Reunion Update + Fun facts about Detroit by JSD

Hi Everyone,
Your family in Detroit has been busy planning our next Norton McAlister Family Reunion 2020.
If you haven't already done so please save these dates for our next reunion: July 24-26, 2020 in Detroit, MI.  The survey we sent out earlier in the years got very good responses (more than 70 plan on attending).We will be sending out the registration information and form, after the holidays. We hope you'll come a few days early and/or stay a few days longer.  Detroit has so much to see and do.  We'll be sending Bloggs about Detroit and our families history form time to time.  So... I'd like to start by sharing with you some  fact's about Detroit's history:

All links live -just click for more information

From top to bottom, left to right: Downtown Detroit skyline and the Detroit River, Fox Theatre, Dorothy H. Turkel House in Palmer Woods, Belle Isle Conservatory, The Spirit of Detroit, Fisher Building, Eastern Market, Old Main at Wayne State University, Ambassador Bridge, and the Detroit Institute of Arts

• Detroit was founded in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac who was from France 
  He made a fake crest.  History is revisiting his efforts
• It was to be the "new France" due to it becoming a major fur trading center.
• Detroit is actually a French word which means "strait" which is a narrow river connecting to lakes, those being lake St. Claire and lake Erie in Michigan.
• The British and American settlers began coming to Detroit in the 19th Century.
• Detroit's nickname is the "Motor City" because the city was able to mass produce automobiles.  Henry Ford pioneered the use of the first assembly plant in Detroit.
•  By the 1920's Detroit was the 4th largest city in America due to industrialization and factories.
• During WWII, the auto plants (the word "plant" was short for the word "plantation") slowed down the production of cars and built airplanes, ships,  and submarines.  Ships and submarines had easy access to the ocean by way of Michigan lakes.  Detroit became known as the "Arsenal of Democracy".
• In June of 1833 Detroit had it's 1st race riot.  Detroit's black citizens help a fugitive slave couple, the Blackburns, escape to Canada.  This event started the anti-slavery movement in Detroit.
• In April of 1836, 13 former slaves created the Second Baptist Church, which is (the church still stands and our family attended services there) the oldest African American Church in Michigan. Second Baptist played a pivotal role in Detroit's Underground Railroad.

Hope you enjoyed this.  Let me know what you think.

Jessica Suzanne (Grand daughter of Flossie Norton Hubbard)