Glaciers and a couple of Ice Ages gave Grosse Pointers a great little lake for the front yards of their mansions. The lake, Lake St. Clair, and the Grosse Pointe area were formed by glaciers that passed through the area about 16,000 years ago, leaving a two mile long island sticking out of an inland sea. The island’s high point was roughly in the area of today’s Grosse Pointe Farms, near Ridge and Lothrop Rds. Eventually the shores of the sea receded completely, leaving a land area roughly equal to present day Grosse Pointe. Lake St. Clair (to be) varied in size over a period(s) of from 5-8,000 years at which time it dried up completely and was covered by great plains. The final result is the 20 by 30 mile shallow, heart shaped lake we know today. (Heritage 12/84. 13-15)

I wasn’t far along with my research before I began to understand the advice that "it’s easier to change your thesis than to change the facts"! One idea, for this paper, "Auto Barons in Grosse Pointe" would have covered both the "Car and the City" angles of our course, but I realized it was too large a topic. Too many "Auto Barons". For a brief time I entertained a theme of "Gilt by Association", a sort of "Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous" review. But, there were too many Rich, and too many Famous. My early idea of a study of non-typical housing such as garage apartments and coachhouses just was too difficult to research. It eventually dawned on me that much of my difficulty in narrowing my focus was due to the fact that Grosse Pointe is not a stereotypical suburb. It is a unique area with a long history closely twined with the development of the automobile.

My final decision was to title my paper "Non-stereotypical Housing in the Grosse Pointes." That sounded so deadly boring I was afraid I would fall asleep and never complete it. So, I came up with " A Ride Around the Neighborhood." I’d take the reader on a tour! I’d start with a little history, add a little human interest, gossip about the "rich and famous," show how the other half lived, see where the "poor" folks lived, take a quick peek at some mansions, and ride through some wonderful neighborhoods.

No place in any of the five Grosse Pointes, known collectively as Grosse Pointe, is very far from any of the other Pointes. The entire Pointe area is an irregular area, wide at the top, nipping in through the bottom of the Farms and spreading out again in the Park. The lakeside border runs about 7 miles and the Mack/Detroit border about 6 miles. Not a very big place to be world renowned as a home of the "rich and famous." (O’Brien 77-81) The narrowest place in "my" city, Grosse Pointe Park, is Cadieux Rd., the border between Grosse Pointe City and Grosse Pointe Park. There the diving line is about 8 blocks long, barely over a mile in length. The widest area of the Park is the western/Detroit border street(s) of Barrington/Wayburn, 10 blocks long is just less than two miles. The northern Mack and the southern Jefferson/Lakeshore Dr./Windmill Pt. Dr. borders run approximately 1 ½ and 2 miles respectively. I’ve enclosed a map.

For the past couple of years my dog Boomer and I have cruised the lower Grosse Pointes by bicycle, usually in the early morning. A bicycle’s slower speed, maneuverability and non-threatening nature (especially when accompanied by a friendly dog) made it possible to roll through private alleys and laneways without encountering objections. My research covered primarily Grosse Pointe Park (the Park), Grosse Pointe City (the City) and to a lesser extent, Grosse Pointe Farms (the Farms), unless otherwise noted. I have confined myself to these boundaries because they are the areas the dog and I could comfortably cover with my "research vehicle", a Schwinn Tri-Wheeler of uncertain vintage. Our greatest mileage covered probably never totaled more than ten mile in a round trip. My friend Lynn McHarness, a frequent companion on my early morning rides around the Grosse Pointes, initially suggested the basic idea for my paper.

Although most areas of the Pointes are laid out in the familiar grid/block pattern, the are some interesting lot shapes and street angles formed as old property lines, perpendicular to the irregular lakeshore, intersect. (Bowditch, 60) Changes resulting from ongoing "redevelopment" and multiple eras of subdividing of large properties have also helped to create unique street and housing patterns. As I rolled along I would speculate on the "why’s" of unusual street layouts, unexpected changes of housing types or other puzzling features I encountered. When I voiced some of my questions to Lynn during a coffee stop at Bruegger’s, she volunteered several answers that caught my interest. A little prodding brought the disclosure that she had studied Urban Planning in college and for a period of time worked in the field. I’d found a research assistant! Lynn was a willing sounding board and critical questioner of whatever theory I was currently testing.

I quickly went from the "not enough" stage to the "what do I do with this," stage as I continued to gather information. Jean Dodenhoff, curator of the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, was most helpful with leads, extensive general background and suggestions. In addition, while working on another project for school, I had the opportunity to ask the mayor of the Park, Palmer Heenan, some general background questions about local development. The people in the Building Department also helped me to understand how records were stored and displayed. Finally, I began to look, really look, around me and discovered things that had been there all along, but were disguised by familiarity and the passage of time.

I wonder if the native Americans even noticed the brief flurry of activity that occurred in the mid 17^th century. The first Europeans passed through the Detroit area waterways, transported in Indian canoes, on their way north to the Straits of Mackinaw in 1669. The first sailing ship on the Great Lakes, the Griffon, is credited with entering Lake Saint Clair on August 12, 1679 on its way north. Records show that by 1683 LaSalle was dealing in furs with the Indians at Michilimackinac, on Lake Huron near the Straits of Mackinaw. Shortly after, political and economic problems in France closed the upper Great Lakes to French exploration, by all except the Jesuit priests. It wasn’t until the summer of 1701 that the French returned to the Detroit area. The French were anxious to secure their interest in the area by establishing a fort. A location in what was to be Detroit was negotiated with the Indians and Fort Ponchartrain was erected. (League 1973, 24-26)

Settlers received land grants from the French government as early as 1707. Permission was given for marriages to local Indians because of a lack of European women in this remote French outpost. (Arbaugh 46) The French settlers and their families moved gradually eastward along the shore towards present day Grosse Pointe. A large swampy area, Grand Marais ("big swamp, according to my mother’s translation") extended from approximately where the Waterworks Park stands today, to well into the Pointes. During most of the year the area was accessible only by canoe or trails following the high land. Since the only reliable method of travel to the Fort in Detroit was boat or canoe, and access to the lake and river was a necessity, the settlers created what came to be called "ribbon farms". These narrow farms, all with access to the lakefront, stretched inland, sometimes for miles. I encountered one reference to a numbered claim, (the reference has since eluded me), in which it mentioned that the claim stretched inland to Gratiot, a distance of over 5 miles!

