The monument acknowledges the gateway to freedom for former slaves to the north. It is visible when…read morewe walked through Hart Park towards the waterfront. This monument commemorates Detroit's role in the Underground Railroad. It was sculpted by Edward Dwight & dedicated 2001. It features a former slave raising his arms to celebrate his emancipation while a Quaker woman offers assistance to a woman and her child as another child looks back toward Detroit.

It was definitely awe inspiring to imagine freedom seekers in the position where they were looking…read moreacross the river to possibility. That is what the monument represents. I learned that years ago the river wasn't as high so it would have been easier to cross to Canada. When you learn the history behind the monument it means so much more.

This marker is mounted on the wall of the Hotel Indigo at the intersection of Washington and…read moreMichigan. It points out the history of the roadway here. The marker reads, "The Great Sauk Trail, the most important Indian trail in the Great Lakes region, was used later by French explorers, fur traders, missionaries, and soldiers. After the 1760's the trail became a major road for British and American travelers. In the early 1800's, when a military road was needed to connect Detroit with Fort Dearborn (Chicago), Territorial Governor Lewis Cass and Father Gabriel Richard, an influential legislator, were leading supporters of the Great Sauk Trail route. With federal backing the road was surveyed in 1825 and built in 1829-36. Many sections of the road were paved with huge oak logs, covered with a layer of dirt. Even before the road was improved, land-hungry settlers moved west from Detroit via the Chicago Road (now called Michigan Avenue)." In the 1830s, the Chicago Road became a major artery for westward migration. Thousands of pioneer families used the road to settle southern Michigan, avoiding the long and treacherous boat journey around the Lower Peninsula. Despite its challenges as a primitive road, it became a lifeline for commerce and communication. Stagecoach lines like the Western Stage Company ran regular service by 1835, and towns sprang up along its path. Today, much of the original route survives as US Highway 12, with historical markers dotting the landscape from Detroit to Bronson and beyond. It is marker number S280 and was erected in 1966 by the Michigan History Division, Department of State. There is metered parking nearby. [Review 978 of 2025 - 458 in Michigan - 24532 overall]

Located at the south end of Washington Boulevard near where it crosses Michigan Avenue, this marker…read morepoints out some of the history of the War of 1812 that passed through. The marker was erected in 2019 by the Michigan Historical Commission and the Michigan History Center. It is marker number S0242. On the front, it reads "On June 18, 1812, the United States Congress declared war on Great Britain. William Hull, Michigan's first territorial governor, was selected to lead the U.S. army at Detroit. He invaded Canada on July 12, but soon lost battles south of Detroit and withdrew. On August 16, 1812, the British attacked Fort Detroit. Hull surrendered. Britain governed the city under martial law until Oliver Hazard Perry gained control of the upper Great Lakes in September 1813. American forces returned to Detroit and launched a successful invasion of Canada. The citizens of Detroit lived in an uneasy peace until they learned, on February 20, 1815, of the December 24, 1814, signing of the Treaty of Ghent. On March 29 they celebrated the war's end with a "Grand Pacification Ball."" And on the reverse, "In reaction to Oliver Hazard Perry's Lake Erie victory, the British withdrew from Detroit on September 26, 1813, setting fire to the buildings within the fort and the Citadel. Three days later, United States troops returned to a city that lacked housing and food supplies. A disease, probably cholera, broke out among the soldiers. By December 1, 1813, an estimated 1,300 of them were ill. The medical supplies were soon depleted; conditions worsened. When coffins became unobtainable, many soldiers were buried in a common grave at this site. Some 700 may have died before the epidemic finally ran its course. This grave site was identified in 1987 during an archaeological survey for the People Mover that found four burials associated with the War of 1812." There is metered parking. The marker is in a linear park that takes up the center of the wide boulevard for a few blocks. It's a peaceful small oasis in the city. [Review 956 of 2025 - 441 in Michigan - 24511 overall]

This unassuming fountain has been wrapped in wired fencing during the massive RO park and…read morerenovation rehaul, which moved and developed all new buildings for the police station and the city hall to place them closer to the 44th District court and built a massive parking structure to support all of the staff and guests at the Henry Ford offices and walk-in clinic on the other side of the fountain. I don't recall how long the fountain has been shrouded in fencing, but it's been quite a while and yet it sits quietly every day and month that passes for the wire fences to be removed and for all passerby's to take notice of the star statues at the base and the ever defying gravity couple at the top. I pass by this statue at least twice a day or more. It used to have a line of trees along the pathway to the fountain and smatterings of old trees surrounding it too. I do hope the city will reinstall that picturesque walkway I have come to love every holiday season on my evening walks in town, it will be a huge blemish to the city, if the beauty of the fountain and surroundings are lost during this renovation.

