ROSEVILLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Roseville’s Eddie Abbott is a fan of history. And his home bar is all the proof you need.
“I like little things that are important in my life. You know... Back to the Future. That movie was huge,” Abbott said. “This is what I do when my kids come by anyway.”.
From the movie memorabilia to signs that used to point to the way to fill up.
“These signs are what used to be donned by every gas station,” he said.
Eddie’s love of Metro Detroit’s history is on full display in his Facebook Group called 'Memories of Metro Detroit.'
A retired army intelligence officer wounded in service, every morning Eddie starts his day at his computer with an inspirational post.
One recent post features the dawn of a new day and recollections of Thanksgiving parades gone by.
“As a child, you gawked in amazement at those giant floating balloons passing overhead,” one person said on the post.
Eddie scours libraries and books looking images of metro Detroit's shared past — the buildings, the culture, the people.
“Maybe the clothing was a little different, but they had the same ideas. They had the same dreams, the same hopes,” Abbott said.
When asked why the Thanksgiving parade is so important in telling the story of Detroit, Abbott said, “It’s a tradition. We can never let it go. We can't let it slip.”
Fond memories of the parade, Abbott said, sticks with him even today.
“We go down, we'd watch. I remember being down in front of Hudson's one year. And I'm just this little guy. And then the floats came by and balloons came in and I just got lost in a magical wonderland. And I'll never forget that,” he said.
Earlier this month Eddie posted a stream of pictures from Detroit’s very first Thanksgiving parade in 1924 and from parades throughout the years, including from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
“I think we're going back 99 years now,” he said.
And while the floats evolve and the performers change, the spirit of the parade remains unchanged.
“You got neighbors up against neighbors that don't know each other and they're having such a good time. And that's what it's about. It's fellowship. It's community," he said.
Coming together to share a common experience and create common memories on Facebook, dozens recall their memories of the parade from decades past.
“It's part of us. You know, it's part of the holiday. It's like turkey and gravy and stuffing in the parade. It all came from somebody's idea. So, we're all enjoying that idea that Mr. Hudson had... 99 years later,” Abbott said passionately. “This is our hometown. This is our parade. These are our people. These memories are priceless. You can't buy these.”
No you can't and Eddie spends hours every day trying to share those memories and to keep our shared history alive.
He hopes to remind old metro Detroiters of their past and educate young metro Detroiters about their history, culture and the people who helped create the world we enjoy today.
You can find his work on Facebook by searching for "Memories of Metro Detroit."
