D Tour 313 is a media resource that virtually tours through the vast history, culture and influence of this great Midwestern city called Detroit.
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It’s our goal to offer a deeper layer to this city. Illustrating through images and stories to ultimately provide an extra sense of pride to all who call Detroit their home.
Operating as usual
Vernors is on the way! 1950. The temperature outside is feeling a lot like summer. Maybe enjoy it with an ice cold Vernors Ginger Ale! First introduced in Detroit, Michigan in 1866.
Film credit: gettyimages
Editing: D Tour 313
Hazy afternoon downtown, 1960. A man crosses the street just south of Winder St. (near Vernor Hwy) and Woodward Ave. Looking south down Detroit's historic avenue, the city's magnificent skyline is softy silhouetted against a mid-day sky. By the late 1960s some of the buildings just south of this location would be razed to make way for I-75.
Photo credit: Michigan Archives
Retouching: D Tour 313
Hazy afternoon downtown, 1960. A man crosses the street just south of Winder St. (near Vernor Hwy) and Woodward Ave. Looking south down Detroit's historic avenue, the city's magnificent skyline is softy silhouetted against a mid-day sky. By the late 1960s some of the buildings just south of this location would be razed to make way for I-75.
Photo credit: Michigan Archives
Retouching: D Tour 313
A ride through time, 1938. A camera crew documents the storefronts and pedestrians along Michigan Avenue. The Michigan Bell Building (known today as the AT&T Building, 1928), Book Cadillac Hotel (1924) and the Greater Penobscot Building (1928) loom high above as the crew heads toward downtown, from Bagley Ave. and fading out at Cass Ave.
Film credit: The National Archives
Editing: D Tour 313
Taking in the view, 1926. While on a ferry ride, two women gaze upon Detroit’s skyline as it continues to take shape. To travel between Detroit and Windsor, Canada, commuter boats and ferries were the sole form of transportation at that time. The Ambassador Bridge (1929) and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel (1930) would not be completed until years later.
Photo credit: Library of Congress
Retouching: D Tour 313
Taking in the view, 1926. While on a ferry ride, two women gaze upon Detroit’s skyline as it continues to take shape. To travel between Detroit and Windsor, Canada, commuter boats and ferries were the sole form of transportation at that time. The Ambassador Bridge (1929) and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel (1930) would not be completed until years later.
Photo credit: Library of Congress
Retouching: D Tour 313
Downtown at night, 1938. Moonlight shines down upon the city's iconic skyline. View from an upper floor window of the Wolverine Hotel (1921-1997).
Photo credit: Wayne State University
Retouching: D Tour 313
Downtown at night, 1938. Moonlight shines down upon the city's iconic skyline. View from an upper floor window of the Wolverine Hotel (1921-1997).
Photo credit: Wayne State University
Retouching: D Tour 313
An afternoon stroll on Belle Isle, 1909.
Photo credit: The Detroit News
Retouching: D Tour 313
An afternoon stroll on Belle Isle, 1909.
Photo credit: The Detroit News
Retouching: D Tour 313
A young, 19 yr. old Steve Yzerman leans on the boards and watches the action during a Red Wings vs. New York Islanders game at Nassau Coliseum, New York, 1984.
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett
A young, 19 yr. old Steve Yzerman leans on the boards and watches the action during a Red Wings vs. New York Islanders game at Nassau Coliseum, New York, 1984.
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett
A winter’s afternoon on Belle Isle, 1900. Skaters glide across frozen Lake Tacoma, with the Belle Isle Pavilion (1893-1950) in the background. To this day, the iced-over lake remains a haven for recreational skaters and hockey enthusiasts.
Photo credit: Library of Congress
Retouching: D Tour 313
Kinsel Drugs Store at Michigan & Griswold - January, 1965. Established in Detroit in 1890, it’s founder Edward C. Kinsel, would be the first in the city to open a 24-hour drugstore. The Griswold Apartments (2017) and parking structure stand at this location today.
