History of Detroit, (Wayne County) Michigan United States of America

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Local History Notes:

DETROIT, a flourishing city and port of entry of the state of Michigan, and seat of justice of Wayne county, on Detroit river, 18 miles above the head of Lake Erie, 80 miles E. S. E. from Lansing, 302 miles W. from Buffalo, and 526 miles from Washington. Lat. 42° 20´ N., lon. 82° 58´ W. It is beautifully situated on the W. bank of the river, which is here about half a mile wide, and forms one of the finest harbours in the United States. The part of the city contiguous to the river is built on a rectangular plan, extending 1200 feet back from the shore; the space beyond this is divided into triangular sections by a number of avenues, which converge to an open area called the Grand Circus. These avenues vary in width from 120 to 200 feet. The principal buildings and public offices are situated on Jefferson and Woodward avenues. The city is adorned with several public squares, one of which is named the Campus Martius. Jefferson avenue, one of the finest streets in the city, is well paved, with brick and stone sidewalks. Woodward avenue, crossing the first at right angles, is the principal business street. Congress street is also distinguished for its fine appearance. Among the remarkable edifices may be mentioned the old state house, a commodious brick building, 90 feet by 60, with a dome and steeple 140 feet high, which commands an extensive view, embracing the city with its environs, Lake St. Clair and the Canadian shore; the city hall, which is a brick building 100 feet by 50, and the Bank of Michigan, a substantial structure of stone, in the Grecian style, which cost about $40,000. Detroit has a well-organized system of public schools. It contains 23 churches, 4 banks, a museum, theatre, and two orphan asylums. The railroad company have a large brick freight house about 600 feet long by 100 feet wide. Ten or eleven newspapers are published in Detroit, three of them daily, and the others tri-weekly or weekly. The city is lighted with gas, and also supplied with water of the purest quality from Detroit river. It is first forced by steam-power into a reservoir having an elevation of about 50 feet, and thence is conducted through distributing-pipes to the various parts of the town.

Detroit is admirably situated for commerce, and its importance is greatly enhanced by its intimate and extensive relations with a region towards which a prodigious tide of emigration is flowing. By its position on the great chain of lakes, and by means of the connecting rivers and canals, it has a ready communication with the principal centres of trade. A number of large steam-packets, freighted with the merchandise of all climes, and with emigrants from various nations, are constantly ploughing the waters of Lake Erie between Detroit and Buffalo. The Detroit river is an excellent stream for navigation, and never overflows its banks. The average difference between high and low water is only 2 or 3 feet. It is closed by ice about four months in the year. The Michigan Central railroad, which is 218 miles long, extends across the state to Lake Michigan, and connects with another road leading to Chicago. The number of passengers on this road, during the year ending June 30, 1852, exceeded 200,000. Several plank-roads extend from the city toward the interior, one of which connects it with the capital of the state. The business of Detroit is immense. The annual exports coastwise amount to about $4,000,000, and the imports to upwards of $15,500,000. Considerable trade is also carried on with Canada. The shipping of the port, June 30th, 1852, amounted to an aggregate of 43,925 21/95 tons, enrolled and licensed, of which 24,115 42/95 tons were employed in steam navigation. During the year, 10 vessels, (5 of them steamers,) with an aggregate burthen of 2287 66/95, tons were admeasured.

The manufactures of the city are extensive and important, consisting of steam-engines and various other kinds of machinery, mill-irons, stoves, ploughs, cabinet ware, &c. Brewing and tanning are also carried on to a considerable extent. At the different steam saw mills here in operation, about 10,000,000 feet of lumber are annually turned out.

Detroit was rounded by the French in 1760, and has ever since been a military post. It was the capital of Michigan from the settlement of the state until Lansing was selected as the seat of government. Population in 1830, 2222; in 1840 it was 9102, and in 1850 21,019; in 1853, 34,436.

