Namesake's of Detroit, Michigan

French voyagers came to what is now Detroit (D'e'troit, meaning of the strait) at the dawn of the 17th century to take from the wilderness for the King of France, Louis XIII. The first great trading post of the French was at Mackinac, motivated by furs, the Native American's traded, in exchange for brandy. English fur traders from Fort Orange, now Albany, NY moved toward Michigan and began to trade molasses rum with the Native Americans for pelts at a much cheaper exchange, causing the Native American's to desert the French, for the English.
The commandor of Mackinac, Cadillac, was ordered to find another area in the lower lakes for a fort. He choose the site of Detroit, and built Fort Pontchatrain in 1701.
Portrayal of Cadillac landing at Detroit in 1701

Three men gave Detroit its unique personality in the formative years, after the flags of France and Britian had been swept away from the shores. First, was Father Gabriel Richard, a French priest, humanitarian, and scholar. It was Richard who brought the first printing press to the Northwest. He printed the first newspaper, organized schools, and preached nondenominational sermons. He died while nursing others stricken by the largest cholera plague to hit Detroit. Second, and equally heroic, was the Reverend John Montieth, a Presbyterian minister. This man worked closely with Father Richard, to bring the word of the gospel to the Native Americans. He also kept the spark of faith alive in the early white settlers. Third, was Judge Augustus Brevoort Woodward, for whom Woodward Avenue is named. A friend of Thomas Jefferson, a follower of Voltaire and Rousseau, and an aquaintance of Benjamin Franklin, Woodward brought learning to Detroit.
Born in New York, in 1774, and christened Elias Brevoort Woodward, as he became obsessed with Greek and Roman history, he arbitrarily changed his name to Augustus. When Michigan became a territory in 1805, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Woodward to one of the Judgeships in the Territory. Woodward arrived from Washington just days after the devastating 1805 fire, and found the entire town in tents, ash, and ruin. Woodward arrived only two days prior to Governor William Hull, and had taken charge of everything. Woodward appointed himself head of the committee to rebuild Detroit. He honored three Presidents by naming main streets for them; Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. He was enraged when his two associates, Benjamin Witherell, and Solomon Sibley named two smaller streets for themselves.

These three men, Montieth, Woodward, and Richard organized debating societies, a library, lectures, and schools. They founded the University of Michigan, and gave Detroit its City Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus which means, "We hope for better days; it shall rise from the ashes."

Detroit had been born in battle. It triumphed over cholera epidemics, over fire, war, and Indian massacres, and has stood the test of time.
Judge Woodward, appointed himself Chief Justice and wrote the "Laws of Michigan." When Detroit surrendered to the British in 1812, without one shot being fired, it was Woodward who promptly accepted appointment of Secretary of the Territory, by British Colonel Henry Procter. Woodward laid out subdivisions all over the area, including one he named Ypsilanti, in honor of his Greek military idol who was General in the Grecian revolt against the Turkish. Despite all his plans, his unconvential ethics and eccentricity was his downfall. When one half of the population petitioned Congress to order him out, President Monroe, passed an act limiting the term of a judge and so on March 3, 1824, Judge Woodward officially left Detroit, and resumed a new Judgeship in Florida.

Richard depicted in oil painting

Father Gabriel Richard lived up to the philosophy of the motto on the City's seal. Richard was the true founder of the University of Michigan. He made possible the beginning of state education in America. Father Gabriel Richard (pronounced Ree-sha'rd) escaped from France during the French Revolution. He came to America as a member ofthe Sulpician Order of Teachers. He arrived in Detroit in 1798, and founded a community of around 1,200 persons. Half the population was French, and spoke little English. There were no books, no schools, no knowledge of anything but fur trading, and fishing. Richard brought the first printing press to come west of the Alleghany River in 1809. His press printed the first books ever published in Detroit, the very first one being an English text book. Others were school books to take care of the now eight schools in the area. The Native Americans took to Father Richard he had brought the first pipe organ over 800 miles of wilderness. After church services, he would play concerts for the whole town, including the Native Americans. He started the Michigan Essay in 1809, the first newspaper in the Territory. He also organized the first circulating library, and took charge of rationing supplies after the 1805 fire.