Political control changed with the French and Indian War, but Grosse Pointe continued on as a quiet farming community. As the British brought their influence to the Detroit area, they also married into the local farm families. By 1796 another change of rule occurred as the Americans took control of Detroit’s Fort Ponchartrain. One result of the ongoing struggle for control of the area was that land title and ownership, particularly in the Grosse Pointe area, was a tangle of grants given by succeeding governments. Claims and grants from the French governors, Cadillac, the Indians and the British all existed simultaneously. As late as 1797, agreements were still being made with Indian tribes for lands in the Gaukler Pointe area of Grosse Pointe Shores. (Arbaugh 6/85, 46)

The Detroit fire of 1805 exacerbated the situation by wiping out church and municipal records that might have been used to reconstruct claims made through marriage and inheritance. As a result, pioneer settlers spent years appealing their existing claims to various governments and agencies. For example, Isadore Vernier was still appealing his family’s long held claim, #156, 20 years after the fire. He finally received confirmation of his ownership, from President Madison, in 1825. The recorded boundaries of the Vernier claim encompassed a total of 220 acres. The farm included 900 feet of water frontage and extended inland a distance of over 3 ½ miles to Beaconsfield, in today’s Harper Woods! (Solek, 80) I can imagine many people would have liked to lay claim to such a large property!

The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 offered the large populations of the eastern U.S. cities much easier and safer travel to the unsettled lands of the west than previously possible. Michigan was one of the states that enjoyed rapid growth. Grosse Pointe did not enjoy the growth that might have been expected from its closeness to Detroit. Development in Grosse Pointe was delayed by unique circumstances. The clouded land titles, swampy isolation and a lack of roads were no doubt key factors in the lack of growth. In addition, fertile land, of undoubted title, was cheap and easily available, and could be purchased in easily accessible areas of in southeastern Michigan for as little as $1.25 per acre, in 80 acre parcels. Travel to and in these areas was easy compared to Grosse Pointe. For all of these reasons, the Grosse Pointes did not enjoy the growth seen in other parts of Michigan, including Detroit. (Bowditch 6/86 62-68)

The Grosse Pointes’ reliance on water travel is illustrated by a contemporaneous account from 1825. A figure of "150 boats and canoes being afloat on the water at any given daylight hour" was given. One factor the Detroit area did have in its favor was that it was comparatively free from Indian attack. I came across a reference that stated that despite its poor defenses, Detroit was the only western outpost never held by the Indians. (League 1985. 26) The state government and its forces had consistently pushed Indian settlements west. Local notables including Father Gabriel Richard, wanting to share in the growth of the westward migration, appealed to Congress in 1825 for legislation to create roads. It was not until the passage of the Plank Road Act of 1848 that the Michigan legislature made a move that would encourage increased growth in Michigan. (League 1973, 32-33)

In spite of the accounts of difficult travel, several roadhouses existed in Grosse Pointe by the mid 1800s, supported by locals as well as city people. Apparently these roadhouses offered something for everyone. Cockfighting and heavy betting were reported to take place at some of these roadhouses. Additional reference is made to hotel hosts "filling their tills in other questionable ways." Still, plenty was available for families who made the trip to the country. Food offered was locally produced with an emphasis on fish, chicken and frog including "frog fricassee"! Locally grown strawberries, cherries and other orchard products were served. (League 1985. 33)

Plank roads were private enterprises, grants given by the state to build and maintain a road for a 60-year period. In 1851 a plank road on Jefferson was built for a length of 9 miles with two (or three?) toll stops on the way to Grosse Pointe. One toll stop was located near Dequindre Rd., not too far outside today’s downtown, and another near Beaconsfield in the Park. One account states that the road came as far as "Fisher’s (Fisher) Road. (League 1985. 30,33) While there is considerable disagreement about the condition in which the Plank Road was kept, the Plank Road did make the trip from Detroit to the Pointes easier and faster. How much easier and faster would depend on to whom you listened. (Hennings #1, 9) Jean Dodenhoff, curator of the Grosse Pointe Historical Society recalled accounts reporting militia units quick marching to Grosse Pointe in about an hour and 15 minutes.

Some accounts of the day relate that the Plank Road became impassable in rainy weather. So impassable that enterprising young Frenchmen carried travelers across the underwater portions by canoe! Yet, at the same time an area newspaper, The Evening News, reported that "a drive into the heart of Grosse Pointe was a pleasant drive." Another enthusiastic report was contained in an atlas of Wayne County, printed in 1876. Regarding the Grosse Pointe area, it stated that "Besides superiorities in the way of good roads, excellent drainage…"! This author noted that of the 15 people underwriting the atlas, 13 were farmers and landowners. I’ll leave it to the reader to decide what was truth and what was civic pride! (League 1973. 34)