Photo credit: Dave Gelinas
A Ride in the Sky - Winter, 1927. A small group of Detroit businessmen are hoisted to the upper floors of what would soon be known as Eaton Tower, getting an amazing view of Grand Circus Park along the way. Construction would continue until March 3, 1927 when a flag raising ceremony would take place after owner Berrien Eaton drove in the last rivet into the final steel beam of the building (watch for the flapper doing the Charleston afterward). By 1944 the building would be purchased by insurance broker David F. Broderick, thus officially being renamed the Broderick Tower. After years of decay since the mid-1980s, the building would see new life in a full $50M restoration, reopening it’s doors on November 3, 2012.
Video credit: The Detroit News
Resource credit: historicdetroit.org and Kraemer Design Group
Woodward Ave. - 1900. Freshly fallen snow blankets Detroit’s main thoroughfare, while a moonlight tower, Woodward Avenue Baptist Church (1887-1986) and St. John's Episcopal Church (1859) can be seen off in distance.
Photo credit: Burton Historical Collection
A Farewell Kiss - December, 1944. Mary Rae Bingham kisses her boyfriend, Gordon Kiester, while the sun shines through the windows at Michigan Central Station. Kiester was to return to his duties as a sailor after a Christmas holiday break.
Photo credit: Otto Bettmann
Decked out for the holidays, December 1962. Hudson’s towers over downtown while Woodward Ave. is aglow with festive lights and decorations. Wising all our followers a safe and enjoyable Merry Christmas!
Photo credit: Wayne State University
Retouching: D Tour 313
We support the preservation of the Michigan State Fairgrounds Bandshell. So many music legends have performed on it's historic stage - Duke Ellington, Bill Haley & The Comets, Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Jackson 5, The Bob Seger System, MC5, The Stooges, Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, Alice Cooper and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra just to name a few.
If you’d like to show your support, click on the following link. https://hardcover.change.org/p/amazon-demand-amazon-save-the-iconic-detroit-state-fairgrounds-bandshell
Resource credit: theconcertdatabase.com
Photo credit: Joe Clark
Putting the World on Wheels, 1915. A man steps into a new Ford Model T at the entrance of Detroit’s Michigan Central Station (1913). From it’s introduction in 1908 to it’s last year of production in 1927, 15 million had been built. The Model T was so popular during it's heyday, Henry Ford once said: “There’s no use trying to pass a Ford, because there’s always another one just ahead.”
Acquired by the Ford Motor Co. in 2018, the long abandoned Michigan Central Station is undergoing a $350 million renovation. Confirmed by Ford spokeswoman, Christina Twelftree, the anticipated completion date is by the end of 2022.
Resource credits: The Detroit Free Press and www.corporate.ford.com
Photo credit: Three Lions/Getty Images
Retouching: D Tour 313
Let it Snow, 1964. The Art Moderne styled, Elwood Bar (1936) at it’s original location - 2100 Woodward Ave and E. Elizabeth St. In 1998, during the construction of Comerica Park, it would be saved from the wrecking ball and moved by owner and preservationist, Chuck Forbes to it’s current home at 300 E. Adams near Brush.
Photo credit: Russ Marshall
Mr. Marshall currently has an impressive exhibition at The Detroit Institute of Arts titled: “Russ Marshall: Detroit Photographs, 1958-2008.” It runs until June 27, 2021
Merry Christmas from Chevrolet - December, 1940. The Chevrolet Motor Co. Used Car Division’s lot and buildings at 6111 Cass Ave. Both buildings stand today, making a significant impact in Detroit and the region. The structure to the left is now entrepreneurial startup hub - TechTown Detroit and the one to the right is University Preparatory Academy Elementary School - Mark Murray Campus.
Photo credit: havingfunru2
Retouching: D Tour 313
Tarzan to the rescue - December 11, 1940. It all began after sundown (around 8:30 pm) when a group of adventurous boys decided to play down by the icy shores of Belle Isle, between the bridge and the Detroit Boat Club. One of them (15 yr. old Clarence Johnson) decided to test the sheets of ice when suddenly, the one he was standing on, broke off and began drifting away. Though terrified, luck would be on his side, floating only 40 ft away coming to rest by one of the Belle Isle Bridge supports. Climbing onto the extended portion of the support, he called out to his buddies for help.
Watching this unfold from the shore, Bernard Gooselin (15 yrs old) and Delbert Halberstadt (13 yrs old) knew they had to think quickly. Their biggest concern was not getting in trouble with their parents or the police, so they devised a plan they felt would bring their friend back to shore safety. Running across the length of the bridge, the two boys sprinted all the way back to their homes, two miles away.
After returning with a sturdy rope, they recalled on all the Tarzan movies they’d seen. Tying a knot around the railing of the bridge, their hope was to swing down like their jungle hero and rescue their buddy. Unfortunately misjudging the distance, Clarence’s would-be rescuer, Delbert, landed into the frigid waters of the Detroit River instead.
With Delbert still clutching to the rope, Bernard quickly untied it from the railing and pulled his soaked, freezing friend to shore. Over an hour had passed with stranded Clarence still needing serious help. Wet and cold the two boys ran over to the Belle Isle Harbor Master Station (near the opposite side of the bridge, where they could have gone from the start). In no time at all, the Harbor Master’s crew went out in their boat and brought Clarence safely back to shore. All the boys would be taken to the Belle Isle Police Station to warm up, dry out and be taken home shortly after.
The boys likely never forgot that day, when a Tarzan swing from the Belle Isle Bridge may not have been the best idea.
Resource credit: Detroit Free Press
Photo credits: Alanna St Laurent Photography, Detroit Free Press and Burton Historical Collection
Dynamic Detroit - 1921. Though nearly 100 years have past, some of these historic locations have changed very little. 1. Passengers arrive at Michigan Central Station (1913). 2. Scenes of bustling traffic on Woodward near Michigan Ave. and then on Broadway at Gratiot Ave. 3. Belle Isle views of both the Detroit Boat Club (1902) and the Detroit Yacht Club (1904-1922, current structure opened in 1923). 4. A double-decker bus heads south on 2nd Ave. toward the recently built General Motors Building (1920). 5. Birds and pedestrians enjoy the solitude on the east side of Grand Circus Park. 6. Shoppers look over produce and live chickens sold at Eastern Market (1891). 7. Baseball fans head to Navin Field (1912-1937) at Michigan & Trumbull to cheer on the Detroit Tigers. 8. Passengers board either the SS Columbia at the foot of Woodward Ave. to enjoy a day out at Boblo Island (1898-1993).
Video credit: Ford Motion Picture Laboratories via the National Archives
Video editing: D Tour 313
Winter Wonderland, 1955. Kids skate along a winding, ice-covered portion of the Rouge River at Detroit's largest urban park (nearly 1,200 acres), River Rouge Park, on the city's west side.
Photo credit: Joe Clark, HBSS
Here comes Santa Claus, 1959. The J.L. Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade rolls past the Palms Theater (known today as The Fillmore Detroit, 1925) on Woodward Ave. near Adams. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Photo credit: John I. Martin, Jr.
Made in Detroit since 1930 - Better Made Snack Foods. Also sold in Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Distributors also located in Japan and Qatar. “The growth is due in part to our loyal customers living out of state (Michigan) and the desire for niche brands across the country.” - Sam Cipriano, whose father founded Better Made.
Photo credit: Julianbibbphoto.com
Ford Motor Co. 50th Anniversary vehicle display at the Ford Rotunda (1933-1962), Dearborn, 1953. The iconic structure was first built for the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, later being dismantled and rebuilt in Dearborn, serving as the visitor center for the automotive giant's world headquarters.
Photo credit: Shorpy
It was on this date, Nov. 16, 1950, proprietor, Victor Lim (1902-1970) first opened the doors to his legendary namesake restaurant located at 48 W. Adams, facing Grand Circus Park. It had taken years of hardship to achieve this level of success in his beloved Detroit, but his resiliency, heart-felt charm to please his guests and love for the Chinese food and exotic cocktails he served, made it inevitable.
His life read like a dramatic novel. Born in his native China in 1902, he would arrive in the U.S. in 1916, settling in Detroit’s old Chinatown district (west of downtown, south of Michigan Ave. centered along Third St.). In 1924 he would return to China where he would marry his childhood sweetheart, Mae Jean. In early 1926 Victor would leave for Detroit to prepare a home for his new family. By the time he arrived he received word that he would become a father, strengthening his resolve all the more.
Time went by and after years of furiously working he had almost enough money for both a restaurant and to send for his wife and his young son (Buck Yick Lim), when the Depression hit. Though financially hurt and heart-broken, he was determined and kept working, hoping one day to bring his family home to Detroit. As he would run his restaurants (“Cafe Orient” on Cass Ave. by the Leland Hotel and later the “Oriental Quarters Restaurant” on Third St. in Chinatown) he and Mae Jean would continue to write to each other. Through the Japanese invasion of China in 1936 to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Then the letters from his wife stopped. In 1942 he would discover she had been killed at the hands of the Japanese Army during their occupation, while his son managed to escape by joining the Chinese Navy. Buck Yick would serve the reminder of WWII, getting married and starting a family of his own. Victor Lim somehow managed to press on, later remarrying in 1951 to Katie Lim, a widow and Detroit resident who had the distinction of being the first Chinese woman to graduate from Wayne State University’s pharmacy program.
After countless agonizing years, it would be through the efforts of senators, judges, city officials as well as his wife, Katie (who would fly to Hong Kong to finalize the details) to allow passage for the son, daughter-in-law and grand children Victor had never met. On May 25, 1955, at Willow Run Airport, after 29 years of waiting, a joyful Victor Lim finally had his family back.
During it’s heyday, Victor Lim’s 48 W. Adams restaurant would see enormous success. Being a mainstay for luncheons for the nearby business community as well as the after-movie crowd for drinks and dinner from the neighboring theaters (Adams, Fox, Palms and Broadway Capital). It was a prime, walk-able spot offering unique Asian cuisine like no other downtown, and Victor knew it. His son, Buck Yick (1926-2020), would formally change his name to his father’s to Victor Lim, Jr. and run the restaurant as assistant manager until later taking over as his father’s successor in later years.
In 1984, after a lengthy decline in business, Victor Lim’s would close it’s doors for good. Many decades have passed and although all that remains is the exterior facade of the Fine Arts Building where the restaurant was once housed, Victor Lim’s spirit lives on in the people who remember the endearing man, his family and their iconic restaurant.
Resource credit: Detroit Free Press
Photo credits: Donn Thorson, Detroit Free Press & Detroit Historical Society
Night and the City, 1942. Park Ave. is all lit up looking toward downtown. One can see the Fox Theatre on the far left and the Leland Hotel on the far right. By the mid-1960s, I-75 would be built along Vernor Hwy, razing many of the buildings seen in the foreground.
Retouching: D Tour 313
Photo credit: Wayne State University
Capital Stoneworks
Complete! Capital Stoneworks was thrilled to be tasked with replicating the first Column Capital of the Michigan Central Train Station. What an honor to be part of this important restoration project! The piece is now out for delivery. Architect: @quinnevansqe Construction Manager: Christman/Brinker Restoration Contractor: @ramconstructionservices #customrestoration #limestone #limestonerestoration #customstonework #handcarvedstone #michigancentraltrainstation #michiganrestoration #michiganhistory @stephen_mcgee
Autumn in Michigan, 1957. A Dodge Royal sedan (of the same year), sits in front of McInerney’s Farm and Old Cider Mill in Southfield, located on Northwestern Hwy., between 12 and 13 mile roads. Known for it’s apples, pumpkins, cider and doughnuts it also had a country store with an attached dining room. And while walking the grounds it wasn't unusual to come across wild pheasants, peacocks or other feathered wild game.