Congress had decided to make Detroit the seat of government for the new formed Territory of Michigan. President Jefferson appointed General William Hull as Territorial Governor, a soldier, school teacher, and lawyer from Massachuesetts. With the new government established , Father Richard was a leading citizen, the hero of the fire, and man who got things done. Richard began his fight for public schools, for Protestants and the Native Americans, as well as people of their own faith. By 1812, the British Commander General Brock called on Hull to surrender. When Hull refused, guns open fired from the Canadian shore and Brock landed on the American side. Hull refused to let the American troops fire and ordered the city surrendered without firing a shot in its defense. For this reason, Lewis Cass went to Washington and accused Hull of cowardice, treason, and incompetence. Hull was found guilty and sentenced to be shot, however, was later pardoned by President Madison.
When the war was over and Detroit was restored to the Union, Father Richard plunged back into his activities. The people elected him to the 18th Congress,but he faced quite a battle. He was pitted against Sheriff Austin E. Wing and Colonel John Biddle, who quickly dragged in religious and racial questions. John R. Williams, through a communicator of the St e Anne's Church, tried to induce Father Richard to withdraw. Williams circulated a newsprint telling the French immigrants they would be without a priest if Father Richard were appointed. When Richard still refused to withdraw, left the church, never to return. This John R. Williams is the same John R that is named for the street in downtown Detroit today.
By 1832 Detroit was booming with a population of over 4,000 when the streamer Henry Clay and it's 370 soldiers came up the Detroit River on their way to Wisconsin to fight in the Black Hawk War. The steamer also carried Asiatic Cholera and the plague swept Detroit. In only a few days, several hundered Detroiters were stricken and over a hundered had died. Father Richard now older, still never quit. He nursed the sick day and night and collapsed himself, in the streets of Detroit and died. After the plague had passed and the people of the Territory had heard Richard had passed away, they poured into the city to pay tribute to him.

The Reverend John Montieth, a young Presbyterian missionary came to Detroit in the summer of 1816. From almost the beginning, the Presbyterian minister and the Catholic priest (Richard), although different speakers of the Lord's Word, fought together for everything that was fine, clean and decent in community life. Montieth was the most qualified to become the first president of the University of Michigan. He was an American born at Gettysburg, a graduate from Princeton, trained in the arts of education and a classical scholar. And so, young John Montieth became the organizer of the first great university in America. Montiethwas the first pastor to found the Protestant religious organization in Detroit. He began preaching upon his arrival in 1816, and by 1817 orgainzed the First Evangelical Society of Detroit, that through the years became First Presbyterian Church. During his first five years in Detroit he fought for the rights of the Native Americans and against their corruption, through General Cass's run and Campau whiskey, and for the loss of their lands. As early as 1834, Montieth is noted in legislator making pleas for emancipation of the slaves. For eight years he taught at Hamilton College and then returned to Michigan. He tried to start a school at "Blissville" which failed, and he left to become a pastor in Elyria, Ohio. In Elyria, he became the Ohio leader of the Underground Railroad, and for his work, he frequently risked his life. Montieth spent his remaining years supporting then President, Abraham Lincoln, and died in Elyria, Ohio, just after the Emancipation Proclamation has been issued. His diaries, sermons, and library articles were given to the University of Michigan by a decendant, Miss Caroline Montieth.

