The Downriver Area Today (1959)
This is one of several history papers written by St. Francis Xavier High School students in 1959 about Ecorse and the other Downriver communities.)
The Downriver Area Today
Gone are the days of the copper-hued Indian stealthily creeping along a foliage-covered path, hiding from the despised white man. Today, there are no Indians, just peace-loving citizens.
Gone are the sawmills, wells and wood-burning river boats. Today giant manufacturing plants, huge reservoirs and mammoth freighters serve the area. Dirt roads have been replaced by paved streets and sidewalks. The cities have grown up, progressed. Let us now take a look at the results of this struggle for progress and growth…the “final product.”
*********************
Ecorse has blossomed into an efficiently-run community, trying valiantly to convince citizens of other communities that it can and will have good government under law and order. Today Mayor Eli Ciungan, aided by a council of six, is assisted by the City Clerk Pat Trondle and a City Treasurer, Paul Vollmar; all are elected by the 19,000 registered voters annually.
The 1956 census credited Ecorse with 21,000 residents living in an area of 2 ¾ square miles and enjoying the second-lowest tax rate ($12.50 per thousand) of the whole downriver area. The assessed valuation of Ecorse if over $122 million. One bank, the Security, has deposits of over $51,000,000.
Education, too, had advanced with the years. Although Ecorse has but one public high school, its whole school system educates 3,400 pupils under one hundred forty-four teachers. St. Francis Xavier High School, with twelve grades, takes care of over 600 pupils from many different areas, particularly those with no high school (parochial) of their own.
Ecorse is fortunate in having a modern branch of the Wayne County Library, centrally located at the corner of Southfield and Outer Drive. Twenty-four thousand volumes make this branch one of the best in the area.
The city if proud of its efficient Sanitation Department and its regular services. Police and fire officials are ever on the alert to serve citizens in need; the ratio of these public servants to the general population is very high, making for quick and well organized service.
The main reason for the economic and population growth of Ecorse is its industries. Great Lakes Steel , on the riverfront, out producing eighty-three national competitors, employ 10, 4000 local people.
Schwayer Brothers, on High Street, produces Samsonite luggage and furniture; smaller plants produce machinery and metal fittings.
What the future of Ecorse will be, no one knows for sure. However, if the determination of its citizens is any yardstick, we can judge that this little community will progress rapidly.
The “City of Red Waters,” River Rouge, with acreage of 2 7/8 miles, has an assessed valuation of $91,000,000. Two parks comprise fourteen-and-a-half acres and cost $300,000 to complete. River Rouge has its own small hospital, Sumby.
Two public high schools and one parochial school. Our Lady of Lourdes are in the area; one school for the blind is available for children who need such attention.
Streets of River Rouge are almost 100% paved throughout the city, and residents, through their voting power, have provided themselves with adequate police and fire protection.
Twenty-five manufacturing establishments are spread out in the area, largely along the busy waterfront. One of the largest, the Nicholson Terminal and Dock Company, built on 30 acres, has its vessels plying the Great Lakes in large numbers. Other important establishments are the Great Lakes Engineering Works, established in 1902, the General Chemical Works, Fabricon, United States Gypsum, and Whitehead and Kales. One of the biggest blast furnaces for the manufacture of steel is located on industrialized Zug Island.
As is the case with most cities, industry has increased the population. But, since 1950, while over thirty new plants have sprung up in the Downriver area, none came to Rouge. In this area, twenty-two new shopping centers arose; Rouge built no new ones. In fact, according to Paul M. Reid, executive-direction of the Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, “Rouge must overcome decline or decay. City-planning in Rouge, where populations have sprung up, and where the land has been filled up with industry, businesses and residences, now needs re-shaping and re-developing if the community is to successfully overcome the problems of decline or decay.”
While Detroit gained over 800,000 in population in a recent eight-year period, Rouge gained by 651. According to Mr. Reid, however, the city’s planning commission is now trying to start action in planning for the future and soon River Rouge will be on the way up.
It has been said of Wyandotte that it is large enough for every need, and small enough to be friendly and neighborly. It is certainly a very efficiently run city. Much work has been done by the city officials in defining and meeting their most serious problems. John E. McCauley is Wyandotte’s mayor.
