Maternity Homes

 This building and its past use has been on my mind here recently, as well as the former hospital, behind me as I was taking this picture, now used as the Detroit Job Corps Center. This building is formerly the Florence Crittenton Home for unwed mothers.. According to a post on the Historical Detroit Area Architecture group on Facebook, it was built around 1952. This building housed teen girls and young ladies who were pregnant out of wedlock, and due to societal, religious and familial norms at the time, were not welcome at home. Family and friends were told that the young lady had moved away or had gone to be with a relative who was dying or vey ill. These homes helped a young lady while she was pregnant. Many times, after the child had been born, the child was put up for adoption. The mother, in most cases, was not informed of her child's adoption, and was in the dark about her child's wherabouts, the homes would not tell the mother where their child was located, or be told any information on the child's adoptive parents. As of the past 10=20 years, many mothers and the children they gave up have been reunited after a decades-long search for each other and limited information on parents and in birth and adoption records, at times, being sealed. For this Crittenton Home, the hospital across Woodrow Wilson in Northwest Detroit, where this is located, is the former Metropolitan Hospital, which was at one time a Tuberculosis Sanitarium  It is currently the location for the Detroit chapter of the Job Corps. If Metropolitan Hospital was not used for the mothers and their children, I am guessing Herman Kiefer Hospital just south of the home on Taylor and Hamilton/John C. Lodge freeway was used. Florence Crittenton wasn't the only organization to run unwed mothers homes. Many religious and civic groups also ran these homes, as well.

Sentimental Send-Off

 This weekend was very sentimental for fans of the Detroit Tigers, as well as baseball fans in general, in that Miguel Cabrera retired from baseball. "Miggy," as he is affectionately known, made it known at the beginning of the season that 2023 would be his final season. At each stadium the Tigers visited, each team presented Miguel with farewell gifts and a donation to the Miguel Cabrera Foundation, which helps young people through sports and education. The weekend of September 29-October 1 was the Tigers turn to honor their teammate.

There was a pop-up restaurant, El Rey, first located on Columbia Street across from Comerica Park, then again as a pop up stand in the park that served up Miguel Cabrera's favorite Venezuelan foods and offered facts about Miggy's career ad tune in Detroit. 

The weekend of festivities, the giant Tiger at Comerica Park's main entry on Witherell donned a giant Miguel Cabrera jersey. Many people got pictures with it, myself included. A drone show was featured that evening, put together by Pixis Drones , which was fantastic 

As people entered Comerica Park throughout the weekend and traversed the concourses, they experienced many different things, from enjoying a Venezuelan Street Hot dog and a specialty cocktail, to getting pictures with the many photo ops around the ballpark, to learning about Miguel Cabrera's career through information and artifacts. There was a ceremony on Saturday, September 30 where the Tigers presented Miguel with a $24,000 donation to the Miguel Cabrera Foundation, custom designed cleats, an autographed Comerica Park seat (seat number 24, of course!) and a permanent 24 statue made from 3,500 baseballs, the white baseballs representing his 3,000 hits and 500 gold baseballs representing his 500 home runs. The Tigers also announced that Miguel was made a Special Assistant to Scott Harris, the Tigers' President of Baseball Operations. He will help with developing the next generation of Tigers players 

Sunday, October 1 was the final game of a storied career. Tigers staff and concessionaires got T-Shirts, which I am modeling here, and special pins for their uniforms and ID lanyards.  At the beginning of the game, the fans pulled a surprise for Miguel, holding up cards that collectively read "Gracias, Miggy!" .

Towards the end of the game, Tigers Manager AJ Hinch, enlisting the help of the Cabrera children, daughters Rosangel and Isabella and son Christopher, took Miguel out of the game to a standing ovation from the sold out Comerica Park crowd. 

At the conclusion of the game, the Tigers had a spcial message for Migel upon his retirement. He gave an emotional curtain call and thanked the fans for their support throughout his career. This was flashed on the scoreboard, with the lights above it lit in the number 24 above it. I pray that Miguel will be blessed in retirement. 

Old Time Shopping in Downtown Detroit

 As I am going about my daily business in metro Detroit yesterday, I ran across a video from the Detroit Historical Society about the Floral Telegraph Delivery, better known as FTD, and their 1960 convention in what was called Cobo Hall (now Huntington Place). Watching the video made me recall memories of the old J.L. Hudson Department store, which was one of the tallest department stores in the city of Detroit,  if not the country, and was as well known in Detroit as Marshall Field was in Chicago and as Macy's was in New York City. The Greater Hudson's complex was bounded by Farmer, Gratiot, Woodward and Grand River in downtown Detroit. Generations of Detroiters shopped here for various products (they delivered to your house if a product you purchased was  large) and was especially grand around the Christmas holidays. Many metro Detroit brides consulted Hudson's on all aspects of their special day, from their trousseau to furnishing their marital home, and one memorable promotion was the "Good Ol' Summertime," which had a setup that hearkened back to the late 1890s-early 1900s. A large flag was draped on the Woodward side of the building on June 14, Flag Day. it was retired in 1976 to the Smithsonian Institute, and has been respectfully destroyed as of 2023.  Business dropped off in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the store closed in 1983. Hudson's was demolished in October 1998, and currently, a mixed use building is being constructed on the site. I think of some pictures I discovered in my late father's collection, taken at Detroit's Labor Day Parade in 1981, where the parade passed by Hudson's on its way to Kennedy Square for the rally. One picture is shown below. 

