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by Wendy Lafond

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Detroit Michigan was founded in 1701by the French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac who began to build as soon as his feet touched the shore near what is today the Civic Center. Though most of Detroit's historic sites were destroyed by fire in 1805, after the massive process of rebuilding that continued for years, the historic sites of Detroit are remarkable in their design and construction.

Just two days after Cadillac's landing the group began building the initial Ste. Anne Roman Catholic Church. The Church, now at 1000 Ste. Anne Street, has been rebuilt eight times due to fire and renewal projects. The current church was completed in 1887. It contains many artifacts of the previous buildings and congregations. Among them are the 1818 cornerstone and the main alter from the previous building and the oldest stained glass in Detroit.

Elmwood Cemetery, which holds the esteemed title of oldest non-denominational cemetery in Michigan, was started in 1846. Today it stands as a memorial to the memories of the men and women who pulled Detroit up out of the wilderness and created this fine city. A special plaque and memorial area is honoring the men who lost their lives on that spot to Indians in an uprising on July 31, 1763. The cemetery is located at 1200 Elmwood Avenue.

Just east of the Civic Center, at 107 Jefferson Avenue, is the Mariner's Church. Built in 1849, to serve the spiritual needs of the men who sailed the Great Lakes, this church has many wonderful, amazing, and sad stories to tell. It was here in 1975 that Reverend Richard Ingalls rang the church bell 29 times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald. Media coverage of the story reach Gordon Lightfoot and the rest, as we say, is history.

The fire of 1805, which leveled most of Detroit, brought about a much needed change in the street grid for the city. Campus Martius was designated as the "point of origin" and the Woodward and Monroe intersection, with its Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument, became the hub of Detroit for years to come. Originally a military training ground it was chosen for inclusion into the Detroit Legacy project in 1999. Now it is once again the lush beautiful park where Detroiter's can get together to relax and have fun.

No historic meandering through Detroit can be called complete without at visit to the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex, Inc., located at 461 Piquette Avenue. To walk on the very same floors that the first Model Ts rolled across and see the earliest stages of the journey automotive manufacturing has traveled, It was what made Detroit what it is today.

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