Garwood Mansion

**det313grrl** · May-04-09, 08:22 AM

I rented this DVD from the library over the weekend.
What a treat.
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Anybody remember "The Old Grey Whistle Test"?
It was a television music show on BBC that ran from 1970-1987.

Here are a couple of the performances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td2Bk8qQJZE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85ekf15N4eA

The DVD has 3 volumes.

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Check em' out.

**stnfrnt** · May-04-09, 09:13 AM

Hey Gash......you alright? Man, seems like old mother nature has got it in for you guys down there. You might have to switch to some heavier line to handle the current out there by your mailboxes. Some 6lb-8lb test Spiderwire would be a good call. Cuts through the flotsom pretty good. You better fire up the outboard every so often, too.

**jordangirl3** · May-04-09, 10:03 AM

Hello All,
This is my first post on new site. I just wanted to thank all the Garwoodians who have sent prayers/good vibes/well wishes to my daughter, Kendra. Ruth, Kendra says hi back and she loved the book. Stnfrnt, A2dj had a good time meeting with you, we will probably be back up in Westwood in about 3 weeks. Neil, your words are encouraging. First lady, see you this afternoon. Jordangirl2, miss you.
I have met some of you years ago and recognize a lot of names, I was only at the mansion a few times with my big sis, it really was an amazing place.
There seems to be a lot of talk about fishing on this thread, I can't contribute much to that as I have only fished a few times even though I live close to the ocean and like to eat fish. I remember fishing when I was young at the Detroit River outside of Carter's in Ecorse [[NO I DID NOT EAT THE CARP!)ha ha, it was just something to do. wow, that is an embarrassing story.

**gash** · May-04-09, 11:47 AM

Well Jordangrl13, we are all about embarrassing stories so let's hear it........

yea stnfnt things are a little wet down here...Day 4 of rain...my mail box is accessible now and I can get in and out of the area with out creating a wake....but more heavy rain coming in tonight.....as the water went down in front of the house I now have a bunch of craw fish dug in......and I mean a lot....15/20 mounds just in the ditch in front......3/4 inches long......boy I tell ya.....after the last couple seeks I sure need a road trip.....may take off to Gulf Shores for a few days.......

We are getting short now. Only 38 more days....sure hope we can find Eddie, Fergie and a few others......keep trying.....I've exhausted all I can come up with....but you never know.............Later and GDGT

**Leo B** · May-04-09, 11:54 AM

Folks,

This my second time posing this question.

What year was the mansion razed ?

Thanks,

Leo B

**stnfrnt** · May-04-09, 12:13 PM

Leo B......1kielsondrive is our resident historian, so I'll rattle his cage for the info. Are you looking for the date when it burned down or when development was started [[clearing the property for construction)?

**Margie** · May-04-09, 12:24 PM

I'm talkin to Hoover right this minute , he says to say hi, That he's alive and well and that he is living vicariously thur Martin Sheen on the tv show, Two and a half Men.

**1KielsonDrive** · May-04-09, 01:26 PM

Margie, you can come over and sit on my deck anytime you like, but, I'm going to expect nothing less than the belly rub you'd offered to Stillrockin. There's still some life in this Old Guy . . . . excuse me OG, this old timer.

**Leo B** · May-04-09, 02:40 PM

Stnfrnt,

I would be interested in the day it burned down. It's fate after Gar sold it has been the subject of much urban speculation and legend. There is also likely a News or Free Press microfilm on the fire if we can nail it down.

Leo B

**ruth** · May-04-09, 02:50 PM

Jordangirl3 - glad to see you here on the new site. I've been keeping up with Kendra's progress via her website - I look forward to the daily updates. She has become my own special hero. Hugs and love to her - and to you.

**1KielsonDrive** · May-04-09, 03:14 PM

Hey Jordangirl, I was posting a lengthy reply earlier this afternoon when the DY site seems to have crashed. Sorry, I'll post again later or email you. Kendra is in my thoughts also - constantly. If there's anything I can do, please let me know. I think it was Stone who said - Kendra is now a GarWoodian, and I believe we all agree.

**1KielsonDrive** · May-04-09, 03:19 PM

Collier and Lowell should be able to help us gather news from the night of the Gar Wood fire. They're both former Freep guys. Excuse me, Lowell isn't, but Susan is a former Freeper. All I'm suggesting is they may have more knowledge of access to records about the matter, having been inside the Freep organization and newsrooms.

**Gleeman** · May-04-09, 03:29 PM

...u never no wut comes up when u google g w mansion... margie btwn u and detgrrl i'm set for musik for life...Attachment 993

**old guy** · May-04-09, 06:08 PM

From what I can dig up, it supposedly burned in 1976. Haven't come across an exact date though. The story was that the east wing burned and collapsed. What would that have been? The side with the kitchen and master bedroom maybe.