YouTube Friday: Westlife - Uptown Girl radio edit

 

Doing some browsing around YouTube here recently, and come across this cover of Billy Joel's song "Uptown GIrl" by the group Westlife, who were from Ireland. This is a decent cover, and one that I enjoy hearing. Hope you enjoy it, too. 

Torchlighting to help all

 As I am going about town on Monday afternoon, reliving some memories from my past and the history of my family, I come across this building for World Medical Relief, which is now in Southfield. I notice a mention that it was a Torch Drive service. The Torch Drive was annually put on by the United Foundation (now the United Way) around Christmas time. Ads were placed in the paper to solicit donations, and would sometimes list which agencies would benefit from the donations. Many public and private organizations,  religious and secular groups, veterans, alumni and other groups would regularly donate to the Torch Drive to help the greater Detroit area and those in need. 

Memorialized at School

As I am going to visit various locations that are important in my family's history and journey here in metro Detroit, I stop by Southeastern High School, shown above, which a number of family members attended. As I am visiting, I notice a monument, shown below, in front of the school. Getting closer, I notice that this is a memorial to former students who served our country during World War 2. It was dedicated by the classes of January and June 1944-1948.  I was reminded of a couple of pages in a relative's yearbook about a young man who graduated from Southeastern in the early 1930s who died on December 7, 1941 in defense of his country. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously. In the yearbook. they showed the letters his parents received from his branch of service notifying them of their son's passing. I know there are memorials like this at other schools around the country, but this is the first I have seen in Detroit. 

 

Getting Schooled

 Schooling is a big part of anyone's history. A school can be a varied experience for anyone. Nestled on Glendale Avenue between Second Avenue and Third Street in Highland Park, MI, an enclave of Detroit, sits the former Highland Park High School. According to Detroit Urbex, this building opened in 1915 as a High School, , with the Community College, which was housed here until they ceased operations in 1996. A career academy was housed here, as well. This building still sits abandoned, with the auditorium destroyed within the past couple of years. Highland Park High School and Community College hold significance on my mother's side of the family, as two family members attended classes here. This picture was taken on August 11, 2023. 

Back to Blogging

I am sorry for the long delay between my last entry and this entry. It feels like I have been through a tornado and hurricane all rolled into one.. I am continuing to get back on my feet, slowly but surely, after a few personal issues with transportation and other issues knocked me down and stifled my snout-as seen on this dolphin located on Belle Isle-for a time.  I am getting back to work as well. As I was going through these challenges in my life within the past year and a half, My faith has been tried and tested, and I am feeling stronger in faith than I ever have. I feel that God brought me through this storm, and is currently guiding me, along with Christ holding my hand through it all. I have also had many ideas that I have documented in my journal that I will keep private for the time being. . Besides my day job in customer service, , I am currently back doing the gig economy. I do Lyft and DoorDash, giving people rides and delivering their breakfasts and lunches (and sometimes dinners!) around metro Detroit.  I have many stories to tell from these experiences, Hopefully, my blogging will get back to somewhat normal as I have the time to write about my adventures and historical journeys alround Metro Detroit. 

Historically speaking

A saying I subscribe to is "Family History is Local History, and Local History is Family History.." I am a huge fan of history, especially Detroit History. As I am working on my genealogy and going through the pictures and other possessions of my late parents and news articles on the internet, I come across numerous photos. news articles and memorabilia that document the city's history over the past 100 years. Mom's family has been in Detroit since 1920, and Dad and his family has been here since the late 1940s and early 1950s. To learn of Black Detroit during this time is extremely informative. Conditions may not have been ideal at work and other areas, but Black Detroit made a way through schools, church, clubs, and other activities. Through all my research, My grandmother's family lived on the southeast side of Detroit, but frequented the North End  and parts of Northwest Detroit before moving west in the 1950s to raise families and grow personally and professionally. Dad's family was here starting in the late 1940s. Dad and his parents were up here in the early 1950s. They first stayed near downtown Detroit (I ran across an old classified ad from the 50s for "Colored" apartments near the old Black Bottom section of Detroit), then moved northwest. Many of the institutions that my family have frequented in the past are no longer around, but they live on through the memories of those who lived through these experiences, various archives online and at various institutions,  and other resources, 