I found it puzzling that before the 1900’s the Park, except for farming "above" Jefferson, appears to have been almost completely overlooked by those who built summer "cottages," although it was closest to Detroit. A look at the map gave me what I’m sure is the answer. Jefferson, when it crosses into the Pointes, is well over a mile inland from the where Windmill Pointe juts into the lake at the mouth of the Detroit River. In addition, the desirable lakefront land "below" Jefferson in the Park was bordered by a large marsh and many years from being drained or readied for development. If travelers proceeded a mile or so farther along (east) along Jefferson, the road returned to the lakeshore, or vice versa, and the ground began to rise. This high, dry land, adjacent to the only passable road in the area, was the site of the first summer homes of fashionable Detroiters. (Bowditch, 6/86 62)

Edmund Brush is generally acknowledged to be the first to build a large summer estate in the Pointes in 1857. His fashionable Italianate style summer home, "the Pines" was sited on 32 acres on the shore near today’s Warner Rd. It soon became very fashionable for wealthy Detroiters to have a summer home in Grosse Pointe. Summer homes (and eventually year round homes) built by a "Who’s Who" of Detroit business began to line the lakeshore. Among the early families represented were John Newberry, Great Lakes shipping magnate, James McMillan, shipping magnate and U.S.Senator, Henry Ledyard, former Detroit Mayor, and Joseph Berry, wealthy owner of a paint company. George van Ness Lothrop, minister to Russia, (O’Brien. 78) D.M.Ferry, the owner of the world’s largest seed company, and DuCharme owner of the Michigan Stove Works. Capt. John B. Ford, one of the "other " Ford’s, owner of Wyandotte Chemical, and former Michigan Governor, U.S. Senator and Secretary of War, Russell Alger, indicate the kind of people who found Grosse Pointe to be a fine place to erect a home.

There were many other businessmen, financiers and manufacturers whose names I did not recognize but were apparently well known figures in Detroit’s history. As so often is the case, "people go where people go," and by the 1880s there was a colony of well to do families summering along the shores of the present day City and Farms. (Video 2) In some places, lavish summer "cottages" shared the lakefront with working farms. Some residents began to live in Grosse Pointe year round to enjoy the healthy country life. Behind the mansions on Jefferson life continued on much as it always had.

It was after the turn of the 20^th century, that the owners of and investors in the automobile companies began to move to Grosse Pointe. The homes of automobile "royalty" gradually replaced many of the earlier homes and "cottages." It should be noted that some of these early houses were quite grand. I wondered if the idea of calling them "cottages" may have been an affectation, borrowed from the habit of wealthy New Yorkers who modestly(?) called there Newport, RI, estates, "cottages." (Blevins) In any case, grand was replaced by even grander! If Grosse Pointe was not known world wide as a wealthy community, the homes of the Dodges, Joys, and others that became wealthy through their involvement with the automobile, certainly informed the world otherwise! Conspicuous by his absence was Henry Ford who chose to live at his estate, FairLane, on the Rouge River. His son Edsel, and wife Eleanor, would build a home on Gaukler Pointe in Grosse Pointe Shores. Thanks to Mrs. Ford’s foresight, and generous endowment, the home still stands today, and is open to the public

Detroit, like many large American cities, was growing fast as the end of the 19^th century approached. In the years from 1870 to 1910 Detroit increased its area from 13 to 41 square miles through annexation of surrounding areas. During the period from 1880 to 1918 Detroit "absorbed large portions of the townships of…and Grosse Pointe, and of whole villages…" By 1930 Detroit encompassed 138 square miles! Henry Ford perfected his assembly line concept between 1908 and 1913. His $5 per day wage solved his labor turnover problem and accelerated Detroit’s growth. The rate of Detroit’s population increase, in the period between 1910 and 1930, was significantly greater than any other major American city. (Jackson 140,143) Author Judy Rose presented an idea in her Free Press article "The Booms that Built Detroit." She points out that growth in Detroit, in her opinion, directly paralleled the health and growth of the auto industry. She used this reasoning to explain why Detroit has almost no Art Deco homes. The popularity of the style occurred in the 30’s while the auto industry was extremely depressed.

Grosse Pointers reacted to Detroit’s expansion by becoming the Village of Grosse Pointe in1879. Incorporation gave them protection from annexation by Detroit. In 1893, in a dispute over the serving of liquor at a roadhouse in the Village, residents above Fisher Rd. split from the Village and became incorporated as the Village of Grosse Pointe Farms. In 1907 Detroit annexed the Village of Fairview up to Alter Road, the present Park border. Grosse Pointe Park, fearing annexation, incorporated the same year! Grosse Pointe Shores incorporated in 1911 and Lochmoor/Grosse Pointe Woods incorporated in 1927. All except the Shores later became cities. (League 1985 33) The Grosse Pointes experienced a "boom" very similar to Detroit’s. My review of plat records for the City of Grosse Pointe Park shows that with two (1890,1899) exceptions, the land boom didn’t start in the Park until about 1910. The "land fever" must have peaked about then. I would estimate over three quarters of the land in GPP was platted and subdivided between 1910 and 1919. This roughly paralleled growth in Detroit.

I reviewed all 51 plat maps for the Park. I did not review previous records that are held by Wayne County. Due to time and energy constraints, lack of earlier information and fear of Wayne County civil servants, I choose to believe local opinion that these areas represented remnants of the originals strip farms or land holdings. Only a very few of the areas were square or irregular in shape, and almost all stretched from Jefferson to Mack, the entire length/width of the city! It appears land developers were buying up and platting entire farms. The majority of the land platted was one or two blocks wide and ran from Jefferson north to Mack through the "high land". The reader must remember that we aren’t talking about huge areas. Most "subdivisions" platted were a block or two wide and one to eight blocks long. A tiny percentage was small, with perhaps enough room to build 10 or 12 houses.

