10 Detroit Facts You Should Know
Over the recent decades Detroit has taken on many nicknames including Motown, The Motor City, Hockeytown, Rock City or just simply “The D”. While we are proud of our automotive heritage and music history there are lesser-known facts about Detroit. Here we will explore ten facts every Detroiter, historian, or pop-culture enthusiast should know.
1. First City to Pave a Concrete Road
In 1909, Wayne County built the first mile of concrete highway in the world on Woodward Avenue between Six and Seven Mile roads. Until then, a surfaced road was gravel, and often a horse was employed to pull a car out of the muddy muck. Road builders from near and afar came to see how concrete stood up under the heavy traffic of that period. It cost $13,537, including $1,000 in state aid.
The success of this experiment led to other transportation-firsts. In 1919 the nation’s first 4-way three color traffic light was installed on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit 1. In 1930 the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was completed making it the first traffic tunnel between two nations. By 1942, the world’s first urban freeway opened to the public, the Davison Freeway.
2. Home to the Ice Cream Soda
Long before A&W introduced their root-beer float the ice-cream soda was being served to thirsty Detroiters along Boston Boulevard. Many historians claim Detroit’s own Fred Sanders, a confectioner and owner of The Pavilion of Sweets first served the drink to two customers in 1876. A popular drink at the time was the sweet cream soda. One day when the ice delivery truck failed to show Sander’s day-old cream went sour. Improvising, he instead mixed ice cream with the carbonated beverage and hence the drink was born.
By the 1880s the most popular combination for this drink was Ginger Ale with ice cream aka the Boston Cooler; specifically Vernor’s Ginger Ale & Sander’s ice cream. The beverage was named after the Boulevard and not the Massachusetts city. James Vernor’s drugstore located a short distance away made the unique combination seem very natural. Vernor’s produced an intense golden ginger ale, unlike most modern dry ginger ales. Until the 1920s ginger ale was the nation’s most popular choice of carbonated beverage, and Vernor’s happens to be our nation’s oldest soda. Soda connoisseurs still advocate to this day that if you want to taste ginger ale the way it was meant to taste locate a Vernor’s.
3. Supplied 75% of liquor during Prohibition
Photo via Walter P. Reuther Library/Wayne State University
In January 1920, the era of Prohibition began in the U.S. The Detroit River, barely one mile across in some places, was a smuggler’s dream. Enterprising smugglers carried cargo beneath boats, rigged mechanical cables across the river and utilized old underground tunnels to transport their illegal bounty. During cold winter months, the river became a highway, as daring smugglers in automobiles made their way across the ice from Canada to the United States.
A number of government agencies, including the U.S. Customs Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Michigan State Police and the Detroit Police Department combined forces to patrol the waterways in an effort to stop the smuggling. Despite their efforts, it’s estimated that more than 75% of illegal liquor supplied to the U.S. during prohibition entered the country by way of the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.
4. First Ever News Radio Broadcast
Going on air in August 20, 1920, 8MK, later renamed WWJ, is believed to be the first station to broadcast regular news reports. Financed by The Detroit News, 8MK was initially licensed to Michael DeLisle Lyons. He assembled the station in the Detroit News Building. As was common practice in the early days of radio, the Scripps family asked Lyons to register the station in his name in case this rather new technology was only a fad.
Newspaper owners at the time were worried radio might replace newspapers and put them out of business. Almost 100 years later and we’re happy to report both The Detroit News and WWJ Radio still operate today.
5. Only Floating Post Office in the U.S.
The J. W. Westcott II docks just South of The Ambassador Bridge along the western shore of the Detroit River. She is America’s only floating ZIP Code [48222]. Delivering over 100 years of “mail-by-the-pail”, the J.W. Westcott Company was originally formed in 1874 by Captain J.W. Westcott to inform passing vessels of changes in orders.
Today the 45-foot vessel’s duties include U.S. mail delivery; freight delivery, storage, forwarding; message service; passenger service to and from vessels and pilot boat services for the Port of Detroit. The Westcott also sells nautical charts, postcards, books, and has been known to deliver the occasional mid-river pizza.
6. Largest Island Park Within a City
Courtesy of Google Earth
At 987 acres Belle Isle Park is the largest island park in the United States. First opened to the public in 1884, it is Detroit’s first major city park. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same designer credited with New York City’s Central Park. The park features a 9 hole golf course, museum, picnic shelters, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball fields and a 150 acre state protected wooded area. It is also home to a wide variety of small animals, birds and European fallow deer. Belle Isle is rich in history which you can further read about here.