Another Detroit pioneer, Hazel S. Pingree was a muched loved man. A statue in his honor sits in Grand Circus Park paid for with the pennies, nickels, and quarters, of the poor people in Michigan. A millionaire shoemanufacturer by age 50, Pingree was a soft-spoken, kindly, church going gentleman, who changed into a political genius. Pingree was a decendent of Moses Pingree who came to America in 1640 and settled in Ipswich, MA. Later his branch of the family moved to Maine, where Hazen was born on a farm August 30, 1840. After 3 years of schooling, Pingree left Maine to learn the shoemaking business. He fought in the Battle of Bull Run and witnessed the surrender of Lee. Pingree came to Detroit after his discharge from the Army, because he had heard of the town while captive prisnor in Andersonville. He had no special reason to return to MA or Maine, so he came to Detroit and worked for the " Baldwin Shoe Company" and then set out for himself. Pingree devoted the last 10 years of his life to politics and at the time was rated a millionaire and owner of the largest shoe factory outside of New England, in the United States. Because of Pingree's admiration of Lincoln, he joined the newly organized Michigan Republican Club. The 3 leaders of the party were: William H. Elliott a department store owner, Clarence A. Black, a wholesale hardware merchant, and James L. Edson, a wholesale drygoods merchant. These gentlemen and other nominated Pingree for mayor. Some popular city names come straight from this political run. He hired Jennie Maud Smith, a reporter from the Detroit News as a secretary. She later became the "faminine Machiavelli" of Detroit. Senator Thomas Witherell Palmer who gave Palmer Park to Detroit, J.W. Walsh, also from the News was hired to write speeches, he was a favorite local poet as well. And as his taxation expert, Robert W. Oakwood who's name is seen on many winding streets of the Detroit area. Pingree was well known for cleaning up crooked council; for this he was also subject to disapproval by many organizations. One, The Old Guard moved against him through the banks. Lines of credit were snagged, then completely denied. He was snubbed socially, which hurt him personally because of his wife, two daughters, and one son. But his final straw in this personal war was when they had his family pew removed from the Woodward Ave Baptist Church. Soon a smallpox epidemic swept the city, and soon after, a streetcar strike. At this time, the streetcars were pulled by horses, and were foul smelling and dirty. The horse breeders were well-known promoters of racetracks, and were also known, to "fix races." Strathearn Hendric owner and breeder of these horses struck first. He stopped the entire line from running. The citizens outraged, began a riot, they overturned a streetcar into the River. This frightened contractors and utilities who called upon Pingree for help. Pingree got the strikers their raise but only after publically announcing he wished he could have been part of the mob of citizens. Pingree grabbed support from Detroiters but did not gain any respect from the conservative element, or the press. Pingree once had almost the entire Board of Education arrested for accepting bribes from book companies and seat manufacturers. The trials were long-drawn-out and bitter, but in the end, the ring leaders were convicted. After three terms in office, nearly everyone agreed he was unbeatable. In 1896, he ran forgovernor and won. He appointed a veteran vesselman of the Great Lakes, Captain Albert E. Stewart as his successor.

Another familiar Detroit Pioneer is Joseph Campau. The Campau ancestors arrived here as one of the voyageurs with Cadillac. The Campau farm was one of the largest land holdings in the state. His decendants continued to add fortune to the family and Joseph Campau was known as the wealthiest man in The Michigan Territory. His son, Daniel succeeded him.
Daniel Campau was a sportsman, owner of a stable of riding horses, and president of the Grosse Pointe Driving Club, which he also owned. But Daniel Campau is best known for his horse track, and one race in particular. Sarah Black, a race horse that had never won a race in her life. Sarah Black was entered into a race at Campau's track, however, it wasn't Sarah Black that ran the race, another horse was dyed, and entered in her place. Agents placed bets in every book that could be reached, with odds as high as 25 to 1. When the news reached track judges, the entire episode was exposed and Sarah Black's owner, Edward H. Farley, was on trial. Campau was called to testify but in the end, Farley was aquicted. The people were glad to see the millionaire racetrack owner lose, even though he did represent the side of law and order. The man with the money against the hard-working horse trainer, who had done nothing , in their eyes, to decieve the track or the audience. One win for the working class ! Campau died in 1927, only a few years after marrying his childhood sweetheart, at the age of 76.

James Scott, was born in Detroit in 1831, on the west side of Woodward Avenue. His father had married the daughter of Robert Smart, a neighborhood store owner. Scott bought real estate and became a wealthy contractor and politician. Upon his death, he left his entire fortune to his only remaining son, James(jr). Scott owned much vacant property in Detroit and waited for the city's growth to increase it's value. He fought with everybodyhe came into contact with and sued almost everyone he did business with. Scott boasted about the number of people he could count on as enemies, and his final will read, " all the rest of my property I leave to the City of Detroit to build a fountain on Belle Isle to be called, the James Scott Fountain." He died March 5, 1910.
He won two famous cases in court, the first of which was against G & R MacMillan Brothers, grocers at the corner of Fort Street and Woodward Avenue. Scott rented the store next to MacMillan Brothers to a clothing outfit. With each sale, the store would ring an alarm bell to attract attention. The MacMillan's protested and went to court to get an injuction to restrain the tenants. This infuriated Scott, he had the store front painted black, then had a wooden pig carved six feet long and painted pure white and hung it tail pointedat MacMillian's store. He renamed the portion of the street "Hog Block". There was nothing the MacMillan Brother's could do about that and the "Hog Block" gained national curiousity. His second battle was his house at Park and Peterboro. His property extended through to the alley but only 20 feet of it was on Park Street. Scott and his neighbor argued when Scott wanted the neighbor to sell so the he could expand. James tried to erect a spite fence, however, the effort was blocked, so Scott had a 3 story stone house built 20 feet in depth on Peterboro. This completely ruined the other man's property, but could never be rented or used itself. It became known as "Scott's Folley" or "Scott's Spite House. Scott's Fountain now sprays at the lower end of Belle Isle, and is one of the most beautiful in the world.