Most of the land south of Jefferson was not platted until 1919. One large and irregular shape is, I believe, the area of the former swamp. It covered the largest single area of any I reviewed, almost a mile in one direction! It’s interesting to note that one of the developers, and/or his family probably owned most of the land. I used to live in this area, known as the Windmill Pointe Subdivision. Five years ago I bought a duplex on the corner of Jefferson and Harcourt, in a subdivision platted in 1925. Now that you have the background of the area and the "lay of the land", we’re ready to go for a ride.

Look across Jefferson before we leave my front yard. Hidden in the shrubs for several blocks, in either direction, are low "walls," apparent remnants from old estates or current subdivisions. There’s almost no information on the subject. I’ll show you some later that I am sure about. We’ll turn left/west, towards downtown Detroit, out of my driveway and head down Jefferson a few blocks to the City Hall. It’s located on Jefferson, between Lakepointe and Maryland. Ride through the parking lot and into the alley behind the police parking lot. We’re in the Cabbage Patch! If the houses the next streets over, on the other side of Alter, in Detroit, were still in good repair (or still existed), this area is, or would be, its identical twin. According to Bowditch, the uniformity of development indicates the area was built up over a fairly short period of time. Most of "the Detroit side" has fallen into major urban decay, burned or disappeared. The Belgians were one of the main populations to settle in the Cabbage Patch area.

The reason the Cabbage Patch still has alleys is that the houses are so close together that residents access their backyards/garages through the alley. I don’t believe garages existed early in the life of the Patch. These were the homes of "workingmen," and in 1915, workingmen couldn’t afford cars. The attraction of the area was its closeness to transportation on Jefferson and Mack. About halfway down the block on the left we come to a garage(?) apartment. These apartments are a remnant of the Belgians. They and other "foreigners" were an industrious bunch. They saved their money and lived in tiny houses they built at the back of their lots. When they saved enough money, they built the duplexes and "fourplexes" that line the streets of the Patch on the front of their lots. Here and there nothing ever was built at the front of the lot. Apparently the same custom was observed in Detroit, although a driveby failed to find any signs of the "little" houses. The author chose not to do an inspection of the alleys. The Belgians frequently worked as builders, gardeners and staff of the "big houses". (Shook, Schilperoot-Wassenour)

We cross St. Paul and ride into the next alley. You’ll see more "little houses" all the way through to Kercheval if you pay attention. Many have disappeared or been converted to garages. Up ahead we can see the "addition" that the former owner of a local restaurant made to his second floor apartment across the street from his business. He had his own little three-story fantasy going on here and it’s only visible from the alley! Around the corner and past the Lumber Yard and we’re in "Kercheval in the Park," a three block stretch of businesses. Most of the buildings date back to the 20s and 30s. Look left towards Detroit and it’s pretty scary. The "border" is only a block away. Look right and it’s your basic preppy neighborhood. I’ve lived her almost 20 years and I still find the contrast unsettling.

Look out for the chairs and tables on the sidewalk! There’s a little cluster of restaurants and coffee shops along here. I wave or nod to store owners as we roll past. Boomer, sensing the Vet’s office, puts on a burst of speed, until we are safely past! If you weren’t with me, I’d drop off my cleaning on the corner at Belding’s or stop at Mullier’s Market. They’ve been in this block since the 20s, when they moved up from Detroit. All their shopping bags are heavy and have handles because a lot of people from the Patch walk over. This area has almost everything you need: a drink, a dress or a couch. Look back as we reach Beaconsfield and you’ll see signs of apartments on the second floor of many of the buildings. Continue east towards the City and we pass Defer Elementary and Pierce Middle Schools. School district shrinkage, some years ago, made room for a branch of the local public library in a wing of Pierce. Schools are one of the big attractions of the Pointes. In the Park, no house is more than half a mile from an elementary school. It is very possible for kids to walk to school. Turn left at any street and ride down three blocks to Mack.

The "Grosse Pointe side" of Mack is a miles long string of business. Lots of restaurants, real estate agencies, doctors, attorneys, retail and anything else you need, all the way up to the western limit of the Pointes and beyond. Physically, Mack is about 75 yards wide here but the Grosse Pointe and Detroit sides of the street are a world apart. My grandson Richie and I were going into Mama Rosa’s Pizza here a couple of years ago, when he spotted some kids scuffling with each other across Mack. He very pointedly told me "Keek, I don’t think this is a very safe place"! He seemed somewhat reassured when we entered the restaurant and he spotted three tables of Detroit Police, all "packing iron." At least he ate his pizza. The contrasts with Detroit are distinct along all the mutual borders. Turn right at any street and go back two blocks to Vernor. As we cross Charlevoix look to your right. There’s another small business area. Turn left on Vernor and we’re heading towards the City again.

We pass some very nice homes, mostly built during the 20’s and 30’s. No matter what style home you’d like, I’ll bet we have it in the Park. There must have been a large number of architects and builders involved, because at first glance no two appear to be the same. Home prices range from several million dollars on the lake to the "low to mid" $100,000. It’s generally agreed that you get the most house and land for your money in the Park. I don’t know much about the City and Farms real estate. In a few minute we cross Cadieux Rd. and we’re in the City and Vernor changes name to Waterloo. We’ve passed Notre Dame, St. Clair and Neff. All these streets have primarily multiple housing/ duplexes, some going back to before the 1900s. We’ll take a closer at them later. We pass Elworthy Field on our left with its large play/ball field, tennis courts and small children’s park. On our right is the third and latest home of the Neighborhood Club, an old Grosse Pointe "institution." (Video 2)