One of the largest of the Downriver cities, Wyandotte has 5.23 square miles, with the population of approximately 40,000. Of this area, fifty-six areas are devoted to beautiful parks for the convenience of its citizens.
Most of the religious faiths have found a welcome in this city. Catholics are served by several parishes, the largest of which are St. Patrick’s and St. Stephen’s.
Wyandotte is proud of its comparatively large hospital along the riverfront, for it accommodates 225 adults and 42 babies. Bacon Memorial Library keeps the people well informed with its 29,500 books. Its large shopping area with good parking facilities, its large and efficient police and fire force, its various city departs to care for various needs in this alert town—of these Wyandotte taxpayers can well be proud.
In another chapter on Wyandotte industries, much has been said about this subject. We will here content ourselves with the observation that the industries of Wyandotte are impressive as one drives along Biddle (an extension of East Jefferson) for blocks and blocks and sees the vast areas covered by industry, going in full force.
These, without doubt, play a large part in the continuing growth of this Downriver community, which, last year, when many other communities suffered recession, prospered.
Allen Park at the present time is suffering from growing pains. Its stable population, housed largely in brick homes of the newer type, is beginning to demand better facilities of their government, or the extension of those they now enjoy. Thus, more and larger schools are needed; a larger library is in the planning stage, and Catholic parishes, and those of other denominations, are planning extensive expansion.
Allen Parkers find it necessary to work outside of their own city for the most part, for only small plants have located there. However, it, along with Lincoln Park, has extensive shopping areas which are attractive to many outsiders, as well as to citizens of the cities themselves. Recently Hudson’s Basement Store has been added to the Lincoln Park Plaza, with its huge parking lot.
Lincoln Parkers have voted for themselves a six-million dollar bond issue for the construction of a new high school and improvements in other schools. Fort Street, boulevard-type, with its central parking areas, is the main thoroughfare of the city today.
Yes, Downriver peoples have come a long way since the first French settlers beached their canoes along the western shores along the Detroit River and decided the land was good and the outlook promising for them and their posterity. How surprised they would be to see the modern Downriver communities with their huge industries, their well-planned cities, their parks, their public buildings, their paved highways. The last century has been good to the Downriver communities.
The Downriver Area Today
Gone are the days of the copper-hued Indian stealthily creeping along a foliage-covered path, hiding from the despised white man. Today, there are no Indians, just peace-loving citizens.
Gone are the sawmills, wells and wood-burning river boats. Today giant manufacturing plants, huge reservoirs and mammoth freighters serve the area. Dirt roads have been replaced by paved streets and sidewalks. The cities have grown up, progressed. Let us now take a look at the results of this struggle for progress and growth…the “final product.”
*********************
Ecorse has blossomed into an efficiently-run community, trying valiantly to convince citizens of other communities that it can and will have good government under law and order. Today Mayor Eli Ciungan, aided by a council of six, is assisted by the City Clerk Pat Trondle and a City Treasurer, Paul Vollmar; all are elected by the 19,000 registered voters annually.
The 1956 census credited Ecorse with 21,000 residents living in an area of 2 ¾ square miles and enjoying the second-lowest tax rate ($12.50 per thousand) of the whole downriver area. The assessed valuation of Ecorse if over $122 million. One bank, the Security, has deposits of over $51,000,000.
Education, too, had advanced with the years. Although Ecorse has but one public high school, its whole school system educates 3,400 pupils under one hundred forty-four teachers. St. Francis Xavier High School, with twelve grades, takes care of over 600 pupils from many different areas, particularly those with no high school (parochial) of their own.
Ecorse is fortunate in having a modern branch of the Wayne County Library, centrally located at the corner of Southfield and Outer Drive. Twenty-four thousand volumes make this branch one of the best in the area.
The city if proud of its efficient Sanitation Department and its regular services. Police and fire officials are ever on the alert to serve citizens in need; the ratio of these public servants to the general population is very high, making for quick and well organized service.
The main reason for the economic and population growth of Ecorse is its industries. Great Lakes Steel , on the riverfront, out producing eighty-three national competitors, employ 10, 4000 local people.
Schwayer Brothers, on High Street, produces Samsonite luggage and furniture; smaller plants produce machinery and metal fittings.