**1KielsonDrive** · May-04-09, 06:18 PM

Oddly enough, I can remember the night it burned, who I was with and what I was doing. I remember lightning striking it, though I didn't witness the strike first hand. I'll be damned if I can tell you what year it was. I'm guessing very late 70's, or early 80's. I have a couple of old photos of the ruins of the house with the boat house still standing, taken by me and friends, on a boat, as we cruised by upbound. I'll see if I can find them and, at the very least, we can set a timeline before the pictures were taken.

**1KielsonDrive** · May-04-09, 06:28 PM

Yes OG, the east side would be Gar Wood's Master Suite, the kitchen and the room used for the pool table, directly under the Master Suite and right off of the ballroom. The pool table was in other locations at other times, too. That's the side of the house connected to the enclosed boat well/house. I find it interesting that I'm telling you, OG, what was where and when, considering that you lived there non-stop, for a long time. I was mainly a crasher and a visitor. You can't cop-out that you were too high to remember, because I was awfully f*#k"+g high too.

**old guy** · May-04-09, 06:41 PM

I didn't actually live there non-stop for a long time. I sort of came and went. When I was there, I rarely left though. I think that maybe four months at one time was my longest run. I remember leaving once and going out to the Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles, Bay area for some warm weather. A Garwood coalition of people came around looking for me and I kept moving around just ahead of them, not knowing they were right behind me. I was always bummed out that I never hooked up with them out west. That would have been a fun chapter I'm sure. I'm also sure they had a good time. But I'd always find my way back to the house in Detroit.

**stnfrnt** · May-04-09, 06:43 PM

1kd.....you had to be there. OG is not copping out. He doesn't know how.

**Isle_of_fun** · May-04-09, 08:01 PM

Hi everyone,
so much to catch [[Opps the fishey word here) up on.

Jordangirl3 YEAH to you posting and a big hug to Kendra and all of the close family,

I have been off doing grandkid things, spring things and forgetful things, and loving every moment.
Reading everyones posts has made me really hungry for a good old fashioned fish fry, along with a deep fry and a bunch of really tasty food, a beer, a good wine or maybe none. Now that would make a great blue sky sunny day. Might as well throw in some boats a few kites and a hot air balloon.....WOW ! now that would be perfect!!!!!
Oh heck !!! what would be perfect is if everyone on this site was there to enjoy it.. yes now that my friends would be absolutely positively guitar great. Add a few drums, harmonica's banjo's a few voices , [[even the one's off key) a little brass and any other musical instrument, and there my friends we have the makings of a mighty finetune time.

Great thoughts to all!!

**old guy** · May-04-09, 08:07 PM

Talking about the east wing at the Garwood. I guess I just always thought of the pool room as the pool room because it had a pool table in it most of the time that I remember. But what was that room? It seems as though it must have been a dining room because of its proximity to the kitchen[[s). But it wasn't really very large as far as formal dining rooms go. But there wasn't any other room that might have been a dining room. 1KD, even though we don't seem to remember each other from the house, I remember from some of our conversations about Johnny, Edgar and Rick D., I know we were in the house at the same time on occasion. Pool room memories, leading to basement pool area things. What a house. People floating in and out of different situations in different parts of the house. It was like a small town or neighborhood.

**Isle_of_fun** · May-04-09, 08:07 PM

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just thought I would bring these over from the old site.

nothing like a fly by night location

**Isle_of_fun** · May-04-09, 08:13 PM

oh yes....... MR. MH
Get WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you still have to teach a few dance steps at the reunion,

okay! okay! you can take it
slowwwwwwwwwww.

best to you

**stnfrnt** · May-04-09, 08:15 PM

Glmn....ever try anything like this?

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**old guy** · May-04-09, 08:19 PM

Can you imagine walking out of your house and jumping into your sea plane? I guess, from what I've read, he used to hop in it and fly from the Garwood over to his factory, on the water in Algonac. What would that have been, about 3 minutes?

**1KielsonDrive** · May-04-09, 10:08 PM

I have clear memories of a lot of people at the Gar Wood. The only people I remember partying with, more than once or twice, were Breeze, Linda, Rona, Stone [[as opposed to Larry M.), Charlie and Fergie, a few people from CMU - Patti Hood, Sammy Wickizer, Steve Kahn and I think, Dave Aikens and Joel Smith. I had a whole contingent of people from downriver that came out with me regularly - Chuck, Arkie, Wendy, Mary Ann, Josephine, Nancy and I'm sure I'll flashback a few others. I remember the girls freaking out. They were on acid and discovered the bidets. But you were always with people there - how could you not be? The question is: did you know any, or even most, of the people that were around? Not likely. And after all these years, it's even less likely.