a member of the Belgian-American Floor Bowlers that usually played out of Bill & Madeline's Bar on the eastside but I don't recall on what street. They may have played out of other bars too. I grew up on the westside so we usually only went to the semi-annual or annual banquets. The annual banquet included a motor vehicle parade thru the Belgian neighborhood with that years' champion riding in an open car. This was in the early 60s.

[SWMAP]

Reminds me of my aunt, one of three sisters who joined the convent, who chose Charles Borromeo as her nun name. Grandfather was Irish American, and his daughters taught in Detroit parochial schools for generations. Do any of the older forum members recall her as an elementary school teacher?"

Would that be one of the Hughes sisters? If so, you are vastly under-reporting their careers!They were all three tremendous women, educators, tireless leaders, classic liberals, magnificent religious women.

[kenp]

In the fall I saw a program on TV that spot lighted an elderly Detroit area Belgium couple. The program started with the couple and a host at a Belgium Club were the man demonstrated Feather Bowling. They went to the couples home and the wife made some Belgium dishes with the host, talking about Belgium traditions while cooking.
I wish I could remember the club they were at. The man was the ex-President of it.

[Bobl]

Reminds me of my aunt, one of three sisters who joined the convent, who chose Charles Borromeo as her nun name. Grandfather was Irish American, and his daughters taught in Detroit parochial schools for generations. Do any of the older forum members recall her as an elementary school teacher?"

Would that be one of the Hughes sisters? If so, you are vastly under-reporting their careers!They were all three tremendous women, educators, tireless leaders, classic liberals, magnificent religious women.

Thank you. You are correct.
"Join the convent and see the world", and "There are no slow students, only ineffective teachers" are two quotes that I recall from my aunts.
Cat's out of the bag, now. I am proud to be a member of that family!

[Hermod]

The last honest mayor of the City of Detroit came out of the Belgian community, Mayor Cobo.

[oladub]

Our Lady of Sorrows on Meldrum and Benson was "the Belgian Church". It burned down and was replaced with a new building which has since closed. I assume that must have been where Belgian immigrants first settled. It was before my time. I remember the Mack Eastlawn area as having a high percentage of old timer Buffaloes. The first US born generation moved further east in Detroit - something like the Finney high school neighborhood and beyond Balduck Park and into adjacent east side suburbs. The second generation, by now mainstream Americans, tended to move to St. Clair Shores and further north.

Some business names I can remember; Verhoeven Chevrolet, Vanlaerberge[[sp?) and VerHeyden Funerals, DeLue andVanHull Butchers, VerDonkt Bakery, Brouke's Bar, Cornelie Fuel, Embo's Market, De Gazette van Detroit weekly newspaper, VerGote Poultry, DeFour Insurance.

In the 60's, the Soccer Club Belgica, played their home games at Balduck Park. There was bicycle club based out of the Cadieux Cafe. The Belgian parade came down the end of E. Warren and ended at Mack. The'Belgian Hour' played weekly on the radio.

I think there was a thread here about alley houses, a Belgian contribution to eastside architecture. That and some garages big enough to live in because that is what they did until they saved enough money to build a house in front of and near the garage.

[EMG]

My grandmother roasted fresh chicken from Vergotte's on most Sundays of the year while I was growing up [[not to mention that's where our Thanksgiving turkeys came from too - even after my grandmother had passed away and we moved to GPW!!!) - but I never realized Vergotte's was a Belgian name!

[Kathleen]

Besides so many of the familiar Belgian businesses already mentioned, I remember my dad going out for a beer to Hazebrouck's [[or Van Hazebrouck's) on Charlevoix. I'm thinking that it is or was near the site of today's Ye Old Tap Room. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

Oladub mentioned Brouck's Bar. Where was that?

[Gistok]

One thing I remember growing up in the Balduck Park area was all the Belgian surnames of schoolmates and neighbors.... Guns, Theiron, Van Den Bussche, Van Der Kerchove, Buschbacher...

And then there's the pigeon coops... I remember all those backyards with multistory pigeon coops.

[Bobl]

q: " Oladub mentioned Brouck's Bar. Where was that?"

Recently located on Harper, just south of 8 Mi Rd, near where Harper Woods, St Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods all meet.

[Kathleen]

No wonder that name sounded so familiar....it's where my high school boyfriend took me on my 18th birthday for a drink!!! The only time I've ever been there.... Thanks, Bobl, for jogging that memory!!!

[jcole]

There used to be a bar on Charlevoix near Maryland that was called either Brook or Brouke bar, but I'm not sure of the spelling. It was just a neighborhood joint a little way up from The Tap Room.

[Lowell]

From the names mentioned above it would appear that most of the Detroit Belgians were Flemish [Dutch speaking] vs Walloons [French]. The Cadieux Cafe seems to be the only associated French name and I wonder if that was adopted from the Detroit Cadieux, as in the street. The country is divided between those two groups along with a small German community [from which our former forum member Ghettobutterfly hailed and has since returned to].

In the 1950's they nearly came to blows but settled their differences.

[eno]

That would be my guess, Lowell. I believe the owners of the Cadieux Cafe were the Devos family.

I understand the conflict between the Flemish and the Walloons in Belgium is as contentious as ever.

[oladub]

Gistok, I think it was Van Op Den Bosch rather than Van Den Bosch if I am thinking of the same family east of Balduck.

Brouke's bar was named after its founder Constantine [[Van) Brouke who, very roughly, must have been born around 1890-1900. About 10 years ago in a June 22 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Brouke's bar made the front page A-head column . It was an article about Heinz ketchup bottles being re-filled with generic brand catsup. Someone from the bar explained that the empty bottles were washed out in between refilling them. The WSJ reporter was aghast at what seemed reasonable to Belgians. It must have been cheaper to buy in bulk instead of having to pay for catsup bottles that just get thrown away.

I forgot Allemon's nursury in the above list of businesses and should add Claerhout, VanOpdenBosch, and VanZile Construction outfits.

Lowell, Detroit was the largest Flemish and Balgian settlement in the US. The Green Bay Wisconsin area was the largest Walloon settlement. I often wondered about the name 'Walloon Lake'.

__________________________________________________

List of most common Flemish and Walloon surnames.

Find where in Belgium a surname is found. For instance, type in 'De Clerck' and click 'zoek'.

[lalynch]

Seems like there was a Belgium restaurant or private club in Farmington on Grand River, a block from Powers Road, in the 1970's. If I'm mistaken, then I'm thinking of something else. Farmington Lanes was along there too.