7. Only City From Which One Can Look South to Canada
Though not the most Northern major U.S. City2, Detroit is the only city in the 48 contiguous States where one can gaze south toward Canada. Specifically the Windsor, Ontario skyline as pictured above. For you trivia buffs, the northernmost city in the contiguous United States is Seattle, Washington.
8. Great Salt Mines Lie Beneath
Detroit is built over an enormous salt bed. 1,200 feet below the city surface, salt mines spread over 1,400 acres and have more than 50 miles of roads.
Glaciologists believe the salt was created when a huge sea covering the region evaporated more than 400 million years ago, forming salt deposits which were gradually buried by glacial activity.
This salt bed spreads over 170,000 square miles under Michigan, Ontario, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia. Some estimates suggest that there is enough salt in the Metro Detroit underground to last 70 million years.
9. Birthplace of Techno
From left to right: Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson
Most people associate Detroit music with the Motown sound. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year it has earned a well-deserved place in music history. Another sound, however, that is a true Detroit original is Techno.
Originating in the 1980s, largely as an underground movement, the increasingly popular new music proved electronics can be used to express both funk and soul. Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, a Detroit trio who were high school friends, are considered the Godfathers of Techno.
In the late 80s and early 90s, Techno which had failed to gain mainstream success in the U.S., became a huge phenomenon in Europe – especially in Great Britian. This influenced artists like The Prodigy who achieved success, and number one singles on the pop charts.
The Detroit techno scene is well-documented in the movie High Tech Soul. Started in 2000, every Memorial Day Weekend, Detroit hosts an electronic music festival where DJs and partiers unite from all corners of the world to celebrate the beats.
10. Sports Capital of the Midwest
Behind the Art Deco architecture, the “Big 3”, and the oft-too public political scandals, Detroit is truly the sports capital of the Midwest. In major sports Detroit ranks third behind New York and Boston in championships, 22 in total 3. That’s quite the feat considering Detroit hasn’t had a competitive football team since the Eisenhower administration.
Sold-out games at Ford Field are a testament to the passion of the Detroit fan. The Pistons, Wings and Tigers are a better bet if you want to walk away happy. Detroit has also been a great host to a multitude of national sporting events. In 2005, Comerica Field hosted the MLB All-Star game, and 2006 brought us the World Series. Earlier that same year, Pittsburgh and Seattle battled it out in Super Bowl XL, and more recently Detroit hosted the 2009 NCAA Final Four. Stanley Cup Playoff appearances are almost common-place during spring, as well as unique international events such as the Red Bull Air Race.
Rivalries are welcomed so next time your favorite team is playing in Detroit stop by to watch them live, unless you’re a Penguin, just kidding.
Index:
1. Eureka!: An Illustrated History of Inventions From the Wheel to the Computer [back]
2. City as defined by 250,000 or more residents. [back]
3. Detroit Pistons (3), Detroit Lions (4 pre-Superbowl), Red Wings (11), Tigers (4) [back]
(10 votes, average: 4.70 out of 5)
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Vernors should be at the top. Great list!
I had no idea about the salt mines, I’ll bring some margaritas.
You forgot most abandonded burnt down buildings on a major city street. - I joke, but it does sadden me. I returned to Detroit for my 20 year high school reunion last year and I was really saddened by the state of Grand River running into downtown, but I have very find memories of Detroit - it’s one hell of a city. I sure hope the big 3 can come up with something besides begging the fed for cash. If they got a little more innovative we could have another golden age and be a world leader again in the automotive industry - quit making hummers would probably be a good start…
FAYGO POP!
“For you trivia buffs, the northernmost city in the contiguous United States is Seattle, Washington.”
Um, what? What about all the cities north of Seattle? Everett, Bellingham, Blaine?
Perhaps it’s only your wording, but I live in Shoreline, WA which is both a city AND north of Seattle. Not sure what you were trying to say.
Otherwise, HELL YEAH to my beloved, former hometown.
Number 9 is a lie. UK did it first. “Throbbing Gristle” started dopping the first Techno songs on the world in 1977.
Not fighting for the UK, Texas born and raise, just hate it when people think that Detroit started Techno.
