When was the Detroit River coastline changed

**robtandersen** · September-03-10, 04:42 PM

I've been comparing an atlas from 1876 and google earth images, esp near the bridge. If you compare the path of Jefferson/River Road, you can see that the river has been narrowed. At first, I considered this was where all the I75 earth from the freeway dig out went, but construction photos of the Ambassador Bridge show the US side sitting on dry land.

**robtandersen** · September-03-10, 04:44 PM

That little nub in the river was Windmill Point, the location of an early grist mill where many of the French farmers brought their wheat.

**BVos** · September-03-10, 04:48 PM

Paging MikeM! He'll have an answer for you.

As for Windmill Point, are you sure that was the name of it? Alter at the river has a point [[or a pointe as residents there would call it) with the same name and story. Not that there can't be two Windmill Points, but just wanted to check on that.

**Detroitnerd** · September-03-10, 04:57 PM

I imagine this happened over a long time and, like much of the rest of the city, piecemeal.

**sumas** · September-03-10, 06:36 PM

From Bewick to Cadieux was the Grand Marais. Starting in the late 1800's landfill was innitiated originally by Moran and later by others. The last alteration I am aware was is what is now AB Ford park which was done by the city.

**robtandersen** · September-03-10, 07:21 PM

See history on the windmill linked here
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7...2105--,00.html

My main interest is actually Bela Hubbard, after which Hubbard Farms is named, although I suspect, in it's day it was referred to as Hubbard's Farm, or Hubbard's Farms as property was divided and sold 1850's-1890's. Now we have Hubbard Farms...sort of like how Allen's Road became Allen Road.

**robtandersen** · September-03-10, 07:30 PM

This is a drawing, by Bela Hubbard, from his Book Memorials of a Half Century. Springwells Township was just west of the city of Detroit, starting at about 23rd street.

**EastsideAl** · September-04-10, 02:15 AM

With the growth of railroads, industry, and shipping, much of the riverfront was filled in and expanded from the 1880s to the 1920s. In the case of the bit of riverfront you're interested in, it loos from old maps like the area was progressively filled in with shipping facilities and, eventually, a large coal yard, until it was all filled in and extended out from W. Jefferson [[River Rd.) by the late 1920s.

I don't think the coast was expanded after this period, and I certainly don't remember any of the earth from I-75 being used that way.

The riverfront area just a little to the east, where the Ambassador Bridge was built, was filled in to accommodate the Michigan Consolidated Gas works and a rail yard and roundhouse. If you look at early pictures of the bridge you can see the gas tanks just to its west, and part of the roundhouse extending directly underneath the structure. The gas works was eventually removed and part of its land became part of Riverside Park.

The confusion over the name Windmill Point comes because there was indeed a windmill on a point at or near this location on the west side, but there is currently an area, and street, known as Windmill Point on the river in Grosse Pointe Park that is well-known to several generations of east siders.

**robtandersen** · September-04-10, 11:03 PM

Thanks for the insight. Right on as far as I've researched. When I first looked through the site I thought I would find a historical forum to address my question. Didn't find one. Seems there may be some subscribers who would be interested in this area rather than contemporary topics. Any hope here?

**fryar** · September-05-10, 04:43 AM

Rob T Andersen, you realize your proposed historical forum may end up being hopelessly dominated by two threads in particular?

I'm just having some fun. Party on, erstwhile guests of the Garwood!

**kathy2trips** · September-05-10, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by robtandersen

Thanks for the insight. Right on as far as I've researched. When I first looked through the site I thought I would find a historical forum to address my question. Didn't find one. Seems there may be some subscribers who would be interested in this area rather than contemporary topics. Any hope here?

There's a lot of history all throughout the forum. Really, to differentiate now might be a tad cumbersome. I can usually tell if there'll will be a historical bent to a topic..."What Did This Building Used to Be?", "Islandview Memories"....stuff like that. I use the "search" a lot.

**robtandersen** · September-10-10, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by fryar

Rob T Andersen, you realize your proposed historical forum may end up being hopelessly dominated by two threads in particular?

I'm just having some fun. Party on, erstwhile guests of the Garwood!

So -- of course, a Gar Wood thread. What's the other?

**Al Publican** · September-11-10, 12:42 AM

Shouldn't river banks be called "shorelines" rather than "coastlines"? My impression is that only large bodies of water such as seas or oceans have coastlines.