Founded in the early 1910s by summer residents, the Neighborhood Club’s purpose was to "provide needed social and community services" to the year round community. These influential summer people were also instrumental in founding Cottage Hospital during the Great Flu Epidemic of 1915-1918. The Neighborhood Club’s community programs made it a center for many social groups and nationality groups. Residents with ordinary or low incomes also benefited from its programs for women and children. One of the clubs that met regularly in the 20s was the Chauffeur’s Club! If one were to judge by the number of carriage house/garage apartments we’ll talk about later, nobody drove their own car! Today the Neighborhood Club offers a wide variety of programs including soccer programs, bridge, senior citizens programs, a much in demand pre-school, aerobics classes, and that great American sport: fencing! I belong to the Club. (Video 2)

We continue along Waterloo, through the City for only nine blocks, before we cross Fisher road into the Farms. Waterloo has changed its name to Ridge Rd. It gets its name because it runs along a ridge following the highest elevation in all of the Pointes. Local legend has it that an Indian trail followed this high ground. We’re at the "M" streets. McKinley, McMillan, and maybe Muer and Moran. The homes along here were mostly built around the time of WW II with some earlier or later. The homes aren’t large, many of them are "colonials" and though I haven’t been in many, I’d bet I know their exact layout. This neighborhood is much sought after and sometimes referred to as "starter" homes. Over on the lake, the land for McKinley Place was cleared in 1906 at the lake on the site of an orchard. More land and old estates were cleared and platted. These were the first subdivisions designed in anticipation of development and demand by automobile commuters coming the Pointes. (League. 1985. 34)

We continue on to Muir Rd. which my mother remembers as "old Oak St." Sometime after the 20s, the name was changed. Remember those roadhouses that "filled their tills in other questionable ways"? Well, it seems that Oak St. (among others) had speakeasies in the 20s, and offered more than illegal alcohol! (Dodenhoff & Mom) Land in Grosse Pointe was just too expensive to let a bad reputation get in the way! Muir is one of the streets that local legend holds was for the "help". It has very small "cottages" packed in close on very small lots and it was close to the locations of some of the mansions of the turn of the century and later. Today Muir has a mix of duplexes and little "cottages". Most are "done up to within an inch of their lives" and all sell for far more than you’d expect. As a bonus, Muir crosses the top end of The Hill, another commercial district.

We cross Lewiston and on the left is the home where my grandmother was a nanny/housekeeper for many years. The family lost most of its money in the Crash, but my grandmother continued on with them, in various capacities, for many years. Apparently they were quite generous when they "had money." Mom inherited stocks my grandmother received as gifts from them 50 years before. My mother always claimed the address was wrong, she was sure it was something other than the address on the building. A call to the City confirmed she was right. They changed house numbers, too. As we continue along Ridge my knees tell me the land is rising.

Boomer is doing fine, but I’m breathing hard as the road continues to rise for the next few blocks. By the time we cross Meriweather it’s possible to look to our left and look over the rooftops of two story houses less than a block away. We’ve reached the high point of our ride. Finally, the road flattens out. We’re almost to the location of a long gone racetrack near Vendome. I first heard about its existence from a very dainty librarian at the library’s Central Branch. She had commented on my research interests and we began to chat. She told me that when her dad was a young man, he had ridden as a jockey at a racetrack in Grosse Pointe. Not long after that I came across a reference in an issue of the Grosse Pointe Historical Society’s Moorings that referenced a racetrack in Grosse Pointe as the site of Henry Ford’s first and last auto race. I’m going to assume that these are one in the same racetrack since I found no other mention. Ridge Rd. continues until it "deadends" on Moross at an old cemetery, no joke intended. The cemetery occupants at St. Paul’s were moved here in the late 1800s from the church cemetery.

Also buried in the neighborhood, ( I apologize) behind the houses along Kerby Rd., are the greenhouses of Grosse Pointe Florist. They’ve been here since 1927 when Kerby, now a quiet neighborhood road, was the site of a thriving commercial district. Jim Farquar, whose family built the GP Florist, ticked of a long list of now vanished services and businesses. There was an icehouse, fire station early school and a long list of other businesses situated on Kerby. He also told me that the curve of Vendome follows one section of the old racetrack! Grosse Pointe High North at Vernier near Morningside was built on the "last working farm" 1966. Adjoining it is another large tract of land, Lochmoor Country Club. Turn right on Moross, towards the lake, and ride up a block to Kercheval. Before we turn on Kercheval, take a look at the lake up ahead. Beautiful, isn’t it?

This final stretch of Kercheval is a remnant of an older neighborhood or settlement from the late 1800s. Farquar suggested a peek at some of the old garages around here. Larger that usual, they represent workshops of plumbers, electricians and other trades people around the turn of the century. We pass the archives of the Grosse Pointe Historical Society on our left and the historic Provencal-Weir home on our right. The home was rescued by the Historical Society and moved here from a location where it would have been destroyed by "progress." A Michigan Historical Commission Marker on the lawn gives the history of the house. Keep on pedaling. We’ve come to the gatehouse at the entrance of Provencal Rd. It’s a very exclusive neighborhood with very expensive homes that face the golf course of the Country Club of Detroit (CCD). Henry Ford II moved here from his Lakeshore Dr. mansion after divorcing his second wife.

This is the third home of the CCD. Organized in 1897, CCD had several locations including a larger lakefront area. Two fires and the land boom of the 20s resulted in a move to the present location. The CCD building is one of architect Albert Kahn’s wonderful works. Just pulling up to the building makes one feel well to do! Money isn’t enough to get a membership there. The best way is to be really rich, famous or have Daddy sponsor you. According to Stacey Lynch, even famous isn’t enough; in fact it may be a strike against membership. I settle for friends who have memberships and give me an occasional look at how the "other half" lives. I thought it was interesting that the founders named it after Detroit. Apparently, back then, Detroit had an image of wealth and power while Grosse Pointe was just a footnote.

