Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning January 2007 » Anyone from the Harding, Montclair, Lemay, Fairview area? « Previous Next »
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Buyamerican
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Username: Buyamerican

Post Number: 10
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Sunday, March 18, 2007 - 12:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I lived on Montclair between Kercheval and Vernor in the late 40's, the 50's, and part of the 60's. Went to Howe School, Foch Jr. High and Southeastern. Anyone from that area who has some fond memories to share?
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Swingline
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Username: Swingline

Post Number: 740
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 2:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's a little odd that this thread hasn't produced a response from an old resident. Buyamerican, have you been back recently? Out of the schools you mention, Howe has a brand new building (2005) and I think that they are finally finished with a multi-million renovation of Southeastern including a new football field.

What are your stories of that neighborhood? Did residents talk much about the Ossian Sweet trial or was it a non-issue by then?
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Buyamerican
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Username: Buyamerican

Post Number: 13
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 3:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Swingline, thanks for responding.
We drove by my old house last year and actually it didn't look too bad. When I went around the corner to Lemay and looked through the vacant lot at the back of the house, the porch (up AND down) was totally gone. There are so many vacant lots, burned out shells of homes and boarded buildings, it was hard to remember where my friends lived.
Back in the 50's we used to play hide and seek until the street lights came on, then everyone would head for home. People sat on their porches and everyone knew each other and looked out for one another. If a kid got out of hand or did something wrong, you'd better believe that a neighbor would report you to your parents and you'd get punished on the spot!
The elm trees lined the street and in the summertime it looked like you were walking through a tunnel. Unfortunately, dutch elm disease took most of those grand trees.
While in school, absolutely nothing was ever mentioned about the Ossian Sweet incident back in the 20's. My friend lived on Garland about three houses from the Sweets house. I am reading Arc of Justice by Kevin Boyle which chronicles the incident in great detail.
Did you live nearby?
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Dougw
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Username: Dougw

Post Number: 1618
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 3:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I live not far from there and drive down Kercheval past these streets fairly often... Lemay and Fairview are pretty much urban prairie, especially south of Kercheval. Montclair seems to have more of its original homes.

I can imagine the Ossian Sweet incident wouldn't have been mentioned in school in those days. Did you ever hear anything about it outside of school?
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Jan
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Username: Jan

Post Number: 15
Registered: 07-2006
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 3:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I lived on Lemay in the 50's, in the second block below Jefferson.

jan
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Buyamerican
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Username: Buyamerican

Post Number: 14
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 3:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I never heard a word about the Sweet case from anyone at Howe, Foch or Southeastern. I didn't even know it happened until I was an adult.
Montclair had some huge homes. Ours was two stories, 4 bedrooms, large dining room, living room, hallway, vestible, basement and wonderful attic with two windows where I could hide. I think it belonged to a doctor at one time before my grandparents bought it. I have the fondest memories of the neighborhood from those days...wouldn't change a thing. There was a corner store on Lemay and Vernor, Bogus Market. Across Vernor, there was a little confectioner store called Mac's, then it was Logans. Also, for the younger generation, I walked to school every day, through deep snows that came over my boots. I don't remember a snow day. The memories are flooding back now.
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Kathleen
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Username: Kathleen

Post Number: 2103
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 6:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I thought about posting, but it was my parents that lived in the general vicinity, but still far enough away from Buyamerican. Dad lived on St. Jean on the block below Jefferson. Mom lived on Meadowbrook on the block below Jefferson. Both attended St. Rose High School (class of '51). I know Mom went to Lingemann through 7th grade or so. I believe Dad was at St. Rose for the early elementary years and then boarded at Assumption in Windsor for a couple years. We had good friends on Fairview on the block closest to the river (IIRC).
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Buyamerican
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Username: Buyamerican

Post Number: 15
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 6:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

One block south of Jefferson would be Freud, I was very familiar with that area as well. A lot of people from Kentucky and Tennessee came North to work in the auto companies and lived in that area. My grandparents came up from Tennessee and lived on Lycaste between Vernor and Kercheval. Also, I knew a lot of kids from St. Rose and my spouse went to Lingemann around 1952. The "projects" were at the foot of Fairview and St. Jean.

(Message edited by Buyamerican on March 19, 2007)
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Kathleen
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Username: Kathleen

Post Number: 2105
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 6:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As I mentioned, my parents graduated from St. Rose in 1951. That same year, after some 35+ years on Meadowbrook, her family moved to Grosse Pointe Farms. Mom's family were German and Irish immigrants who arrived in Detroit in the 1850s and 1880s, respectively.

After some 30 years or so, my dad's family moved off St. Jean to Whittier and Harper in 1955. Dad's family were French Canadian and arrived in Detroit around 1910.

Our family friend on Fairview lived there until the 1970s, I believe, at which time he moved to California where his daughter lived.
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Fury13
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Username: Fury13

Post Number: 1444
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 - 6:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I lived on Fairview just north of Vernor as a little kid from 1958-1961. Our house was a two-family flat and it's still standing... not in bad shape, either (and it still has the brickcote facing that was there when we lived in it). There are only six or seven houses left on that block.

We lived in the lower unit and rented the upper to a family from Tennessee. I have many fond memories of those years. Lots of trees (all gone now)... we used to play on the sidewalk, go to the corner store to get an ice cream or a Vernor's...
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Jan
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Username: Jan

Post Number: 16
Registered: 07-2006
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 11:53 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My dad was from Tennessee and others he knew came up in the 50's and lived in that area. He actually worked for Hudson Motor Car (I think that's the name) for a short time and then joined the fire department. I spent kindergarten and most of the 1st grade at Lingemann and then we moved into the Jefferson-Chalmers area and I transferred to Guyton.

jan
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Urbanize
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Username: Urbanize

Post Number: 267
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 11:58 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There was Fairview Gardens skating rink on MAck and (if you don't know the cross street, then you need to be banned from this site). I knew someone who sed to go there. Also, there was Tom's Supermarket and Southeastern and may I go on? Oh, that defunct gast station that is still open as a service station on that street next to St. Jean (Beniteau?), never could spell the name.

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