History

When you think of Detroit, two things likely come to mind – Motor City and Motown. Both the development of the automotive industry and the famed record company were crucial to the city’s development and remain attractions today in the country’s 11th-largest city.

Detroit was settled by the French in 1701, when explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac established a fort on the banks of the Detroit River on what is now the location of the Civic Center. The French named the city “d’etroit,” or city of straits, after the 27-mile Detroit River that connects Lake Erie to Lake St. Clair.

Detroit was the center of several major conflicts during the struggle for supremacy between the French and the British. During the Revolutionary War, it served as the northwest headquarters for the British. Following the War of 1812, Detroit began to experience dramatic growth thanks to the development of the steamboat in 1818 and the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. The Erie Canal linked the waters of Lake Erie in the west to the Hudson River in the east. Shipbuilding and commerce began to expand in Detroit.

Detroit was incorporated as a city in 1815. In the decades leading up to the Civil War, it was a final American stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1837, Michigan was admitted to the Union as the 26th state.

In the start of the early 20th century, Detroit would change forever due to one man – Henry Ford. In 1896, the Dearborn, Michigan, native built his first automobile in Detroit. In 1903, he established Ford Motor Company and in 1913, he introduced the moving assembly line – a concept that would forever change the auto industry.

Ford gained fame for his desire to efficiently mass produce affordable automobiles for the growing middle class – not just luxury automobiles for the wealthy. When he founded Ford Motor Company, he stated, “I will build a car for the great multitude.” In 1908, he introduced the Model T for $950, which dominated the market for more than 10 years. In its 19 years of production, the Model T was available for as little as $280 at one time. Ford followed with the Model A in 1928.
In the 1920s, Detroit’s population grew dramatically due to the auto industry. Later, during World War II, the automobile factories were used to produce weapons for the war.
A former automaker, Berry Gordy Jr., would pave the way for Detroit’s other famous contribution in the 20th century – Motown. Founded in 1958 with an $800 family loan, the upstart record company would introduce many famous musicians to the world. They include Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokie Robinson, Michael Jackson, the Temptations and Diana Ross – many of whom grew up in Detroit.
Other famous Detroit natives or residents include actor and comedian Tim Allen, film director and produce Francis Ford Coppola, activist Rosa Parks, singer Aretha Franklin, pilot Charles Lindbergh, actress and singer Madonna, actor Tom Selleck, actor and comedian Robin Williams, musician Eminem, and singer Ted Nugent.

In 1960, Cobo Hall, Detroit’s major convention center opened. The center is part of the Detroit Civic Center, which covers 75 acres of downtown riverfront.

It was followed by the Renaissance Center in 1971. The Renaissance Center was planned by Henry Ford II, head of the nonprofit agency Detroit Renaissance, Inc., and was the largest privately held real estate project in the world at the time. The triple high-rise towers of the Renaissance Center are one of the most recognizable landmarks of Detroit.