 

Well Documented

 Documentaries are some of my favorite types of programming to watch. I have a whole playlist of them on YouTube, which are mixed in with a few made-for TV movies. I always enjoy learning something new and refreshing my memory on things that I have learned before. One of the first I remember viewing was about the Dionne Quintuplets, produced by the Film Board of Canada in the late 1970s. It recalled the life of the five sisters in Ontario during the Great Depression, and how their lives played out until the late 1970s. Five of the documentaries that I enjoy are from the ESPN 30 for 30 series. The first one is Broke, which I mentioned previously in this blog. It is about professional athletes who go broke after retiring, and the athletes who speak on the issue describe their spending habits (cars, houses, clothes, bar/restaurant tabs, etc) and think about what they could have done to avoid going broke in the first place. The second is Benji, which is about the late Ben Wilson (1967-1984), who was one of the best basketball players in the city of Chicago, if not the state of Illinois. He was shot and killed in November 1984 while walking with his girlfriend during lunch hour at school. Another favorite is Pony Excess, which is about the football program at Southern Methodist University going through the NCAA's "Death Penalty," which took away scholarships and television coverage for the team in the mid to late 1980s. The documentary "Ghosts of Ole Miss" is a favorite of mine, as well. It talks about the 1962 University of Mississippi football team and the activities around campus surrounding James Meredith's enrollment in the school. The fifth documentary in this series I like is Without Bias, which tells the story of Len Bias, who played baskeball at the University of Maryland. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in June 1986, and later died of a cocaine overdose. What are some of your favorite movies/documentaries? 

Helping Seniors with Smart Watches

 I have been thinking recently about the use of Smart Watches, such as the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch, to help Senior citizens who live on their own stay safe. A coworker of mine had mentioned this past summer about how the Apple Watch has a function that can detect falls and can contact emergency services and a trusted contact (family member, close friend, neighbor, etc.) if you are injured or cannot get up for some reason. I have also seen posts about  this a few times floating around Facebook on the feeds of friends and groups/  This is great for anyone, but for especially seniors who live on their own, and their family would need to keep an eye on them to keep them safe and avoid placing them in a nursing home/assisted living facility if it is not needed.  Also, with the GPS function on all phones and watches, if a senior with special needs or memory issues tends to wander or get lost, you can easily track them with the Find My app on iPhones, the Where's My Droid/Where's my Device apps on Android phones, as well as the Life360 app and other family tracker apps. 

Watch Your Kiddos

Many of us are getting back to work at either our current jobs or at a new job after pandemic restrictions have lifted in most states, and babysitters, nannies or other childcare is needed for kids while we are at work or school. One of many daycare options I have noticed while working within the past few months is College Nannies and Sitters, which offers child care services for any number of kids for any occasions, from work functions, meetings/workshops, to having someone watch your kids while on summer or holiday break from school. I have also noticed the service Hop Skip Drive, which is a transportation service for kids  similar to Uber or Lyft. This is different, because Hop Skip Drive is exclusively for kids, and Uber and Lyft cannot pick up anyone under the age of 18 in their vehicles without someone over 18 with them. Hop Skip Drive drivers are thoroughly background and driving checked and have to have five years or more of childcare experience. I had heard of them back in either 2018 or 2019, when one of my fellow volunteers and I got to talking about rideshare, and the fact that no one under 18 could get an Uber or a Lyft alone, even under their parents accounts. 

Drafted and Oriented

 The Major League Baseball Draft has been going on these past few days, and as I see the newest Major Leaguers getting drafted, I hope that they are getting oriented appropriately by the clubs that have drafted them on every aspect of Major League and Minor League life. Every year, a few of the top prospects from each team are selected to attend the Rookie Career Development Program, sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. This program is held in January, and helps the young men to navigate life in the majors, handle their finances, how to eat right and exercise, and many other aspects of life. I think there should be an orientation program for all who are both drafted and undrafted, as they all would be similarly oriented. 

The Cost of Traveling

 I have been noticing a lot of things here recently, since many Coronavirus restrictions are being lifted and people are traveling again. Many people who are traveling are experiencing higher prices when they book hotel rooms and vacation rentals such as Airbnb and Vrbo, airline flights and rental cars. I have noticed that some rental car companies have raised prices to near $1000 a day due to pent up demand. If you are thinking about travelling this summer, be careful, be safe and look for bargains while making reservations. Whenever I travel, I use my discounts for hotels and airfare, as well as for Amtrak if I am traveling by rail. 

