“What happened?”
I get asked that question a lot at our store by people visiting from out-of-town. They don’t ask it in a cynical way; they ask it as though they stumbled upon an accident scene with plenty of victims.
What they are asking, in essence, is “what the hell happened to Detroit?”
Perhaps they’ve never been here before and the only images they’ve seen of the Ol’ Girl are on sugar-coated television broadcasts of sporting events. You know, the ones that make any city seem better than it really is.
Or perhaps they lived here at one time and remember a vibrant, bustling metropolis. Now they only see ruins and faint reminders of what was happily stored in their memories.
It’s pointless to deny that Detroit is a city in deep decay. But that doesn’t mean that magical things that happened here should ever be forgotten. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Detroit was equivalent to today’s Silicon Valley. It was the home of American ingenuity and resourcefulness.
When a genius had a great idea to exploit, he came to Detroit to make his fortune. As a result, industry boomed and people came in droves. That trend began to reverse course in the mid 1950s and Detroit has been in decline ever since. Today, the city is a faint shadow of its former self.
If there is hope to be had in Detroit’s future, it most certainly can be found in its past. In this video clip, legendary Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell shares some of his memories of Detroit and of Tiger Stadium. It is a touching tribute to the incredible history that resides at the corner of Michigan & Trumbull. A place that currently stands at a crossroad between total destruction or historic preservation — much like the city in which it lives.
Deaner
I now live in Toledo, Ohio. I was born and raised, however, in a coal-mining town in southern West Virginia. While reading your post, I just couldn’t overlook the similarities between my hometown and Detroit.
After graduating from high school, about 10 years ago, I left my hometown like most people of my age. The town’s total population is less than 5,000 but once was a thriving economic center of over 40,000. Like Detroit, the town has gone into decay, is a center for crime, and often the subject of jokes and ridicule. Outsiders are unable to see through the decay to the proud history and heritage of the area. Those still living there and those from there, like me, are extremely proud of the hard-working people that built the town (coal-miners). I’m guessing that people from Detroit feel the same way.
Ben Hassenger
What a great video – I especially liked the story about Jose Feliciano.
Those of you who have fond memories of Tiger Stadium and Ernie Harwell may enjoy my songs on both subjects. “The Corner” is my tribute to Michigan and Trumbull – there is an audio and video of the song on my website. “Voice of Summer” is my song about Ernie, who I spent many a night listening to on my transistor radio.
You can catch the songs at http://www.myspace.com/bquietmusic, I think they will bring back some nice memories for you. I also hope you take a moment to go to http://www.savetigerstadium.org and check out the plans for and progress in preserving our beloved “Corner”.
Ben Hassenger