What the future of Ecorse will be, no one knows for sure. However, if the determination of its citizens is any yardstick, we can judge that this little community will progress rapidly.
The “City of Red Waters,” River Rouge, with acreage of 2 7/8 miles, has an assessed valuation of $91,000,000. Two parks comprise fourteen-and-a-half acres and cost $300,000 to complete. River Rouge has its own small hospital, Sumby.
Two public high schools and one parochial school. Our Lady of Lourdes are in the area; one school for the blind is available for children who need such attention.
Streets of River Rouge are almost 100% paved throughout the city, and residents, through their voting power, have provided themselves with adequate police and fire protection.
Twenty-five manufacturing establishments are spread out in the area, largely along the busy waterfront. One of the largest, the Nicholson Terminal and Dock Company, built on 30 acres, has its vessels plying the Great Lakes in large numbers. Other important establishments are the Great Lakes Engineering Works, established in 1902, the General Chemical Works, Fabricon, United States Gypsum, and Whitehead and Kales. One of the biggest blast furnaces for the manufacture of steel is located on industrialized Zug Island.
As is the case with most cities, industry has increased the population. But, since 1950, while over thirty new plants have sprung up in the Downriver area, none came to Rouge. In this area, twenty-two new shopping centers arose; Rouge built no new ones. In fact, according to Paul M. Reid, executive-direction of the Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission, “Rouge must overcome decline or decay. City-planning in Rouge, where populations have sprung up, and where the land has been filled up with industry, businesses and residences, now needs re-shaping and re-developing if the community is to successfully overcome the problems of decline or decay.”
While Detroit gained over 800,000 in population in a recent eight-year period, Rouge gained by 651. According to Mr. Reid, however, the city’s planning commission is now trying to start action in planning for the future and soon River Rouge will be on the way up.
It has been said of Wyandotte that it is large enough for every need, and small enough to be friendly and neighborly. It is certainly a very efficiently run city. Much work has been done by the city officials in defining and meeting their most serious problems. John E. McCauley is Wyandotte’s mayor.
One of the largest of the Downriver cities, Wyandotte has 5.23 square miles, with the population of approximately 40,000. Of this area, fifty-six areas are devoted to beautiful parks for the convenience of its citizens.
Most of the religious faiths have found a welcome in this city. Catholics are served by several parishes, the largest of which are St. Patrick’s and St. Stephen’s.
Wyandotte is proud of its comparatively large hospital along the riverfront, for it accommodates 225 adults and 42 babies. Bacon Memorial Library keeps the people well informed with its 29,500 books. Its large shopping area with good parking facilities, its large and efficient police and fire force, its various city departs to care for various needs in this alert town—of these Wyandotte taxpayers can well be proud.
In another chapter on Wyandotte industries, much has been said about this subject. We will here content ourselves with the observation that the industries of Wyandotte are impressive as one drives along Biddle (an extension of East Jefferson) for blocks and blocks and sees the vast areas covered by industry, going in full force.
These, without doubt, play a large part in the continuing growth of this Downriver community, which, last year, when many other communities suffered recession, prospered.
Allen Park at the present time is suffering from growing pains. Its stable population, housed largely in brick homes of the newer type, is beginning to demand better facilities of their government, or the extension of those they now enjoy. Thus, more and larger schools are needed; a larger library is in the planning stage, and Catholic parishes, and those of other denominations, are planning extensive expansion.
Allen Parkers find it necessary to work outside of their own city for the most part, for only small plants have located there. However, it, along with Lincoln Park, has extensive shopping areas which are attractive to many outsiders, as well as to citizens of the cities themselves. Recently Hudson’s Basement Store has been added to the Lincoln Park Plaza, with its huge parking lot.
Lincoln Parkers have voted for themselves a six-million dollar bond issue for the construction of a new high school and improvements in other schools. Fort Street, boulevard-type, with its central parking areas, is the main thoroughfare of the city today.
Yes, Downriver peoples have come a long way since the first French settlers beached their canoes along the western shores along the Detroit River and decided the land was good and the outlook promising for them and their posterity. How surprised they would be to see the modern Downriver communities with their huge industries, their well-planned cities, their parks, their public buildings, their paved highways. The last century has been good to the Downriver communities.