Belle Isle Tunnel

[kellyroad]

My question was misunderstood.I meant that I've seen pictures with amusement parks on both sides of the Belle Isle Bridge on the mainland side.
kellyroad,what was your aunt's address on Field?My grandparents lived at 2559 Field[[3rd house south of Charlevoix,west side of the street) from 1950 to 1973.

My Aunt lived about in the middle of the block on the west side of Field. I'm not sure of the address at this point. They lived in that home from 1953 to 1967. Before that they lived in a flat across the street on Field just a few houses further south. Field at one time was nicked named Kraut's row because of all the German family names that resided on that street. Behind my Aunt's home were either funeral homes or "convalescent" homes on East Grand Blvd. Many of the homes on that street had huge porches, leaded glass, crown molding, a pantry room between the kitchen and dining room, a dust porch upstairs, a 3rd floor complete attic....It was the cat's meow. There were no driveways and the garages were accessible via a paved alley. It was quite a stately street with the wide boulevards between the sidewalk and street and of course the towering elms. All that AND being so close to Belle Isle. Many of the Catholic families in that area attended St. Charles [[on Baldwin and St. Paul). I'm a little too young to remember Electric Park but from my understanding there wasn't a park on the west side of the Belle Isle bridge. I had another Uncle who had a barber shop on the north west side of Jefferson and East Grand Blvd.....across the street from his shop stood the Big Stove [[now housed at the State Fair grounds) and right next to that was the UniRoyal tire company. I recall hearing stories of that plant going 24/7 during WWII . You do have an interesing question about an amusement park being on both sides of the bridge at one time. Anyone know?
P.S. The other neat thing about her home is that I could get there [[as a young kid) from the far northeast side of Detroit via a DSR bus without having to transfer. The bus ran along Charlevoix [[then a one way street) and back Vernor [[at that time Vernor was a two way street)

[Retroit]

According to this picture, the amusement park would have been on both sides of the tunnel. The roller coaster shown on the original post of this thread is just to the left of the ferris wheel in this picture.

[bee@dee]

@ 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?

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!!!

[Detroitej72]

I heard that the tunnel is still there, it was just capped off and paved over. Anyone know if that's true?

[Buy American]

My Aunt lived about in the middle of the block on the west side of Field. I'm not sure of the address at this point. They lived in that home from 1953 to 1967. Before that they lived in a flat across the street on Field just a few houses further south. Field at one time was nicked named Kraut's row because of all the German family names that resided on that street. Behind my Aunt's home were either funeral homes or "convalescent" homes on East Grand Blvd. Many of the homes on that street had huge porches, leaded glass, crown molding, a pantry room between the kitchen and dining room, a dust porch upstairs, a 3rd floor complete attic....It was the cat's meow. There were no driveways and the garages were accessible via a paved alley. It was quite a stately street with the wide boulevards between the sidewalk and street and of course the towering elms. All that AND being so close to Belle Isle. Many of the Catholic families in that area attended St. Charles [[on Baldwin and St. Paul). I'm a little too young to remember Electric Park but from my understanding there wasn't a park on the west side of the Belle Isle bridge. I had another Uncle who had a barber shop on the north west side of Jefferson and East Grand Blvd.....across the street from his shop stood the Big Stove [[now housed at the State Fair grounds) and right next to that was the UniRoyal tire company. I recall hearing stories of that plant going 24/7 during WWII . You do have an interesing question about an amusement park being on both sides of the bridge at one time. Anyone know?
P.S. The other neat thing about her home is that I could get there [[as a young kid) from the far northeast side of Detroit via a DSR bus without having to transfer. The bus ran along Charlevoix [[then a one way street) and back Vernor [[at that time Vernor was a two way street)

Good story kellyroad. My uncles house on East Grand Boulevard was on the east side of the street and like your Aunts house, it was a very stately home with mahogany doors and trim around the windows and floor. Stained glass with beveled mirrors and huge rooms. A basement that was a great hide and seek playground. Three floors, about 5 bedrooms and a big back yard.

I lived between Vernor and Kercheval, St. Jean and Harding. I don't remember Vernor ever being a two way street. Kercheval was, Vernor was one way heading east and Charlevoix was one way going west.

