Another interesting pic from WSU Virtual Motor City....I can't recall seeing many pics at all of the tunnel to Belle Isle,especially with the amusement park in the background!
Another interesting pic from WSU Virtual Motor City....I can't recall seeing many pics at all of the tunnel to Belle Isle,especially with the amusement park in the background!
I think this was answered before, but here goes. That was an underpass for Jefferson Ave. Grand Blvd went under it to connect with the Belle Isle bridge. It's not a tunnel to Belle Isle.
The amusement park was called Electric Park and was on the mainland side, not on Belle Isle. I believe it was where Waterworks Park is.
Here's a link to some more pictures: http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?id=305&type=2
Gabriel Richard Park, right next to the MacArthur Bridge, is the old site of Electric Park. Waterworks Park is further out Jefferson.
Electric Park was not on the site of the waterworks. It was located on Jefferson immediately to the east of the bridge approach. There is a large green space there today.I think this was answered before, but here goes. That was an underpass for Jefferson Ave. Grand Blvd went under it to connect with the Belle Isle bridge. It's not a tunnel to Belle Isle.
The amusement park was called Electric Park and was on the mainland side, not on Belle Isle. I believe it was where Waterworks Park is.
Here's a link to some more pictures: http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?id=305&type=2
My Aunt lived on Field Avenue between Charlevoix and Vernor just one block east of East Grand Blvd. The family went through that under Jefferson tunnel on many occassions. Yes, it was a time honored tradition for my dad to sound the horn in defiance of that sign and of course building up the scenario of the possibility of getting caught. Great memory!I think this was answered before, but here goes. That was an underpass for Jefferson Ave. Grand Blvd went under it to connect with the Belle Isle bridge. It's not a tunnel to Belle Isle.
The amusement park was called Electric Park and was on the mainland side, not on Belle Isle. I believe it was where Waterworks Park is.
Here's a link to some more pictures: http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?id=305&type=2
I've seen photos with an amusement park on either side of the Belle Isle Bridge in various years.Were both parks "Electric Park" or was there another name for one of the parks?
No, Belle Isle was Belle Isle, Electric Park was on the mainland side. It closed in 1920 something because of rowdy people.
Can you believe a city counc8il member wants to make Belle Isle anamusement park? Don't they know why Electric and Edgewater Parks closed?
I'm too young to know the answer to that firsthand. And a few of our current City Council members might be also. Could you be more specific about the reason for the closing of these parks?
And Eastwood Park and Jefferson Beach Park.
Amusement parks are built as "theme parks" now and are built way out in the sticks.
The "electric parks" were built by the trolley companies as "traffic generators" for the weekends when there were no commuters. The trolley company generated its own electricity, so the electric requirements of the park were more or less free for them. Most urban area electric parks in the US were closed due to rowdyism.
I should have clarified that, I was aware that it was not a tunnel to Belle Isle, but in our youth that is what we called it. It was a rather long underpass, and had a sign urging you not to honk your horn, which most dads promtly ignored!
I love that bit of history about the origin of "Electric" parks.
My favorite part was the sign that said:
DO NOT
SOUND
HORN
honk...honk......honk.........
honk...
@ Retroit:
How could you not sound the horn? We did every time. That sign was one relic from Belle Isle I wish I could have swiped, does anyone know where it is?
You know you're an east sider when the "Do not sound horn" sign is a relic. Yea, I would like that for my treasure chest also.
in reference to the 'sign', 'Bullet' asks: "does anybody know where it is?" he's tryin' to throw us off 'cause he's got it stashed in his garage. HA!!!
I heard that the tunnel is still there, it was just capped off and paved over. Anyone know if that's true?
According to this http://www.fobi.org/history.htm, it was "filled-in and removed".
It would have been a lot more expensive to build an empty underground supporting structure than to simply fill it in with inexpensive dirt.
Well then ya, It's still "technically" there! Get out the shovels and fire hoses and excavate it.According to this http://www.fobi.org/history.htm, it was "filled-in and removed".
It would have been a lot more expensive to build an empty underground supporting structure than to simply fill it in with inexpensive dirt.
My grandparents, like poster kellyroad's aunt, lived on Field, near Grand Blvd. An uncle was "caught" by a police officer when sounding the horn, beneath Jefferson. Got away with a stern warning!
My uncle lived on East Grand Blvd within walking distance of the tunnel. You could see the entrance from his front porch. The explanation I always got from my parents and my uncle for the sign "Do Not Honk Horn" was that the tunnel would collapse if a horn sounded....therefore, I was always scared to death that we'd be in there and some person would honk. Does anyone really know the reason why they posted the sign?
My guess is that the west enterance to the under Jefferson tunnel was still in a residential neighborhood. There were many apartments on the east side of the Boulvedard and stately homes on the west side. The tunnel created quite a loud echo that most likely peeved the the nearby residents.My uncle lived on East Grand Blvd within walking distance of the tunnel. You could see the entrance from his front porch. The explanation I always got from my parents and my uncle for the sign "Do Not Honk Horn" was that the tunnel would collapse if a horn sounded....therefore, I was always scared to death that we'd be in there and some person would honk. Does anyone really know the reason why they posted the sign?
Maybe that's why it's no longer there.My guess is that the west enterance to the under Jefferson tunnel was still in a residential neighborhood. There were many apartments on the east side of the Boulvedard and stately homes on the west side. The tunnel created quite a loud echo that most likely peeved the the nearby residents.
The attached photo shows the East Grand Blvd approach to the under Jefferson Avenue tunnel to the Scott MacArthur Bridge. I't too bad that the "Do Not Sound Horn" sign is obstructed by the post with the "Belle Isle" and "Jefferson" sign on it. It was, as you can see, a very scenic portion of the blvd. Picture courtesy of WSU [[circa late 50s/early 60s)My guess is that the west enterance to the under Jefferson tunnel was still in a residential neighborhood. There were many apartments on the east side of the Boulvedard and stately homes on the west side. The tunnel created quite a loud echo that most likely peeved the the nearby residents.
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