This is a good time to tell you a "Millionaire Story." Henry Ford II was a legendary "partyer". When Ford’s oldest daughter, Anne, made her debut in 1957, he invited 1000 of his closest friends to a ball at the Country Club of Detroit. Luminaries from the world of entertainment and business attended. Society orchestras played and as a surprise, Nat "King" Cole sang. The event set Henry back $150,000! His daughter Charlotte made her debut a year and a half later in 1959. This time tents were placed on the lawns of their lakefront home. More famous people, more music, Ella Fitzgerald sang and Henry got a bill for $250,000. As a teenager I drooled over the accounts carried on the society pages of the Detroit News, Detroit Times and Free Press. (Lasky) It was party guys like Hank who kept the moneyed reputation of Grosse Pointe going!

Okay, back on your bike. We’ll head down Provencal towards the lake. Keep your brakes on, the land drops sharply here. When we reach the water, stop a minute and enjoy the view. It’s easy to see the East End of Windsor, Ontario and ten months of the year a freighter is likely to be in sight. Jefferson is called Lakeshore Drive from the Shores down to Fisher Road. Up Lakeshore Dr. you can see the Venetian style tower of the Grosse Pointe yacht Club (GPYC). All it takes is money and friends to get you a membership there! The little Crescent Point Sail Club sticks out into the lake here, too. I’ve heard a sailboat and a couple of pals are all it takes there. This little chunk of land is where Henry Joy used to keep his yacht in front of his long gone house. Joy made his money as President of the Packard Motor Car Company. A French carillon from his former estate, Fair Acres, is now located at Grosse Point Boulevard and Moross. The mansion disappeared in 1959. There are no houses on the water between Vernier and Fisher Road, so "lakeside mansions" are actually across the road from the lake.

Turn right towards Detroit. You can see the RenCen through the trees ahead. Take your time and admire the "lakeside mansions" on the inland side. They’re not all mansions along here anymore. Many large states were torn down particularly in the 50s and 60s as the demand for land in the Pointes increased. Ahead of us is a good example, Windmere subdivision. It was built in the late 80s and early 90s when a large home was torn down. If one studies a map of the lakeshore along here the odd placement of the streets reflects the location of homes and estates that once existed. The land rises sharply on our right until we can no longer see the houses. You can cross the road and ride on the grass if you want to see them. There’s no sidewalk on that side of the street and riding on the grass is too tough for my three wheeler.

When we reach Moran we’ll turn up into the parking lot of St. Paul’s Catholic Church. I’ll have to push my bike, I think the road is about 20 feet below the parking lot level! St. Paul’s is the last of several churches that existed on or near this site. The present Gothic structure was completed in 1849. Next door is "The Academy", formerly known as the Academy of the Sacred Heart it was once a private boarding school for girls from wealthy Catholic families. Today it is a non-sectarian private school for K-12. The chapel in the Academy is worth a look when you have the time. Behind St. Paul’s and The Academy, facing Grosse Pointe Boulevard is St. Paul’s School where other Catholic children in the community attended. Paul Van Tiem, lifelong Grosse Pointe resident of Belgian ancestry, recounted his days there. "Rich or poor could attend" St. Paul’s.

Grosse Point Boulevard runs between Moross and Fisher. It was cut through the back of the lakefront estates sometime around 1887 when interurban rail service was being extended into the Pointes. Lakeshore residents were concerned about trolleys running through their front yards. Fisher Road was the point where the cars turned inland to detour up their "backyard" route. There is a wall the entire route of the trolley along Fisher to reduce the noise and eliminate the sight of the passing trolleys. These same trolleys no doubt carried supplies and non-resident staff to the then rural homes of the wealthy. On the corner of Grosse Pointe Boulevard and Fisher is the campus of Grosse Pointe High South, built in 1928. The building is a jewel of Federal architecture. The interiors, recently renovated, are as elaborate in detail and ornamentation as many mansions. The school is one of the few things featured in the film, Grosse Pointe Blank, which actually were in Grosse Pointe!

Across the street from the high school are two streets we should look at more closely. The first, McKinley Place, I mentioned earlier. It was the site of an orchard that was cleared in 1906, specifically in anticipation of growth resulting from the automobile. (League 1985 34) Beverly Road, the next street over is another of the new "automobile suburbs." It too was developed to attract people from the city with automobiles. (Dodenhoff) The "Beverly Gates" open on Lakeshore. It is the first solid example that compares to the way subdivisions are marketed today. Whatever preceded Beverly Road, it gives the impression that you are entering a large estate as you pass through the gates. Ride down the one block length of Beverly and back on to Lakeshore.

Look to your left and you’ll see the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Presbyterian). A church has existed on the site since 1865. Behind the church is an area that was the original Cabbage Patch. There was a cluster of homes there that was named the Cabbage Patch after a neighborhood in a popular children’s book of the time. The homes were moved and torn down in the l910s and 1920s in response to demand for land. Some were moved to streets adjoining the Village in the City. The Grosse Pointe Club, familiarly known as the Little Club now occupies much of the land of the former Cabbage Patch.

