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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Zug Island

Zug Island is a heavily industrialized island in the city of River Rouge near the southern city limits of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located where the mouth of the Rouge River spills into the Detroit River. Zug Island is not a natural island in the river; it was formed when a shipping canal was dug along the southwestern side of the island, allowing ships to bypass several hundred yards of twisting waterway near the mouth of the natural course of the lowest portions of the River Rouge.

Vernor's

Vernor opened a drug store of his own on Woodward Avenue, and sold his ginger ale at its soda fountain. According to the 1911 trademark application on "Vernor's" as a name for ginger ale and extract, Vernors entered commerce in 1880. City by city, Vernor sold bottling franchises, with operators of those franchises required to strictly adhere to the recipe. In 1896, Vernor closed his drugstore to concentrate on the ginger ale business alone. Initially, Vernors was only sold via soda fountain franchises, but later Vernors was bottled for home consumption.

The Uniroyal Tire





The Uniroyal® Giant Tire was originally created as a Ferris wheel attraction at the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. The wheel held 96 fairgoers and was powered by a 100-horsepower motor. More than two million people rode the Giant Tire Ferris wheel during the fair, including Jacqueline Kennedy and her children, John Jr. and Caroline.


After the 1965 World's Fair festivities ended, the Giant Tire was relocated to a Uniroyal Tire sales office in Allen Park, Michigan, and has towered alongside I-94 near the Metro Airport ever since. Over the decades it has become an important symbol of Uniroyal's 117-year heritage and a cultural icon for the city of Detroit known the world over.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Mercury Bar

  For as long as I can remember he Mercury Bar looked like the photo on the left - closed - I guess it has become a coffee bar.  Not really the best location for a coffee bar. Not much around it, but I guess there is pleanty of parking.  From what I hear the coffee house is now closed  - Maybe it has something to do with the appearance of Michigan Central in the background.

Jackie Wilson


Westlawn Cemetery
Wane, MI
Singer. Born Jack Leroy Wilson in Detroit, Michigan

They called him Mr. Entertainment

Burger Chef

Burger Chef was an American fast-food restaurant chain founded in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The chain expanded throughout the United States, and at its peak, it was second only to McDonald's in the number of locations nationwide. The chain featured several signature items such as the Big Chef and Super Chef hamburgers.

During the mid-1980s, General Foods decided that fast food was no longer in the company's outline, and soon the chain was gradually sold off to the owners of Hardee's. The final Burger Chef closed in 1996, but many of the chain's restaurants survive as Hardee's or various other fast-food establishments.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Bozo

Art Cervi
Bozo the Clown is a well-known character to kids across the country, but Detroit had its own unique relationship with the man beneath the makeup, Art Cervi.

Ford Wyoming Drive In

Ford Wyoming is the worlds largest Drive In - I've posted the link at the top of the page.

Daly family dining

Daly's doesn't look much different than it did back in the 80's - I've posted a link to the website in my link section.

Terrace Theater

The Terrace sat around 1200 and was designed by Ted Rogvoy, who also was responsible for area theaters like the Mercury in Detroit and the Penn in Plymouth. It was designed in 'Chinese Garden' style, with minimal interior decor, though its canopy marquee was one of the largest ever built in the state, at 52 feet long. Also, its screen was enormous, as well, measuring 59' by 27'.The Terrace originally was operated jointly by the Wisper and Wetsman and Suburban Detroit Theatres chains. In the early 70s, the auditorium was twinned, and it became the Terrace 1-2. In the 80s, it was turned into a quad, when taken over by the Cinemark chain, and renamed the Cinemark Terrace 4.
The Terrace closed, and was later converted into an auto showroom for a local dealer.

Quo Vadais

Quo Vadis Entertainment Center, Westland, Michigan, 2007. The movie theater sits long shuttered and closed to the public since its closure in 2002.

Livonia Mall

Livonia Mall opened its doors to shoppers during 1964, and was the second mall to be constructed in Livonia. The mall was developed by Jack Shenkman as an outdoor mall,[1] with Sears and Crowley's as anchor stores. At the time of its opening, Detroit's suburbs were expanding, and new shopping malls were being developed in these suburbs. Livonia already featured one such mall in Wonderland Center (later Wonderland Mall), which opened in 1959, was enclosed and expanded in the mid-1980s, and closed in 2004.

Mai Kai

One of the last Detroit-area theaters built with a full stage and orchestra pit, the Mai Kai could seat over 1400 and decorated in Polynesian style. it had all the most up-to-date amenities of a 60s-era movie house, including both 35mm and 70mm projectors.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Wonderland Mall

was an outdoor shopping center in Livonia, Michigan, United States, a suburb of Detroit. The center is located at the southwest corner of Middlebelt Road and Plymouth Road, approximately one mile south of I-96. Wal-Mart and Target serve as anchor stores.
From 1959 until 2004, a shopping mall called Wonderland Mall (previously Wonderland Center)[1] operated on the site. Originally an outdoor shopping center, Wonderland Mall was enclosed and expanded in the 1980s (with a second renovation in the late 1990s), although loss of major anchor stores and competition from nearby Westland Center caused Wonderland Mall to decline, eventually being classified as a dead mall. The old center was closed in 2004 and demolished a year later for construction of the newer shopping center.

The D.R.E.A.D. Card

Anyone out there still have their DREAD card?

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sir Graves Ghastly Channel 20

Highland Appliance

Until the big national electronics chains moved in, regional heavyweights like Highland and Fretter's ruled the roost locally. This is the original Highland Appliance store on Woodward. The chain has been out of business for several years, but the old sign remains.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Come on dog

Does anyone out there remember the commercial - "Here dog, Come on dog, to Telegraph Rd., right now, get a good deal.....?