Detroit was fortunate in getting a large number of German immigrants, bringing along with them their ideals of human freedom. At the age of 11, in 1880, a boy named, Albert Kahn arrived in Detroit with his father, mother, and siblings. He was a child prodigy as a musician. His father's ambition was to make him a concert pianist. But Albert wanted to become a painter. The young boy had found however, that he was color-blind, and switched endeavors to learning draftsmanship, and became an architect. Kahn revoluntionized the industrial system by making the once ugly factories, a thing of beauty. Kahn later designed and built the great factories in Russia; he created Willow Run Airport, he built a 53 acre plant for the Wright Aeronautical Corporation near Cincinnati, Ohio. He also built the Chrysler war-producation plant in Chicago, and many others. Kahn was most proud of his artistic achievements, such as the Detroit Athletic Club, the Fisher Building, the General Motors Building, and TheWilliam L. Clements Historical Library at the University of Michigan.

What of Founding Father, Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac. For almost two centuries it was believed Cadillacwas a man of French nobility, however, a man, Father Jean Delanglez explored deeply into Cadillac's family history. Delanglez found that not only had Cadillac faked his title of nobility, his name was not even Cadillac !! His correct name was Antoine Laumet, he was the son of a country lawyer, Jean Laumet, while he claimed to be a lieutenant, that too, was only a honor he put upon himself. He claimed the title of Chevalier and said he was made a Knight of the Royal and Military Order of St Louis in 1688. However,this would make Laumet, a knight, five years before "the order" was even created. (There was a Chevalier de La Mothe, named Louis de LaRue,but he was killed by Iroquois Indians in 1690.) Laumet is accused of being Detroit's first bootlegger, a man who choose a backwoods country girl with plenty of money, to be his bride, and was openly denounced by French clergy for getting the Native Americans' drunk, then cheating them of their furs. Cadillac is still remembered by his name, Cadillac Square, the Cadillac Building, and of course, the car the Cadillac. There is even a statue with his family crest (which was proven untrue) engraved into it, and the bridge built across to Belle Isle is named the Cadillac Bridge in his honor.
But Cadillac or Laumet, he is still the first white man to reach the shore of the Detroit River in 1701.

Some of the quieter name-sakes of Detroit do not require or want personal publicity: Eleonore Hutzel, a deputy comissioner of the police, in charge of the women's division. She is also known by criminologists, and sociologists all over the world, and of course, Hutzel Hospital is named for her.
Ralph Ulveling, known by librarians all over the world and director of the Detroit Public Library. He built up a vast interest in reading and Detroit libraries top all others in the circulation of books.
Clyde Burroughs,has spent his life watching over the collection of one of the finest painting collections in the world at the Detroit Institute of Arts on Woodward Ave.
James S. Holden member of at least 20 Boards of Directors, including the Zoologlical Gardens at 10 Mile Road.
Henry Reichhold finances in large part, the cost of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
For 30 years, Frank Cody was superintendent of the Public School System, with never a controversy or scandal.
Detroit pioneered the science of preventive medicine, established by men such as Dr Bruce Douglas, Dr Herman Kiefer, and Dr Henry Vaughn.
One of the foremost authorities on Native American lore and history of the NorthWest, is Henry Schoolcraft Hulbert. Hulbert also served in the probate court for over 45 years and helped model the way the juvenile court system is run. Three Detroit men, Dr Robert McMath, his father,Francis C. McMathand Henry Hulbert devised a motion picture camera for photographing the sun, and have the famous McMath - Hulbert Observatory in Lake Angeles named for them.

Of course, this is only a partial list of name-sakes, Detroit oddities, and achievements.