Click here to see a video featuring Elena Bussell-Shelef, a descendant of one of the men killed at the Ford Hunger March, and learn why this park is so important.
Click here to see more photos from the ceremony.
Click here to see coverage from WXYZ-TV Channel 7 from that evening's newscast.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
On October 22, 2020 a group of community partners known as the Fort-Rouge Gateway Partnership (FRoG), along with government officials (Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, State Representative Tyrone Carter, Detroit Deputy Mayor Conrad Mallett and Detroit City Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez attended), the Friends of the Rouge (FOTR) and funders, cut the ribbon and opened the new Fort Street Bridge Interpretive Park, located at the foot of the Fort Street Bridge, at 12700 Denmark St. in southwest Detroit.
On March 7, 1932, during the Great Depression, auto workers organized a march from Detroit to the Ford Rouge Factory in Dearborn. Known as the Ford Hunger March, the event was one of the most significant events leading to the creation of the United Auto Workers union.
“The historic Fort Street Bridge, central to the march, was decommissioned in 2013, and a new bridge was built in its place,” said Shawn Pomaville-Size, executive director, MotorCities National Heritage Area. “The FRoG partnership has worked to ensure the history of the Hunger March, the significance of the former bridge and its importance to the region is now recognized here at this new Fort Street Bridge Park. It is the culmination of many years of work, and we’re happy to see our new park has become a reality.”
According to Paul Draus, professor of sociology at the University of Michigan – Dearborn and facilitator of the FRoG partnership, the development of the park was “driven by the belief that our shared prosperity was built upon the sacrifice of others – in this case, five unemployed workers who gave their lives in a march for jobs – and the gifts of nature, so often unacknowledged.”
An ancestor of one of the five workers who was killed during the Ford Hunger March, Elana Bussell-Shelef, was one of the people who cut the ribbon to open the park.
A centerpiece of the park is a sculpture called “March On,” funded by the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefit Plan and created by Erik and Israel Nordin of the Detroit Design Center. The sculpture features salvaged parts from the original bridge. The artists' vision is to pay homage to the spirit of the Rouge River and the 1932 Hunger March by evoking the complex interconnection of industry and community, as well as ongoing struggles for environmental justice and social equity.
The park links to major greenway arteries like the Iron Bell Trail, Downriver Linked Greenways - with plans to connect to the Rouge Gateway Trail and to the Lower Rouge River Water Trail. It also holds true to the visionary leadership of the late U-M Dearborn Vice-Chancellor Ed Begale who saw this park and the rebirth of the lower Rouge through the Rouge River Gateway Master Plan as an incredible opportunity for the community. He left his legacy to continue under the leadership of Dr. Paul Draus, who plans to continue holding the torch into Phase II.
Major funding for the park project came from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Famil Foundation, Ford Motor Company and the Marathon Petroleum Company.
Additional support came from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Legacy Fund for Design & Access of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, the Dearborn Rotary Foundation, AK Steel, DTE Energy, UAW Local 600, Mike Herceg & Joan Kelley, the Michigan Labor History Society, the Bussell Family, John B. Wilson (In Memory of Gino Stavola), Bridgewater Interiors, Michael & Nancy Darga, and the Walter & May Reuther Fund.
MotorCities National Heritage Area, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, City of Detroit, City of Dearborn, Marathon Petroleum Company, Michigan Department of Transportation, United Auto Workers Local 600, Friends of the Rouge, Friends of the Detroit River, various neighborhood block groups, PEA Inc. and others have collaborated to build this park.
Congresswomen Debbie Dingell and Rashida Tlaib join MotorCities Executive Director Shawn Pomaville-Size and representatives from the Fort-Rouge Gateway Partnership (FRoG) put shovels in the ground at the site of what will soon be the Fort Street Bridge Interpretive Park in southwest Detroit.
Contact Brian Yopp, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , 313.259.3425, with any questions about the park.
Read a Detroit Free Press article about the origins of the park efforts.
Enjoy this video on the plans for the new park space.
Click here to view the preliminary site plan
MotorCities National Heritage Area teamed up with Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and the co-chairs of the Michigan Legislative Auto Caucus, Senators Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway Twp.) and Representatives Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton Twp.) and Curtis VanderWall (R-Ludington), to declare Wednesday, October 23 as the 11th annual Michigan Auto Heritage Day throughout the state.
“Michigan Auto Heritage Day began in 2014 and has become an annual opportunity to celebrate the story that can only be told in Michigan, namely how this part of the country put the world on wheels," said Shawn Pomaville-Size, Executive Director of MotorCities. “Our state has the largest concentration of auto-related sites, attractions and events in the world, attracting millions of visitors each year.”
MotorCities, established in 1998, is a nonprofit corporation that is part of the National Heritage Area System of the National Park Service that serves 16 counties representing a population of over 6.5 million. Its mission is to preserve, interpret and promote the region’s rich automotive and labor heritage. Regional programs inspire residents and visitors with an appreciation for how the automobile changed Michigan, the nation, and the world.
Headquartered in Detroit, MotorCities is the state’s only National Heritage Area and generates $489.7 million each year in economic impact, supporting 5,343 jobs and producing $40 million in tax revenue in Michigan. Over its 26-year history, MotorCities has awarded more than 300 grants for a total investment in local programs of more than $1.6 million.
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Our 2025 MotorCities' Awards of Excellence Luncheon took place June 4 at the Stellantis Conner Center in Detroit.
To see a photo album from the luncheon, click here.
The winners were announced in the following categories:
Heritage Tourism -
Education/Interpretation -
Revitalization -
In addition, MotorCities presented its highest honor, the Milestone Award, to Ford Motor Company's Corporate Historian Emeritus Robert Kreipke (pictured at left). For over 25 years, Kreipke has served as a project advisor and board member, helping propel MotorCities to become the nationally–recognized experts on preserving and promoting Michigan’s automotive heritage. In addition, he was Chairman of the Board between 2015 and 2019, steering the organization through successful projects like the launching of our highway promotional signs, the creation of the Fort Street Bridge Interpretive Park in Detroit, and the celebration of MotorCities' 20th anniversary.
The Stellantis Conner Center is the home of the historic collection of 100 years of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth, DeSoto vehicles, and guests enjoyed the rare opportunity to see these vehicles.
2025 Sponsors
Sponsors for the Awards of Excellence Luncheon included the following:
Presenting Sponsors:
Patron Sponsors:
Supporting Sponsors:
Stan Shelton, Photographer
Event Sponsors:
The Internal Revenue Service recognizes MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership, Inc. as a Section 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts tax deductible in the U.S.A. Our Federal Tax ID # is 38-3489636