OT - What is it? Detroit

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: OT - What is it? Detroit
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By KEN PARKER on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 10:21 am:

There are a couple of early autos at the curb in this shorpy photo. Could that large touring be a K?

http://www.shorpy.com/node/16298?size=_original#caption

I'm not very good at the pre-T's but they are interesting. I didn't see a post on this photo but sorry if I missed it. I am usually a day late and several dollars short.

Ken in Texas


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 10:50 am:

The building in the left foreground is the back of the Detroit City Hall (demolished in c. 1962). In the foggy distance you can see a church in Windsor, Ontario.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 11:12 am:

That is one reason for the decline of our culture and our cities. Knock down a sturdy, architecturally gorgeous stone building which was built to last forever in favor of an ugly, featureless, glass box, which describes the majority of today's architecture. I'm sure whatever was built to replace that building in 1962 is either dilapidated or demolished, leaving a vacant lot where that beautiful building stood. Just because something is old does not make it obsolete. In most cases it makes it better. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 11:18 am:

Interesting. I count five empty flagpoles. Why are no flags flying. I thought Americans were more patriotic back then. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 11:27 am:

Could have been taken on a Sunday. See how few people are about.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Brancaccio - Calgary Alberta on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 12:33 pm:

Thomas, do you know what street is shown?
The church may be Assumption Church, where I was baptized.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 12:41 pm:

A pure guess, but the reason there are no flags could just be that it's an early morning photo. Typically (at least when I was in the Navy) the flag is put up at 8:00 AM.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 01:01 pm:

That's true Henry. If that is Canada to the North, then the long shadows from the rising sun in the east would indicate an early morning photo.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By KEN PARKER on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 01:30 pm:

The clock on the building to the left says 2:42pm if it is correct.

KP


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 02:33 pm:

Jim, Canada is South of Detroit.

Chris, Do you remember if Assumption Church moved? It is now on Huron Church Road, hard by the Ambassador bridge. That is about two miles further west than the Shorpy picture.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary H. White - Sheridan, MI on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 02:38 pm:

An icon for this picture is on the Google Earth Griswald and Michigan Ave. location.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 02:46 pm:

I did a Google Earth search and Thomas is correct. Windsor, Ontario is located to the southeast of Detroit. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 03:02 pm:

Jim, You got caught in one of our favorite questions for visitors:

If you go due south from Downtown Detroit, what is the first foreign country you hit? Hint, it is not Cuba.

Chris, Checked on the Assumption Church among the Hurons in Detroit and the present building was started in about 1845. The church in the picture must be another church that gave way for bigger buildings in Downtown Windsor.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Brancaccio - Calgary Alberta on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 03:04 pm:

I might be St Alphonsus Church which is right by the tunnel entrance in Windsor. We moved to that parish when I was 6 months old.

Yes Assumption is right by the bridge, was and still is.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Brancaccio - Calgary Alberta on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 03:11 pm:

If you google 621 Griswold Detroit MI then go into street view you will see the Ford Building.

Extrapolating Griswold to the Windsor side of the border would indeed point to St Alphonsus Church which is still there.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 03:18 pm:

Chris, I think you nailed it!

windsor

Detroit is on the upper left (North) and Windsor is lower right. The thicker yellow line is the direct line of sight between Griswold and Fort Street, Detroit, to St Alphonsus Church in Windsor. Distance is just under a mile and a quarter. The thinner yellow line in the Detroit River is the international boundary.

You need to come back next summer and see the roses in Jackson Park.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Brancaccio - Calgary Alberta on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 03:30 pm:

Here are some links of interest, check them out, not just about the church.

St Alphonsus, Windsor ON



http://www.knowyourkin.com/churchstories/stalphonsushistory.php

http://www.doorsopenwindsor.com/sites/32/

Ford City (Walkerville)
http://www.walkervilletimes.com/fordcity.htm

I grew up in Windsor, my Dad worked for Chrysler for 45 years, I also worked in the Chrysler plants and got transferred to the zone office in Red Deer Alberta in 1977. Left Chrysler in 1980 and got into computers.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Brancaccio - Calgary Alberta on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 03:33 pm:

I guess I should also add that I was an alter boy there!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 03:45 pm:

Great photo! Thank you for pointing it out.
There are a lot of very interesting early cars in there. However, I do not see a Ford model K anywhere. There is what may be a 1909 T runabout, mostly hiding behind two poles and a tree branch. I can almost read the "Ford" script, but do not see a windshield. The hand crank appears to be upright, but I do not see the water pump of an NRS.
A lot of other wonderful cars, but not enough detail to identify many of them.
The "smear" near the middle of the picture looks like a horse and light wagon with a driver trying to beat two trolleys across the intersection. I hope the horse is okay.
Thanks again, Ken P.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Friday, October 18, 2013 - 05:44 pm:

The building you just see part of in the right foreground is the building that Malcomson Coal has their offices. John Gray, President of Ford Motor Company and President of the German American Bank may also have had his offices in that building. Better pictures, from Shorpy, were posted on the Forum earlier.


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