Supreme gowns

I was stunned to hear of the passing of Mary Wilson, founding member of The Supremes on Tuesday morning. The Supremes are one of my favorite Motown groups. The picture I post with the entry today was from my 2019 trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. These dresses were donated by Mary Wilson, who with Florence Ballard and Diana Ross, was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1988. They appear on the album cover of the Supremes and Four Tops' Return of the Magnificent Seven album from 1971

What's Time Is It? Detroit Time!

 These are trying times lately, but telling time should not be trying. Shinola, a Detroit-based maker of timepieces, placed giant clocks around the metro Detroit area a few years ago. These pictures are from August 2019 and August 2018. This clock is  located in front of Ford Field and is  placed very conveniently, as Lions and Tigers fans can see how long it is until gates open and game time, or what time it is so you will not be late to your evening soirees in downtown Detroit

Safe Haven

I am going through my travel pictures, as I have been doing frequently here lately, and I run across this one from my trip to Chicago in 2016. This is at a firehouse between Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier. This sign is about the safe haven law for newborns. If a baby is born, and the parents feel like they are in no position to care for the child at the present moment for any cause, they can leave the child at a firehouse, police station, or emergency room, no questions asked, and the baby will be placed in foster care or up for adoption. There are laws across the nation that will help newborns that are abandoned by their parents. There is an organization called the National Safe Haven Alliance that will help you, as well 

 

Help a Young ballplayer with what they need

Baseball season is coming up quickly, Spring Training is beginning later this month. In March of last year, the baseball season was put on hold due to the Coronavirus. The Minor League  was cancelled shortly after the announcement of the Major League season's postponement. Many players wondered what they would do when they heard the news. One of the admirable efforts I noticed during these times was from Emily Waldon, a baseball writer on Twitter and on The Athletic. She brought attention to the plight of the minor leaguer and the situations they faced with not knowing what their job statuses were at the time, and helped connect Minor League players to companies and people who were looking to hire for the time being. Another admirable effort I ran across was Adopt a Minor Leaguer, which pairs Minor League baseball players with people who can help them out with what they and their families (if they have them) might need. 

Chronicling the Community

I am working on my family history since 2008, and here recently, I have been using my Library of Michigan card to do more research. One of the many platforms I have access to is ProQuest, which houses many books, newspapers, and documents. One of the newspapers that are archived and housed here is the Michigan Chronicle. The former offices for the Chronicle, located at 479 Ledyard in Detroit's Cass Park is shown here in September 2012 on the left and November 2018 on the right. The Chronicle is a black-owned newspaper and was part of the Sengstacke newspaper chain, which is now a part of Real Times media.They covered important information that was pertinent to the black community. They also covered events that the Detroit News and Free Press would not way back when. What most impressed me was the coverage of weddings, bridal and baby showers, Sweet Sixteen parties and the Chronicle's annual Churchwomen's survey reception, which honored women who were involved in the activities of her church. The Sweet Sixteen parties impressed me, because, depending on what the young lady's parents could afford, ranged from a casual party at home to a formal dance at a hotel ballroom with a young man the young lady or her parents knew (sometimes her parents' friends' son), escorting her. the weddings ranged from intimate weddings at the bride's parents' home, with the bride carrying a prayer book with flowers down the aisle, to large weddings at church with a fancy reception at home or at a large hall with many guests attending. The bridal and baby showers were equally impressive with card games taking place after all the gifts were opened and seen.  While looking through the Chronicle archives, I find many family members on both sides of my family, especially on my mother's side. I didn't realize how social Mom's side was, with club meetings and parties, debutante balls, sweet sixteen parties, and other functions. Dad's family was pretty social as well. I found my Dad in a couple articles from when he was in high school and when he was working. Dad went to high school with the editor's son, who I wrote about in a previous entry, who was his class president. 

 

Super Weekend Memories

As Super Bowl Sunday rapidly approaches, I am reminded of when the Super Bowl was held in Detroit in February 2006. The whole scene in downtown Detroit, the shuttles in and out of the transit center, the Winter Blast, the NFL Experience, celebrity parties and events around town, and other aspects of the weekend were crazy, but it was a great time. Here are a few pictures I took during all the festivities. The above picture is of the Spirit of Detroit statue in a special jersey for the occasion. A jersey is placed on the statue for any sporting event or if one of Detroit's sports teams makes the playoffs. 

This picture was taken at the NFL Experience at what is now the TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center). The Pittsburgh Steelers featured native Detroiter Jerome Bettis, who attended Mackenzie High School on Detroit's west side. 

The Winter Blast made its debut this year after a trial run in 2005. It was well attended by many people. It has been put on hold recently due to the pandemic, but I am quite sure that it will be back and better than ever after this virus is eradicated. 

During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, the GM showroom at the Renaissance Center was used as a media center for visiting media members.All cars were removed and media platforms were erected in their places. ESPN took up the entire Wintergarden, facing the Detroit River. They had many different features the entire week.