Urban renewal

Mel Ravitz Papers

cwesterman — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 15:22:23 -0500

Professor and Detroit community advocate Mel Ravitz held various posts in Detroit politics, including positions such as the Detroit City Plan Commission Director of Community Organization, on the Detroit City Council and as staff director of the Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Services Board. As a professor at Wayne State University, Mr. Ravitz assisted in the formation of the University’s Department of Urban Planning.

Mr. Ravitz’s papers reflect his interests in community organizing and neighborhood revitalization, and serve to document the history of Detroit politics and the social and economic changes that the city faced during the later half of the twentieth century. In addition there are files relating to his activities to 2005.

The collection is in three parts.

Jerome P. Cavanagh Photographs and Other Material

drice — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 11:06:29 -0400

The Jerome P. Cavanagh Photographs and Other Material consists of numerous photographs, the majority of which were taken during his time in office. These photographs cover events such as the 1968 Olympic Bid, visits from Lyndon B. Johnson, aftermath of the 1967 unrest, and Mayor Cavanagh with various prominent Detroit business people, union members, and politicians. Also included in the collection is memorabilia from his 1966 Senate campaign, 1968 Olympic information, and other various memorabilia during his time in office.

Beulah Groehn Croxford Papers

aergas — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 09:59:49 -0400

From the 1960s to the early 2000s, Beulah Groehn Croxford was a resident of West Canfield Street, located between Second and Third Avenues in Detroit, Michigan. Croxford lived in a historic home, actively working for the preservation of both her block and neighborhood. In 1969, Croxford organized the Canfield West-Wayne Preservation Association, created to enable the restoration and preservation of the block’s homes. Additionally, she succeeded in creating Detroit’s first historic district in 1970, and the West Canfield Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1971. In 1995 the Michigan Historic Preservation Network granted Croxford its President’s Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement for her preservation efforts.

The Beulah Groehn Croxford Papers contains correspondence, meeting minutes, restoration blueprints and court documents related to the Canfield West-Wayne Preservation Association and to the Historic Preservation Committee. Additionally, this collection holds events information and information about crime statistics and public housing initiatives in the Cass Corridor in the 1970s and 1980s. The papers also include documents from numerous other Detroit neighborhood associations including Cityscape Detroit, Inc., the Historic Sites Committee and Detroit Landmarks, Inc., as well as newspaper clippings pertaining to Detroit crime rates, neighborhood associations, the city government and community institutions.

Detroit Renaissance Records

drice — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:28:41 -0400

The City of Detroit had difficulty rebuilding after the riots of 1967, as its population dwindled,
along with available capital and a supply of suitable housing, which suffered from neglect and abandonment. The Detroit Renaissance, a non-profit organization of business and community leaders, was formed in 1970 by the chief executives of the region's most influential employers to focus on the re-development of Detroit. Promoting urban renewal, this Southeast Michigan business roundtable created a series of programs helping to support virtually every major development project in Detroit, playing a major role in coordinating their funding. During the 2000's, the organization evolved and expanded its focus on regional issues while continuing its support for Detroit's redevelopment. In 2009 the roundtable was united with others across Michigan to form the group, Business Leaders for Michigan.

This collection predominantly contains newspaper clippings on projects and topics related to urban renewal, riverfront development, and living in Detroit during the years of 1974-1993. The rest of the collection is made up of organizational records and materials given to executive members of Detroit Renaissance from 1970-2002. Record types from this section include formal reports, promotional brochures, meeting minutes from various committees within Detroit Renaissance, and budgetary materials. Topics covered include development within Detroit, a proposed riverfront sports arena, and discussions on how to stabilize the city financially. A portion of Detroit Renaissance projects contained in this collection are: Detroit Strategic Plan, Harmonie Park, Renaissance Center, Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Detroit PeopleMover, and the Cobo Hall Expansion.

Developing Urban Detroit Area Research Project (Doxiadis) Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:01:54 -0500

The Developing Urban Detroit Area Research Project (UDA) began in 1964 with sponsorship from the Detroit Edison Company and Wayne State University to understand the affects of urban growth in the city of Detroit in order to better prepare for future growth. The project was managed for seven years by the international urban planning organization, Doxiadis Associates and produced three volumes of published findings.

The UDA records document Doxiadis and the evolution of this project, consisting of large amounts of written and graphic data, proposed uses of the research, and peripheral related projects.

