Viewed in the following order, the first group of sites largely chronicle the first half of Southwest Detroit’s auto century.
19th Century Industry - Manufacturers that laid the foundation for Southwest Detroit’s auto industry
Early Auto Boom - Introductions to some of the neighborhood’s auto pioneers
Clark St./Michigan Ave. Companies - The railroad car manufacturer American Car & Foundry, the Cadillac Clark Street plant and Clark Street Technology Park firms
Clark/Fort St. Companies - The former sites of C.H. Blomstrom Motor Co. / E-M-F / Studebaker and current operations of James Group International - Renaissance Global Logistics
Lincoln Motor Company - Henry Leland’s plant that built Liberty World War I aircraft engines that later was acquired by Ford
GM Fisher Body Fleetwood - The General Motor subsidiary that manufactured bodies for the Clark Street Cadillac Plant
GM Ternstedt - The parts manufacturer that supplied iconic hood ornaments and other parts for Cadillac and GM divisions
Ford Rouge Complex - An overview of Henry Ford’s signature achievement
Woodmere Cemetery - The gravesites of auto executive and autoworkers introduce the hardships of the Great Depression of the 1930s
This second group of sites leads to profiles of other prominent auto related businesses.
Michigan Central - For many decades this site was a major point of entry for those who sought employment in Detroit's auto factories
Graham Paige - Chronicles the rise and fall of a company which started in truck bodies and built amphibious tanks durign WWII
Baker Street Trolley - A look at the impact of Baker Street line which ran through SW Detroit all the way to the gates of the Ford Rouge Factory
Historic Fort Wayne - Highlights the fort's association with Detroit's auto industry
The WOODMERE CEMETERY post found here introduces the Guide’s exploration of the emergence of the United Auto Workers’ union.
The set of posts that chronicle labor history in Southwest Detroit are found on the LABOR ROOTS section.
The WE “AUTO” KNOW MORE section features links that offer insights into these firms: Desoto / McGraw Glass / Kelsey Hayes / Rickenbacker Motor Company / Zug Island Steel. Additional research into these and other firms, as well as community sites, unions, and cultural communities listed there could result in future posts to the Guide.
Click to view:
Railway Cars, Bricks, and Salt: The Industrial History Of Southwest Detroit Before Auto, Professor Thomas Klug’s overview of Southwest Detroit’s 19th century industrial roots.