@Bastian:
I’m guessing that a lot of people care, but at the very least, you can count the millions of citizens of southeast Michigan (and Windsor, for that matter). Then you can add in open-minded and curious people from around the world that are interested in looking past the punchline to see a city that has provided more to western culture than most places could ever hope to.
… and then, there’s you.
SWEET. I just got done cruising The D with my four year daughter. Museums, the Ford Piquette Plant, Fisher Body…it’s great to be a laid off engineer.
Thank you my “fellow Americans” for buying those Hyundais and Toyotas. You should be put into internment camps and shot for treason.
You forgot to mention that VERNORS is also the Oldest Soda pop in the world. It was invented during the Civil War and was sold at Dr. Vernors shop ever since. The reason it doesn’t get much credit as the worlds oldest soda is due to A) it isn’t available a lot of places outside Michigan (though that is starting to change) and B) It was bottled and commercialized a little later than some other soda pops and for the first few years was only available at the one store.
Detroit was once one of the most balanced cities in the country for industry and culture. The automotives certainly funded it, but now that the dust is settling on their reorganization, many other resourceful organizations are poised to pick up that slack. The quality of academic life in this region, with U of M, Wayne State, Michigan State, along with College for Creative Studies, Oakland U, Lawrence Tech and others provide a steady stream of talent.
I enjoyed reading these “topics.” Detroit has taken a beating but kept on competing. lol (just made that up!) Wish they would clean up those run-down neighborhoods and scrutinize the new dwellers. I used to work down there when it was thriving.
Carol Ann
and now it’s up and coming in the film industry! Detroit is a hell of a city
ICP. MURDER. GOOD TREE
Number 1 fact: Detroit is a combination of “I Am Legend” and “Mad Max in Thunderdome”. Don’t go there unless you know exactly wtf you are doing or risk disappearing in one of the many empty buildings/ boarded up skyscrapers forever more.
I <3 Detroit. Great article. You could do a ‘top 50′ list and still barely scratch the surface about what people don’t know about our fair city.
Wrong again, about the techno–see Kraftwerk. early 70s, Germany.
and as far as seattle being the northernmost in the lower 49, i think the author meant MAJOR US city. I’ve never heard of any of those other cities mentioned, but everyone knows seattle.
Put your hands up for Detroit, our lovely city.
kraftwerk didn’t make techno, but they were a major influence on it, there’s a difference
For everyone that is still putting down Detroit:
Why do you feel you need to bash the city?
It is not all “run down” and boarded up housing.
Yes, there are problems BUT there are amazing areas… Greektown, Riverwalk, MotorCity, The Fox, also all of the awesome sports stadiums and events… oh and TasteFest, DEMF, Auto Show, and the fireworks.
Stop hating Detroit and lets work on making even better.
Detroit has had the best of times and now the worst of times. We have seen this great city grow from a major metropolitan complex to ruins. Hudson’s department was always a favorite of mine during the holidays and now? To revitalize the city and it’s surrounding communities they have got to do something adroit. The same old same old just isn’t working.
It’s true that Kraftwerk was an important lead-in to Techno but it is not considered techno. The genre known as Techno started in Detroit, though there are probably some people in Chicago who would like to have a mention as well.
Throbbing Gristle is considered the pioneers of “Industrial” music (the name coming from their label - Industrial Records), not techno.
Detroit, despite its many problems, is still a great American city.
regarding the birth of techno - no knowledgeable heads would deny that detroit is the source of the establishment modern techno sound. Sure house had been around for 5 years at that point and before that electro and industrial. The fact is the sound from detroit was a shot heard round the world that defined a sound for years to come.
as for Verners, amazing that it was the first soda. I must say it tastes like they haven’t changed their syrupy gross recipe since the civil war though…
as for the “big 3″ see roger and me and 30 + years of industrial failure. these companies may have supported industry in detroit (and businesses elswhere certainly) but for too long they were an example of innificient and arrogant production. Americans should support innovation and environmental awareness of it’s corporations, not knee-jerk faux-patriotic loyalty to a corrupt and wasteful enterprise…also Hondas are made in Ohio. Welcome to the 21st century, evolve or disappear.