[Retroit]

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.

[One Shot]

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.

[kellyroad]

Good story kellyroad. My uncles house on East Grand Boulevard was on the east side of the street and like your Aunts house, it was a very stately home with mahogany doors and trim around the windows and floor. Stained glass with beveled mirrors and huge rooms. A basement that was a great hide and seek playground. Three floors, about 5 bedrooms and a big back yard.

I lived between Vernor and Kercheval, St. Jean and Harding. I don't remember Vernor ever being a two way street. Kercheval was, Vernor was one way heading east and Charlevoix was one way going west.

I thought Vernor was a two way street in the early 60s but I was a kid then and may be confusing it with Kercheval. I thought Vernor like Warren and Forest didn't become one way streets until later [[Warren going west and Forest heading east). But I didn't live in that area. I know this is off the topic of the Belle Isle tunnel...Did you hang out at a park on St. Jean and Kercheval called Gallagher. It had a shallow water pool. I worked there in the summer of 72 as a life guard. It was one of the most memorable summers I've had in Detroit.

[Buy American]

I thought Vernor was a two way street in the early 60s but I was a kid then and may be confusing it with Kercheval. I thought Vernor like Warren and Forest didn't become one way streets until later [[Warren going west and Forest heading east). But I didn't live in that area. I know this is off the topic of the Belle Isle tunnel...Did you hang out at a park on St. Jean and Kercheval called Gallagher. It had a shallow water pool. I worked there in the summer of 72 as a life guard. It was one of the most memorable summers I've had in Detroit.

No, Vernor was just a one-way...I lived three houses off Vernor from 1947 to 1964 and even after I moved, it was a one way. Yes, I went to Gallaghers swimming pool a few times. I don't know exactly when it opened but it was there when I was a kid. In 1972 I was already married almost 10 years and was living in NE Detroit, 7 and Hayes area.

[KENSINGTONY]

I can remember back in the 60s when one of those beautiful mansions on the Boulevard was going to be torn down to make way for a nursing home.It was down the alley 3-4 houses from my grandparent's house.My Dad and I went down there and peeked in the windows.It was a gorgeous home-mahogany paneling in the parlor in the front of the house,a 3 story glass rounded northeast corner of the house that contained a winding staircase and a magnificent chandelier that hung down 1 1/2 stories.I was maybe 10-12 years old but even then I thought it a tragic waste to lose that beautiful house.

[kellyroad]

I can remember back in the 60s when one of those beautiful mansions on the Boulevard was going to be torn down to make way for a nursing home.It was down the alley 3-4 houses from my grandparent's house.My Dad and I went down there and peeked in the windows.It was a gorgeous home-mahogany paneling in the parlor in the front of the house,a 3 story glass rounded northeast corner of the house that contained a winding staircase and a magnificent chandelier that hung down 1 1/2 stories.I was maybe 10-12 years old but even then I thought it a tragic waste to lose that beautiful house.

On a similar note when my Aunt's mother-in-law [[she was living with them) passed away, the funeral home directly behind them on E. Grand Blvd was utilized. My Aunt and Uncle knew the funeral director well and they were given a key to to get into the funeral home after viewing hours. Guess what my family go to do. I was 12 and what really struck me was this was a someone's home at one time. The ornate beauty, bold wood trim, chandeliers, leaded glass windows, ceramic tiled foyer, which from my understanding was pretty standard fare for most of those homes along the Blvd., was evident throughout the entire house. One could tell that the winds of change were blowing pretty hard during the early 60s along that strip between Gratiot and Jefferson. My dad would joke that all the new convalescent homes and funeral palors were in cahoots with each other. Yes, the same man who kept kids in the back seat on pins and needles after "sounding" the horn in the Belle Isle tunnel. IMHO, before the dutch elm disease eradicated the trees on East Grand, that section of Detroit was the most picturesque.....stately homes, towering trees on all sides of the blvd. and. of course, the grand under street enterance into our urban oasis....the Belle Isle tunnel.

[xdet]

Old thread, old photo. The 'hoax' oldest ship in the world docked near Electric Park-