Just 20 miles away in Detroit’s Poletown, the massive Dodge Main plant worked around the clock, churning out it’s namesake branded cars including this classic aqua-blue Dodge Custom Royal sedan.
Resource: Detroit Free Press
Photo: Burton Historical Collection
Retouching: D Tour 313
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A Masterpiece on the Move, August 1927. It was 93 years ago this month that hundreds of paintings and statues, including Auguste Rodin’s famously casted “The Thinker” were transported from their original home at the Detroit Museum of Art (1888) on E. Jefferson (roughly where it meets I-375 today), to their new home at the soon to be finished Detroit Institute of Arts on Woodward Ave. Weighing in at over a ton, Detroit’s statue was cast in Paris, France in 1904, later being purchased for an art collection in Lubeck, Germany, where it remained until 1922. That same year it was purchased by an anonymous donor and installed in front of the entrance steps to the Detroit Museum of Art. Five years later it would be facing Woodward Ave., greeting visitors to the city’s world-renowned art collections at the DIA. Video credit: Wayne State University Resource credit: The Detroit Free Press
A Summer’s walk in the Motor City, 1953. Starting at the busy intersection of Lafayette, Michigan Ave. and Griswold, we make our way north past Capitol Park over to the Qwikee Donut & Coffee Shop (Detroit owned & operated, having numerous locations throughout the metro area from the 50’s thru the 70’s) located on Grand River, between Griswold and Woodward Ave. Making our way west on Grand River, we walk over to Washington Blvd. where the Ford Motor Co. has been celebrating it’s 50th anniversary since June, closing down the blvd. on select nights for live stage performances over the course of the summer. Our journey comes to an end as we head south toward Michigan Ave. and the Sheraton Cadillac Hotel (owned by Sheraton from 1951 to 1975), known today as The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit. Resource credit: Detroit Free Press Video credit: Fenske Family & gettyimages
Happy Flag Day! Pedestrians watch as workers host up the J.L. Hudson's Co.'s massive U.S. flag, the largest in the world, on June 14, 1952. It was first unveiled on Armistice Day (now Veteran's Day) 1923. Video credit: gettyimages
Out on a run - Grand Circus Park, 1964. Providing a rare view, a Detroit Fire Dept. Ladder truck heads north on Woodward toward historic Grand Circus Park. Turning right onto Witherelle, the truck passes Broadway and Madison, then turning left onto Adams, quickly getting a glimpse of the old YMCA (1908-1997) and YWCA (1929-1998), where Comerica Park now stands, and the Wolverine Hotel (1921-1997). Heading west crossing Woodward, the fire truck passes the Brass Rail (1941-1975) and Adams Theatre (1917-2009). Then turning left in front of the Tuller Hotel (1906-1991) onto Park Ave., it passes Bagley with the film fading out by the Statler Hotel (1915-2005). Video credit: gettyimages
The David Stott Building ascends at State and Griswold nearly 90 years ago. The building's design, characterized by a strong sense of verticality, was profoundly influenced by Eliel Saarinen's 1922 Chicago Tribune Tower design. Built at a cost of $3.5 million (over $50 million today) shortly before the Depression, it would be the last skyscraper constructed in the city until the mid-1950s. Video credit: The Detroit News
It's National Beer Day! Make yours a fire brewed Stroh's!
Historic sites and events link us to our past. Through moments captured on film, one-time front page headlines and modern day stories with a historic connection, we strive to offer a lesser known side to this fascinating city of the straits - Detroit. In doing so we hope to provide a deeper sense of knowledge and pride to all who call this storied Midwestern city their home.
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