The historical marker honoring "George" William Dolarson in Detroit is a quietly powerful tribute…read moreto one of the city's lesser-known but deeply courageous figures of the Underground Railroad. Located near the site of the former Finney Barn, the marker anchors a story that blends grit, moral conviction, and the quiet heroism of everyday resistance. It reads, "'George"'William Dolarson was born into slavery in Virginia in 1808. At age eighteen, he was sold three times. He lived in Natchez, Mississippi, until he self-e1nancipated and fled to Buffalo, New York, around 1834. There he was a sailor and encountered the Under-ground Railroad. He 1narried Maria Fletcher (1819-1891) in Canandaigua, New York, before coming to Detroit in 1836 and buying a farm. They briefly lived in Canada after the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. Dolarson, working and staying on this site as the Capitol School's janitor from 1851 to 1854, aided freedo1n seekers brought here by abolitionists, such as Asher Array. He hid them in his home and in the Finney Barn before helping the1n cross into Canada. In 1854 he joined the California Gold Rush. Later, back in Detroit, the Dolarsons lived on Croghan Street, where he died on May 9, 1889." The marker's location in downtown Detroit adds another layer of resonance. It's not just a plaque--it's a portal into a time when the city was a critical junction for those seeking freedom in Canada. Dolarson's story, preserved here, reminds passersby that history isn't only made by generals and governors--it's shaped by janitors, farmers, and fugitives who dared to act. [Review 1007 of 2025 - 482 in Michigan - 24561 overall]

I stood up in a wedding here a couple weeks ago. The place itself is fantastic and the staff is…read moreeven better. Ann/Anne was the wedding coordinator and was phenomenal. We dealt with the groom being sent to the hospital via ambulance 4 hours prior to the wedding start time. A guest got sent to the hospital via ambulance shortly after the scheduled start time. There was a torrential downpour. Basically, Murphy's Law was in full effect. Anyway, Ann/Anne was unbelievably cool and collected in dealing with all the curveballs. The rest of the staff was really friendly and attentive as well. The space is great and anyone considering this place as a private event venue should know they're in good hands.

We held our wedding ceremony and party at The Madison in 2018 and it was perfect. Lyn Gleasure was…read moreincredible to work with and never said no. Even though it rained, Lyn had a plan B all set and we didn't have to deal with it at all. The venue was perfect for pictures on the roof, an indoor ceremony and then an all-night party in the middle of downtown Detroit. Whatever you're looking for, the Madison can make it happen. It represents the city so well, is easy to get to, and made our night extra special.

The National Theatre is the only survivor from Detroit's first theater district and the only…read moretheater known to be designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn. The National opened Sept. 16, 1911, as a vaudeville house. Its exterior is a Baroque-Moorish-Beaux-Arts hybrid with a Moroccan or Egyptian flavor. There isn't anything else like it in the city's friendly confines. It's been a long, crazy road for the National, from vaudeville to movies to burlesque to porn to abandonment. There have been several plans pitched to save this neglected gem. Fortunately, it was spared from demolition with the rest of the Monroe Block about 25 years ago. The Civil War-era buildings that lined Monroe have sat undeveloped and vacant ever since. Still, without a developer with a vision, it's likely the National will continue to fall into even greater disrepair and Detroit will lose an irreplaceable piece of its past. For more on the National: http://buildingsofdetroit.com/places/national

Terrible every time I go in. I am a truck driver. staff is rude and people who are…read moreunloading/loading me take extremely long time. they don't care about your time or your logbook. you can tell they're protected by the union and don't give a crap about the drivers. I hate coming here. every time I'm here I'm waiting between 2-4 hrs. while the staff stands around and talks. they make you sit and wait until they're done loading you. however they don't even have bathrooms. such a unprofessional environment. they should be reported and make bathrooms for drivers especially if they want us to wait for hrs every time. By far the worst place I deliver to.

Well, we all know the story about GM. This is their premier building, and is a historical…read morelandmark. Mammoth and incredibly important. It is an arresting building. It's open to the public, so I just peeked inside the entrance and was awed by the curved ceilings and majestic pillars. You can tell that you are standing under a canopy of automotive history. Driving downtown you can't miss it, it looks like great glass towers emerging from the pavement.