Next door to the church is the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, located in the Russell Alger home, The Moorings. Constructed on one of the highest pieces of land on the lakeshore, The Moorings served as home to Michigan former Governor and U.S. Senator, Russell A. Alger. It was later donated to the Detroit Institutes of Arts (DIA) for use as a branch museum. A significant portion of the DIA’s original funding and collections came from prominent Grosse Pointe families. Following WWII the home was put to use as a War Memorial, a cultural and recreational center to honor the war dead. A bequest by William H. Fries paid for the construction of a large auditorium and meeting center. Additions to the original building and modernization have resulted in a center that hosts hundreds of community organizations, and thousands of events every year. I have attended numerous events including Grosse Pointe Theater productions and weddings at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. (League 1973,1985)

Turn back towards Detroit and cross Fisher Road. We’re back in the City. Only one street into the City we cross Lincoln Road. I often smile as I pass Lincoln and think about the television show that revealed a Grosse Pointe secret. A man living in a gracious Colonial home on Lincoln was raising alligators in his basement. Not little pet store size, but great big alligators. I can’t recall why he raised alligators, I only remember that no one knew about them. The television show interviewed neighbors and friends of the family. Women who played bridge with the "lady of the house" recalled hearing strange noises emanating from the basement. They were told that it was " the pipes, an old furnace"! This stretch of Jefferson still has remnants of the gates, fences and walls that once surrounded lavish estates. Much of the ironwork disappeared during WWII as patriotic Grosse Pointers donated their gates and fences to the war effort. Only a fraction was replaced after the war. Some of the brick walls from large estates still remain, now enclosing neighborhoods or subdivisions.

On the corner of Rivard and Jefferson stands a branch of First Bank. In the building reside at least a couple of answers to my "wonderings" about where and how people shopped before cars. At various times the building has held a doctor’s office, home and pharmacy, a grocery and a hardware store. The building has been remodeled and reconfigured several times over the past 100 years. (Deland 72) In another block we come to Roosevelt Place. Roosevelt contains a collection of very small "cottages" on narrow, shallow lots that sit just a few feet back from the sidewalk. They face the back of a few large homes, "estates" that go through from Roosevelt place to the next street, Washington. Although there has been "infilling," building on oversized lots, around the larger homes, there’s little doubt that these were homes for the "help" from nearby "estates."

Across the street, on the other side of Jefferson, street after street of homes on cul de sacs mark the locations of estates that were destroyed in response to the need for land on the lakefront. Three more blocks along Jefferson at Lakeland we see the entrance to the City Park. Turn right on Lakeland and travel down to the end of the block. On the corner is the former carriage house of the John Dwyer estate. The original wall and iron gates still remain at the corner of Lakeland and Maumee. The Dwyer home was moved to the side of the property when the land was subdivided years ago. This carriage house was much larger than usual, containing a basement, main and second floors. (Moorings 22-410-413) Turn left on Maumee and one more block down we’ve come to Neff. Neff, St. Clair and Notre Dame are old streets, dating back to before the 1900s. Most of the homes are multiple housing, flats and duplexes.

I’ve been waiting to show you these streets because this is where some of the "little houses" from the original Patch ended up. (Dodenhoff) Paul VanTiem related a childhood memory, a story about a distant relative who worked as a strongman in the circus! During the "off season" this relative worked for a company that moved houses. It apparently was a very active business from the 10s through the 30s. While Van Tiem is not sure of the exact locations, he is sure that many of the houses ended up on these streets. On the southeast corner of St. Paul and St. Clair is a small cluster of houses that are surely some of these homes. One has recently been modernized making it even harder to recognize. Adding a second story, a wrap around porch, or an addition on the side and/or back and it becomes harder and harder to recognize their origins. Near these homes is a small barn, now serving as a garage.

Let’s take St. Clair into the Village and get a cup of coffee at Bruegger’s while I tell you about the history of the Village. Before the City was incorporated there was a cluster of homes and shops on Kercheval near Cadieux. The Village of Grosse Pointe actually was a small village in the country. Most shops were part of the lower floor or front of the proprietor’s home. Most of the needs of everyday life were available in the village. Kercheval was cut through to the Village in 1903 and was unpaved until the 1930s. (Young 104,105) One of my "mysteries" has been the lack of retail stores, particularly grocery stores, in the some neighborhoods, especially the Park below Jefferson. A mention in an old issue of Heritage may have solved the mystery. The author states that "all the stores delivered. (McLaughlan 74) I also recently discovered, in conversations at Mullier’s Market, that other nearby retail businesses were once also grocery stores, concurrent with Mullier’s operation.

I also found mention of the number and variety of vendors who passed through neighborhoods daily. Not just the milkman and iceman I remember from early childhood, but vegetables, meat, baked goods and other perishables came to your door. Every store also was willing to deliver orders phoned into the store. Many of the homes in the area had staff, both live in and daily that also needed to be fed. Serena Moran Schmidt grew up in the 20s at Bellmor, a 32-room mansion on Windmill Point Drive. She recalls her family having a standing staff of about 13 plus 5 family members. Grocery lists must have been substantial! Cooks probably also enjoyed the time saving of having their favorite vendors regularly inquire as to what was needed. Whatever is was they did, it wasn’t hop in the car and drive up to Kroger’s the way I do!

Let’s ride back to Jefferson and into the Park. A large home on the corner of Jefferson and Cadieux displays a common event. The large garage has been converted into a free standing home. Only the style and material identify it as the former garage/coach house. Another house sits on the corner, but in the front yard of the larger home. The shoreline begins to move farther away from us as we approach the Windmill Point area. Ahead on our right is the Wardwell house; the first brick home in Grosse Pointe. It was built in the late 1800s. (League 1973,1985) On our left is the Pair home built in 1910. The garage behind was obviously once a carriage house. The owners "unearthed some lingering stable odors" during renovation to the building! (Carpenter 90) Both homes have Michigan Historical markers. As we reach the light at Bedford, we’re only a block from my house, but I want to show you Windmill Point. Turn left here, It’s only two blocks to Windmill Pointe Dr.