Biographies:

Frank A. Burr, journalist, was born Nov. 24, 1843. When but three years old his father consigned him to the care of a band of Chippewa Indians, who, when he was eight years of age, took him to Detroit, where he was a newsboy. Senator Chandler, on whose front steps he was accustomed to fold his papers, became interested in him, and gave him an opportunity to advance himself. When he was eighteen years old he went to the war as a private, and was advanced to the rank of colonel of cavalry. Afterward he became a locomotive engineer, an unsuccessful candidate for representative in Congress, United States district attorney, an official in the patent office, and a journalist. He published a memorable interview with Jefferson Davis, and claimed to have induced James G. Blaine to write his letters on the distribution of the surplus among the states. He wrote a life of General Grant, and one of Gen. James A. Beaver. For many years he was connected with the Philadelphia Press, but toward the close of his life wrote mainly for syndicates. He died at Camden, N .J., Jan. 15, 1894.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Henry Martin Duffield, soldier, was born in Detroit, Mich., May 15, 1842; son of the Rev. George and Isabella Graham (Bethune) Duffield. He was graduated at Williams in 1861, enlisted in the 9th Michigan infantry the same year and in 1862 was promoted adjutant of his regiment and served as assistant adjutant of U.S. troops in Kentucky. In 1863 he was made post adjutant at Chattanooga, where he served on the staff of Gen. George H. Thomas and was wounded in the battle of Chickamauga. He served as assistant provost marshal-general on the staff of General Thomas commanding the army of the Cumberland, 1863-65. At the close of the war he returned to Detroit, where he engaged in the practice of law and was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for representative in the 42d congress in 1870. He was made corporation counsel for the city of Detroit in 1876, and was a member of the state military board and its president. He was orator of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland at the unveiling of the Garfield memorial statue in Washington, D.C., in May, 1887; president of the Michigan state bar association; department commander G.A.R., Michigan, and commander of the Michigan commandery, Military order of the Loyal Legion. He was appointed, May 27, 1898, brigadier-general of U.S. volunteers, served in the Santiago campaign, was brevetted major-general U.S. volunteers for distinguished services in the presence of the enemy at Aquadores, Cuba, 1898, and was honorably discharged, Nov. 30, 1898.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Si1as Farmer, author, was born in Detroit, Mich., June 6, 1839; son of John and Roxana (Hamilton) Farmer; grandson of John and Catherine Jacokes (Stoutenburgh) Farmer, and of Dr. Silas and Achsah (Burns) Hamilton; and a descendant of Paul Farmer, Boston, 1713, and of William Hamilton, Cape Cod, 1668. He studied with his father who was a cartographer, and continued the business after the death of the latter in 1859. He was appointed historiographer of the city of Detroit in 1882. He was the founder of the Detroit Y.M.C.A. and the Chautauqua movement in part grew out of a suggestion made by him. He wrote a series of religious and temperance booklets, of which over eighty thousand copies were published, and besides numerous religious and historical articles he compiled the Association Hymn Book (1868); and wrote History of Detroit and Michigan(1884-87-90); Champions of Christianity (1897); Y.M.C.A. Songs (1898). He died in Detroit, Mich., Dec. 29, 1902.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Henry Macomb, naval officer, was born in Detroit, Mich., June 16, 1818; son of Alexander and Catherine (Macomb) Macomb. He was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, April 10, 1834; was promoted passed midshipman, July 16, 1840, and lieutenant, Feb. 27, 1847. He commanded the sloop Portsmouth, of the East India squadron, 1856-58, and aided Flag-Officer A. H. Foote in the capture of the barrier forts on the Canton river, China. He took part in the Paraguay expedition in 1859 where he commanded the Metacomet. He commanded the steamer Genesee, of the blockading squadron, 1862-63, and was engaged in attempting the passage of the Confederate batteries at Port Hudson, March 14, 1863, and had several engagements with the Confederates along the Mississippi river in April, May and June, 1863. He was promoted commander, July 16, 1862; commanded the steamer Shamrock of the North Atlantic blockading squadron in the operations in eastern North Carolina, 1864-65; and led the naval force that bombarded and captured Plymouth, N.C., Oct. 31, 1864. For the capture of Plymouth he was advanced three numbers. He was promoted captain, July 25, 1866, assigned to the steamer sloop Plymouth of the European squadron in 1869, promoted commodore, July 1, 1870, and assigned to duty as lighthouse inspector. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 12, 1872.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor