Monday Milestones: The End of Tiger Stadium?

 

 

Last July, I posted a history of Tiger Stadium. You can see that post here.

As of today, June 15 2009, the remainder of Tiger Stadium is being demolished, leaving another large undeveloped area in Detroit, in the historic Corktown neighborhood.

Another historic Detroit landmark will soon be gone. What do YOU think about the loss of Tiger Stadium?

Go to the sidebar to register your vote, and be sure to leave a comment so that others can weigh in on your ideas!

Detroit's Unique Neighborhoods: Corktown

In honor of the Irish roots of both the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Nominees for the Democratic Party, let's visit Corktown in Detroit, the oldest still-surviving neighborhood in the City.

Although Corktown is now primarily an Hispanic neighborhood, it was originally settled by immigrants primarily from County Cork in Ireland in the mid-1800s. The original area of Corktown has shrunk over the years, but the neighborhood is now listed on the National Register of Historic Districts and is a Designated Historic Detroit for the City of Detroit. The historic streets contain a mix of Victoria-era homes in beautiful colors, newly built condos, and one of the oldest remaining structures in Detroit dating from before the 1850s.

Today's Corktown is located just west of downtown, bordered by Michigan Avenue, Porter Street, the Lodge Freeway, and 16th Street. Tiger Stadium (or what's left of it), is located in Corktown, and many related businesses sprang up around the old ballpark. Since the Detroit Tigers moved to Comerica Park, a new night-life has come to the area, including new bars and restaurants, and revived local rock music venues. The Corktown neighborhood has also been designated as a Michigan "Cool City" and is admired as one of the most "walkable" areas in Detroit.

Two recent books about the history of the Irish in Detroit can be viewed here...if you visit Corktown, make sure to stop by Nancy Whiskey's, PJ's Lager House, Slows Bar-B-Q, and the many other night-life venues!

Shameless Plug: please read my husband's blog The "D" Spot...

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Detroit Staycation: The Detroit Zoo

When was the last time you visited our Detroit Zoo? 

Did you know that the Zoo is celebrating its 80th Anniversary this weekend?

Precursors to the Detroit Zoo included a circus at Michigan and Trumbull in 1883, across from what the site of Tiger Stadium. But it went broke, and the site was converted to a horse auction building. The Detroit Zoological Society began in 1911, working on acquiring land. Twice land was purchased, but was sold to commercial interests at a profit before a new zoo could be built. Finally in 1916, the Society purchases 125 acres of land along Ten Mile Road in Royal Oak just west of Woodward. Development of the land and purchasing of animals was financed by loans from Detroit Zoo Society members. The official opening of the present Detroit Zoo finally occurred on August 1 1928.

From its beginning the Detroit Zoo has been one of only a few zoos in the county with barrier-free animal exhibits. Today, our Detroit Zoo also has free-flight aviaries for the birds, and has maintained the architecturally significant buildings and exceptional grounds.

The mission of the Zoo is to have a healthy and enriching place for the animals, and educational as well as entertaining for the human visitors which number over one million every year. There are lots of activities for all ages at the Zoo going on this weekend for the 80th Anniversary celebration, as well as fun things to do all summer.

It is up to us to help keep the Detroit Zoo the excellent Detroit attraction that it has been for 80 years. This Tuesday, August 5, there is a 0.1-mill proposal on the ballot for Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. This is a 10-year millage request which would cost the average homeowner just $10.00/year. If can read this blog, you can definitely afford $10/year. Please support our Zoo by voting "Yes" on the millage this Tuesday, August 5th; and I'll see you at the Zoo!

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Shameless Plug: Please read my husband's blog The "D" Spot

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Nelson Mandela Celebrates His 90th...Happy Birthday, Madiba!

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, an international icon for freedom, is celebrating his 90th birthday today at his home in Qunu, Trankei/Eastern Cape, about 600 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa. He was born on July 18, 1918, at a nearby village; the son of a high-ranking tribal chief.

Mandela, often respectfully called by his Thembu clan name "Madiba", is a former president of South Africa and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Other names of endearment and respect include "Tata", meaning father", and Khulu", which means "great" or "paramount". An attorney, a fighter against the apartheid system, a founder of the African National Congress, President Mandela spent 27 years of a life sentence for treason at the Robben Island Prison and Pollsmoor Prison until he was freed on February 11, 1990.

In 1993, along with F.W. de Klerk, the president of South Africa at the time who freed Nelson Mandela from prison and worked with him to help end apartheid, Mr. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. In 1994, Mr. Mandela was elected president of a post-apartheid-era South Africa. Newly emancipated Black South Africans walked for miles and stood in line for hours to vote for the first time in their lives.



Soon after his release in February 1990, Nelson Mandela embarked on a world tour which included Detroit. Many Detroiters, including the late Detroit City Council President Maryann Mahaffey, fought against the South African apartheid system; and Nelson Mandela acknowledged their efforts for freedom, including those of Rosa Parks, who greeted Mr. Mandela at the rally at Tiger Stadium along with Mayor Coleman A. Young. Detroit, in one day, exceeded the 3-day fund-raising totals of New York City. Nelson Mandela stated his appreciation of and love for Detroit when he strolled out onto the field, proclaiming: "Hello, Motor-town!" A day I will never forget...I was there with my then 9-year-old son.

Shameless Plug for my husband's blog: Please read "The 'D' Spot".

Tiger Stadium

Tiger Stadium in Detroit MI was one of the most popular and well-known ball parks in America for almost 100 years. But in the 2nd week of July 2008, the old stadium on the "corner of Michigan and Trumbull", affectionately known as just "The Corner", started coming down.

Way back in 1895, then Tiger Owner Arthur Van Der Beck bought the team, formerly known as the "Detroit Wolverines" and started building the stadium. Originally named "Bennett Park" after Tigers catcher Charlie Bennett, the Detroit Tigers played their first game there on April 28, 1896. Even after several additions, the original ballpark was made almost completely of wood--a great fire hazard. The old stadium was demolished and rebuilt with steel and concrete; and renamed Navin Field.

By 1935, the Detroit Tigers had a new owner, Walter O. Briggs, who again enlarged and improved the stadium and renamed it "Briggs Stadium". The first night game was played in Briggs Stadium in 1948. In 1961, Briggs Stadium was renamed "Tiger Stadium" by another owner, John Fetzer, who proposed building a new multipurpose stadium. However, fans were outraged and no bonds or other financing ever came through.

Although many improvements continued to be made to Tiger Stadium, including new seats, new whiz-bang electronics, a food court called "Tiger Plaza", and luxury seats, by the early 1990s, a new ballpark for the Tigers was coming into fruition. For diehard fans, Comerica Park on Woodward, beautiful though it may be, just isn't the same. The "Voice of the Tigers" for 42 years, sports broadcaster Ernie Harwell, has formed a non-profit corporation to try to save at least some of the old ballpark; but as of this writing, time is running out. The Detroit Tigers played their last game on "The Corner" on September 27, 1999, against the Kansas City Royals.

Shameless Plug for my husband's blog: Read The "D" Spot here...