Oh come on now. Throbbing Gristle and techno? They may precursor it but they aren’t the innovators or the inventors. hell by your logic we’re going to say kraftwerk started techno.
dont forget better maid potato chips
Well Detroit is a nice city, but could be better. I live in the Metro Detroit area now but am originally from San Diego, CA. I would like to be able to go to downtown and enjoy Detroit, but it’s far from that now. I’m not saying there aren’t great areas in Detroit, because there are, but I think the gov’t should put more money on improving the city and also making more jobs. Also there’s nothing wrong with buying a foreign car, especially since some are made better and last longer. GM, Ford and Chrysler should take notes from foreign car companies and build better, more efficient vehicles. More people would then buy them! Hence, improving the economy and hopefully Detroit.
My first job at age 15 was at a Sander’s Fudge site and I remember vividly wearing the obligatory hairnet. My parents’ best friends served Vernor’s every Christmas Eve. There is no ginger ale that is comparable. This was a great link, brought back a lot of happy memories. I wish Detroit could get back on it’s feet. Does anyone remember the Belle Isle Flower Shows?
Thank you for providing this list. I knew most of this already and for all of you naysayers there are A LOT more first that can be contributed to Detroit than this. Funny enough many of your most prominent figures of today and yesterday are from this GREAT city. The list include Jazz Great, Donald Byrd, Lily Tomlin, Madonna, The White Stripes, Bob Seger, Gene Simmons of KISS, Diana Ross, Dr. Ben Carson, fashion designer Ana Sui, William Boeing (as the planes you all fly everyday), Larry Page (founder of Google), Oscar Mayer, Malcolm X & Betty Shabazz, Francis Ford Coppola, Christie Brinkley, Ed McMahon, Soupy Sales, Tom Selleck and the list goes on and on.
Yes, our city has had it’s struggle, but it’s a beautiful place that has greatly contributed to inventions, entertainment and the way we live each and every day. I live in downtown Detroit and LOVE it. I’m very educated and have a great career and those in my social circle live and have great careers in the Detroit area.
Thanks for the great Top 10 list. As a former resident, avid supporter, and frequent visitor of Detroit, I am so pleased when something positive is published about our ever-so resilient city.
She may have fallen on hard times, but economically and politically, but I have faith that she will recover in grand fashion.
I also loved hearing about the restoration and beautification near Central Station.
I am always proud to say I was born and raised in Detroit.
And the first traffic light!
Detroit has been great and will continue to remake itself. Here are lots of stories about Detroit’s history:
http://bit.ly/W2eoG
This list is good and I knew all of the issues covered being a diehard lifelong Detroiter. I love the city I don’t care what the naysayers and knockabouts think. Power to Detroit!!!!!
“mgun said:
Wrong again, about the techno–see Kraftwerk. early 70s, Germany.
and as far as seattle being the northernmost in the lower 49, i think the author meant MAJOR US city. I’ve never heard of any of those other cities mentioned, but everyone knows seattle.”
He isn’t saying it is the northern most city in the USA…. he is saying that it is the ONLY city to look SOUTH on Canada. Windsor, Canada is SOUTH of Detroit, MI.
these facts are cool, but a big part of Detroit Techno history keeps being missed/over-looked, Eddie “flashin” Fowlkes. Eddie is the reason that electronic dance music has any soul in its sound or the dance floor.
Detroit and America, its time to give this dude the credit and accolades he deserves…
peace and respect to Eddie!!!
[dd610]
Eddie worked under Juan, I worked under Juan, Kevin worked under Juan,Juan made his
first record in 1980 as part of (cybotron),Juan thought up the term techno cause he
felt it was what the music was all about , not some brand concept bullshit just what the music was! Techno the trem is what the music from Detroit is.it is excepted by all,,and yes even kraftwerk,.be happy cause we fought for that,in the process it gave rise to many an artist.. Some who’ve went on to do amazing things in the business!! Most never forgetting who made it possible.
haha!
That’s my city…
ice cream soda’s, liquor and funk baby! LOL
I lived in Detroit for 25 years. Detroit was at its best during the great depression. From 1930 until after WW2 it was a great place to live, there were not murders every night, there were no dope peddlers on every corner and kids could roam around all over in the summer without worrying about perverts kidnapping them. I hope it will return to its former glory.
You would think Detroit would be a paradise, after all these years of Liberal Democrat rule, look what they have done. Why business in that entire state must be booming with the policies of the enlightened politicians. They want to do to the rest of the US what they have done here…..
Here’s another. The Davison Freeway.. is the first below ground level freeway in the United States.
Detroit has a fascinating history and could be so much more than partly simply abandonded. But unfortunately there don’t seem to be many people believing in the future of the D. Definately a sad situation!
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