Debate continues in Detroit over the possible renaming of Hart Plaza.
The 14-acre plaza is named for the late U.S. Sen. Philip Hart. He served from 1959-1976 and was previously the lieutenant governor. Hart was also major supporter of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
There are a lot of names you’ll see around the city — tied to streets, buildings, parks and beyond. Here’s a breakdown of just a few of the familiar names around Detroit, and the story behind them.
Bagley Avenue
Henry Ford built his first car "the Quadricycle" at his family's duplex located at 58 Bagley Avenue in Detroit.
The car was built in a storage shed behind the house. Ford reconstructed the famous shed in 1933.
The well-known avenue is named after John Judson Bagley, a former governor of Michigan and founding member of the Republican Party.
Information from The Henry Ford and the National Governors Association.
Book Tower
Standing 475 feet tall, the Book Tower has 38 stories and is named for brothers J. Burgess Jr., Herbert and Frank Book.
The brothers were real estate developers that had a plan to redesign Washington Blvd. They hired Louis Kamper to build the tower, adjacent to the Book Building. It was recently renovated by Bedrock.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
Buhl Building
The Buhl Building is named after brothers Frederick and Christian, who moved to Detroit from Pennsylvania in 1833.
They worked in several fields and founded the Detroit Locomotive Works and Buhl Iron Works.
The brothers originally built an office at the corner of Griswold and Congress in 1868, which was later replaced in the 1920s by the third generation of Buhl.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
Cadillac Square
Cadillac Square was originally known as Michigan Grand Avenue before 1885.
Following the fire of 1805, Detroit Judge Augustus Woodward promoted a new street grid to help rebuild the city.
The first City Hall was chosen to be built along this avenue.
The famous Detroit Central Market was on the site of Cadillac Square Park along with the historical Bagley Memorial Fountain, the city's first drinking fountain.
Information from Historic Detroit, The Henry Ford and the Detroit Historical Society.
Cass Avenue
You’ll see the Cass name frequently around Detroit. Cass comes from Lewis Cass, a prominent Democratic politician. He was territorial governor of Michigan from 1813 to 1831; he also served as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of State and ran for the presidency numerous times. He also served as the U.S. minister to France.
Cass was a slave owner and pushed for the doctrine of "popular sovereignty," which held the belief that each territory should decide on the issue of whether to allow slavery.
After serving in Washington, Cass came back to Detroit in 1861, throwing his support behind the Union.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
Coleman A. Young Building
Coleman A. Young, a leader and civil rights activist, worked for Ford Motor Company before joining the Army, where he served in the Tuskegee Airmen unit.
Young returned to the city and was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1964. He later ran for the mayor of Detroit in 1973 and went on to become Detroit’s first African American mayor.
He served from 1974 to 1994.
Coleman A. Young is credited for doing a lot during his tenure and pushing for several different projects, like the opening of the Renaissance Center and the launch of the Detroit People Mover.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
The David Whitney Building
The David Whitney Building is named after David Whitney Jr.
Whitney, a lumber and shipping mogul and skilled investor, is celebrated as one of the people who helped spearhead the city’s early development.
He would become one of Detroit’s wealthiest men with an estimated fortune at $7 million to $10 million in the 1890s.
The popular Detroit restaurant The Whitney is run in his former mansion.
Information from Historic Detroit
Fisher Building
The Fisher Building, built in 1928, was named after the Fisher Brothers.
The seven brothers are responsible for marketing the closed body for the automobile. It’s a major innovation that made year-round travel in a vehicle possible.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
Frank Murphy Hall of Justice
Third Circuit Court in Detroit is also called the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in honor of Frank Murphy, who was a former Michigan governor, U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Murphy was first a judge and then elected Detroit mayor in 1930. He was then appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as governor-general of the Philippines from 1933-1936.
He came back home and was elected governor in 1937. Roosevelt then appointed Murphy as U.S. Attorney General in 1939, before Roosevelt nominated him as an associate justice of the Supreme Court in 1940. He served on the court until his death in 1949 at the age of 59.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
Gratiot Ave.
Gratiot Ave. is named after Fort Gratiot, which is named after Charles Gratiot, who helped rebuild what became Fort Gratiot in 1814.
Information from the Michigan History Magazine
Joe Louis Fist
The Joe Louis Fist is named after the famous boxer. Born in Alabama and later moving to Detroit, Joe Louis became known as the heavyweight champion for over 11 years from 1937 to 1949.
His most famous boxing match was the 1938 match against Nazi Germany's Max Schmeling, which broke racial barriers.
Information from Biography.
John R.
John R. Williams was the first elected mayor of Detroit, serving for six non-consecutive terms until 1846.
In 1831, he helped found a newspaper, which would later become the Detroit Free Press.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
The McGregor Memorial Conference Center
The McGregor Memorial Conference Center is an iconic building on the campus of Wayne State University. The building is considered a masterpiece brought to life by world-known architect Minoru Yamasaki. Yamasaki was known for the vision behind the original World Trade Center.
The McGregor name came from the McGregor Fund, which was responsible for the $1,279,000 gift that led to the development of the facility. The fund name is a nod to Tracy W. And Katherine McGregor, the organization’s founders.
Together, Tracy and Katherine, dedicated their lives to helping others and supporting local charities.
Information from Historic Detroit, Wayne State University, McGregor Fund.
Palmer Park
Palmer Park was named after Detroiter and former U.S Senator Thomas W. Palmer.
After his death, Palmer Park went through various owners and developments including former Detroit Tigers owner Walter O. Briggs Sr.
The historic neighborhood has various architectural styles such as Spanish Colonial Revival, Morrish, Egyptian and Mediterranean styles.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society.
Parker’s Alley
Parker’s Alley is located behind the Shinola Hotel in Downtown Detroit. It’s named in honor of Thomas Parker, a free Black man who was one of the first Black landowners in the City of Detroit.
Information from Shinola
Penobscot Building
The Penobscot Building as we know it today was built in 1928 and designed by architect Writ C. Rowland.
Simon Murphy built the original building in 1905 and named it Penobscot because of his fond memories of spending summers on the Penobscot River in Maine.
The final building’s facade also incorporates a Native American motif, a nod to the Penobscot indigenous tribe.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society
Reuther Freeway
I-696 also known as the Reuther Freeway, is named after Walter Reuther, A first generation German American who was born in 1907. He arrived in Detroit in 1927.
He was well known for his socialist ideals, especially for being pro-union and advocating for autoworkers. He got involved in union organizing and later became elected to the executive board and president of the UAW (United Automobile Workers).
Reuther and the UAW clashed with Ford over the company's resistance to unionized workers. Reuther died in a plane crash in 1970, his legacy as UAW president and ensuring rights for unionized workers also lead to acknowledgment from President Franklin Roosevelt.Source: Detroit Historical Society
Information from the Detroit Historical Society.
Wayne State University
Wayne State University originally started as the Detroit Medical College in 1868. In 1934, it took on the name Wayne University, from Wayne County, which is from General Anthony Wayne.
Anthony Wayne was a U.S. Army general who served during the Revolutionary War. President George Washington invited Wayne to lead the Legion of the United States on a military expansion of the Northwest Territory, which included Michigan.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society and Wayne State University
Woodward Ave.
Woodward Ave. is named after Augusts Brevoort Woodward, who was the first chief justice of the Michigan territory. He was appointed the territorial judge by President Thomas Jefferson in 1805 and was in the city for 19 years.
Woodward also played a role in establishing the University of Michigan, inspired by the University of Virginia.
Information from the Detroit Historical Society and Monticello.
