When you walk around the central city of Detroit you have to be impressed with the many and varied buildings that are standing as a testement to the range of enterprises which have found a home in the city. From tall skyscrapers like the Guardian Building, the Penobscott Building and the Renaissance Center to the small shops and restaurants like the Lafayette Coney Island or the shops in Greektown you get a feeling that many individuals from a wide variety of places have come here to work and live. Indeed, over three hundred years of change are found in a short walk from the New Center Area at Woodward and Grand Boulavard to Hart Plaza at the riverfront. Consider that from the founding in 1701 to 1800 the community grew from 125 settlers to 2000 residents and then continued to grow through the 19th century to 200,000 residents in 1800. The population explosion from 1800 to 1920 saw the area grow by over 2 million additional reisdents and continue to over 5 million residents in the area today. Much of what you see around the Cultural Center today was farmland in the early part of the 19th century and a woodlot in the 18th century.

What is not as obvious is that the history of the area does not reflect a straight and steady growth. There have been many setbacks and crises such as a fire which destroyed the community in the first years of settlement and then again in the early years of the 19th century. And, there have been battles such as Pontiacs War and the War of 1812 as well as race and labor riots and conflicts. There were numerous epidemics throughout the 19th century especially cholera prior to the public health movement at the turn of the last century.

But, each setback has been followed by a spurt of substantial growth and expansion. In other words, the motto " from the ashes" adopted by Fr. Gabriel Richard after the fire in the early 19th century has served this community very well.

Welcome To My Memories In The Making

I am about to start on a virtual journey to document thoughts, reflections, events and the responses of others based on a lifetime of living, leaving and returning to a little corner of the earth called Metropolitan Detroit. It is a special place for me as my roots in this region go back 300 years with the arrival of 125 French settlers, my ancestor being one of the original settlers. Other members of my Family Tree arrived in the area in the 19th century from Scotland and Wales. I can drive on both sides of the International Border we call the Detroit River and visit the final resting places of those who have come and gone before me. In brief, I have a Sense of Place which although common throughout Europe and other more ancient civilizations around the world, is somewhat unique in the New World, especially in an area where most of the residents can only go back one or two generations in this locale.

But, this is even more special as the place where my wife, Marianne, and I were married 39 years ago and have returned to raise our three children into adulthood. With the passing of our grandparents and our parents and the birth of our two grandchildren, this spot on the planet is ours.

But, this is more than just a reflecion of personal memories . This place has a value in and of itself. The fresh water, the peoples, the creativity, the dreams, the industry and the integrity of the region gives this place and those who struggle here, a unique character and worth. It is my hope that the journey will capture this worth and character and do the region and, those who dwell here, justice. Kindly join me on this journey and feel free to contribute and comment as you desire.