The glaciers left large gravel deposits along Windmill Pointe. Early (not politically correct) road builders occasionally decorated wagonloads of gravel with skulls from "the graveyard of the Fox nation." (League 1985 19) A Michigan Historical marker at the other end of the street marks the site of the historic battle that took place here in 1712. I found several accounts of members of William B Moran’s family, discovery that the lake bottom along Windmill Pointe, was clay. Previously it was believed that the marshy land was unsuitable for building. In 1874, he secured government help in draining the marsh south of Jefferson. Eventually 900 acres were available for building! (League 198531)

Windmill Pointe is a great example of contrast in the Pointes. The first two blocks are lined with duplexes. Then a succession of "mansions" and "mini-mansions" begins. I think the later development of the area accounts for the odd juxtaposition. Windmill Pointe Dr. is a favorite of runners, walkers and rollerblade enthusiasts. A wide grassy boulevard runs the length of the lightly traveled street. The majority of the houses were built from the 20s on. Most of the mansions took more than a year to build. Schmidt’s childhood home was constructed from 1926-1928. Three houses on the street have served as Junior League of Detroit Showhouses. The 1998 Showhouse was originally built in Indian Village and brought by barge to its present location in the 20s! The 2000 Showhouse, the childhood home of Broadway actress Julie Harris, was built in 1914. Next door, Bellmor, the 1900 Showhouse was the childhood home of Serena Moran Schmidt.

In these large homes you can see the importance, the prominence, of the automobile in a wealthy community. Unlike today, architects shielded the garage door with walls or showed only a small entrance into a 4-6 car garage, disguised as part of the house. The entrance to the Edsel and Eleanor Ford home, in the Shores, appears to be a sprawling stone cottage. It is, in fact, two large garages and servants quarters disguised as a house! The idea of the "attached garage," apparent on most of the older Windmill Pointe mansions, served numerous purposes. The most obvious is that you can enter your car without being exposed to the weather. Boiler and furnace rooms were typically located under the garage, isolating the necessary noise from the main house. Staff quarters were frequently over the garage. Many of these are rented today as "carriage houses." My mother-in-law lived in the converted servants quarters above the garage in Bellmor. Five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large storage area were converted to an apartment of about 1200 sq. ft.

We pass the marker designating the end of the Fox Indian nation and enter into the Park’s park. A few days ago the author suddenly realized that the entire western border of the park extends at least 200 feet across the Detroit line! Hmm? If one stands at the gates to the park, one looks out on a neighborhood where prices are approaching $4,000,000 for some mansions. Look through the park, across Alter Rd., and you can see everything from burned out ruins to rare signs of repair and new growth. This is the most extreme example of the differences Jackson sighted when he designated this as "the most conspicuous city-suburban contrast in the United States." (Jackson 278)

Turn up Barrington towards Jefferson. Barrington is the last street inside Grosse Pointe. There’s a joke that people on the west side of Barrington live in the Park but sleep in Detroit. The city limit is actually behind the houses on Alter Rd., running through the backyards of the homes on Barrington! Barrington became one of Boomer and my favorite streets when in was repaved last summer. Continue on until you see the City Hall up ahead. We’ll turn at Fairfax and through the end of the Cabbage Patch that extends below Jefferson. Houses here, because of Fox Creek and the houses along Alter, below Jefferson are more isolated from Detroit than the "upper" Patch. They are in slightly better repair and rent for slightly more than those above Jefferson are. Throughout the Park and the other Pointes prices typically rise block by block as you move away from Detroit.

We roll past Fairfax Market, the only store below Jefferson in any of the Pointes, and past Trombley School, heading back home. Fairfax deadends at Trombley Rd. Trombley and my side street, Harcourt are anomalies. Platted in 1925 the two streets are multiple housing buried in the middle of a noticeably more expensive single home neighborhood. Trombley is multiple housing on only one side of the street. The two streets extend from Jefferson two blocks down to Windmill Pointe. Most of the duplexes on the two streets were built in the 50s. A few were built in the 20s. It is mostly the duplexes from the 20s that sport options like own tennis courts and servants quarters on the third floor! The "legend" is that these places were built to accommodate area widows and divorcees when they left their big homes. While that is true in my case and that of my neighbor Muriel, they were more likely built in response to a scarcity of "nicer" rentals that exists to this day in the Pointes. My Jefferson neighbor, Muriel Hyland, had her own tennis court in her Trombley backyard until 1997. She finally got a "deal she couldn’t refuse" from a builder looking for a location to build a duplex. Any owner of an empty lot in the Pointes is always the object of intense interest from developers.

After living on Windmill Pointe for over 15 years, in 1995 I bought the duplex on Jefferson where I live today. I inherited my upstairs tenants who have lived here more than twice as long as I. I never knew or cared much about the history of the neighborhood until, in January 1998, I "adopted" Boomer from the Humane Society. Her need for exercise and my purchase of my old Schwinn three wheeler changed that. Things look much different at 6-8 miles per hour than they do from a car. Turn into my drive here and just lean your bike against the garage. I hope you enjoyed the ride.
 
 

Henning, William H. Detroit – Its Trolleys and Interurbans. Michigan Transit Museum, 1976.

Henning, William H. Detroit’s Street Railways Volume1: City Lines 1863-1922. Central Electric Railfans Association, 1978.

Henning,William H. and Schramm, Jack E. "Buses: Mobile Communities." Grosse Pointe

Historical Society. The Moorings. Fall 1994:1+.

The Past as Prologue. (video) Grosse Pointe Historical Society, 1993.

Recollections of the Past. (video) Grosse Pointe Historical Society, 1993.

Rose, Judy. "The Booms that Built Detroit." Free Press. 12/19/99.

"Scenes of an Arctic Eden." Heritage Magazine. December 1984

Schmidt, Serena Moran. Personal Interviews, Correspondence and Conversations. 1982-1990. Mrs. Schmidt grew up a large house on Windmill Pointe from 1927-the 1950s.