Stephen Lighthill Film Collection

drice — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:54:59 -0500

Stephen Lighthill has been involved in a large number of film productions, including social documentaries, feature films, and television. He has worked as a camera operator, cinematographer, and director. In 1979, he produced and directed a documentary film in Detroit called "Taking Back Detroit." The film features a movement that took an alternative approach to addressing Detroit’s long-term economic difficulties. The primary subjects are Kenneth V. Cockrel, Justin C. “Chuck” Ravitz, Sheila Murphy (Cockrel), and the Detroit Alliance for a Rational Economy (D.A.R.E.).

Lighthill's collection includes raw sound and film footage for "Taking Back Detroit," as well as intermediate materials from the film making process. Box 24 contains three final prints of the complete film. The film highlights the problems facing Detroit in 1979 and gives a short overview of some of the events that created those problems. It details the crumbling industrial, business, and residential infrastructure as well as documents Detroit city council meetings, community meetings, D.A.R.E. meetings, petition drives, and D.A.R.E.’s “City Life in the ‘80s” conference.

John Musial Papers

drice — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:16:56 -0400

John J. Musial was a student at University of Michigan who later worked for the city of Detroit. He served on the Commission on Community Relations as the Research Director in 1963. Musial wrote articles related to programs and projects in the city of Detroit.

The John Musial Papers consist of reports and other published materials created by or regarding the development of the city of Detroit. As Research Director of the Commission on Community Relations, he authored some of the reports. The reports are related to housing, population, income, and community projects in Detroit during the administration of Jerome Cavanagh until the beginning of the Coleman Young administration.

UAW Research Library: Congressional Testimonies

drice — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:25:04 -0400

Since the formation of the United Auto Workers Union in 1935, union members have been actively involved in U.S. and international politics. Individual union members, from the highest ranking officer to the newest rank and file member have testified before Congress on issues ranging from trade and health care to housing and public welfare. Beginning in 1938 and ending in 2009 this collection documents the history of UAW members’ appearances before Congressional Committees. This collection consists of Congressional Testimonies, Congressional Reports, and House and Senate Bills that the UAW had influence over. The collection begins in 1938 as the union presented their case before the Senate Select Committee on Investigative Campaign Expenditures and ends in 2009 with the testimony of UAW President Ronald Gettlefinger before the Energy and Commerce Committee. This collection highlights the major contributions of the UAW to U.S. and international politics.

William Kessler and Associates Records

drice — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:50:26 -0400

Subjects include: Poletown section of Detroit

Collections Spotlight: Mel Ravitz Papers

Public Relations Team — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 14:50:17 -0500

The Reuther Library is proud to announce the opening of an addition to our Mel Ravitz Papers. The new materials include documents related to Ravitz’s work and research in urban planning and its impact on communities, ranging from 1945-2009. Notably, the collection includes some of Mr. Ravitz’s personal journals from the early 1960s. The addition to this collection may prove particularly valuable to researchers with an interest in the causes and effects of Detroit’s 1967 civil unrest. read more »

Detroit's Black Bottom and Paradise Valley Neighborhoods

Public Relations Team — Fri, 04 May 2012 09:15:49 -0400

In the Winter 2012 semester, the Reuther Library worked with students in the Graduate Certificate in Archival Administration program at the Wayne State School of Library and Information Science to produce a series of student-written, guest blog posts.

Cathy MacDonald is a student in the Archival Administration Program at Wayne State University. She is currently interning at the Arab American National Museum’s Library and Resource Center.

Detroit’s Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods provided both housing and entertainment for the city’s African American community from the 1920s through the 1940s. read more »

Detroit's Corktown Neighborhood

Public Relations Team — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:48:09 -0400

In the Winter 2013 semester, the Reuther Library worked with students in the Graduate Certificate in Archival Administration program at the Wayne State School of Library and Information Science to produce a series of student-written, guest blog posts.

Caitlin Brennecke is a graduate student at Wayne State University in the Library and Information Science program with a focus on archival administration. Her interests include digitization of historical collections and the use of crowd sourcing in archives and libraries. For the past year she volunteered for the Detroit Historical Society at their Collection Resource Center and she recently began working in a private archive. read more »

Eleanor Josaitis — Hands Across the Racial Divide

wlefevre — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:32:36 -0400

As a symbol, it is exquisite in its simplicity. Two hands inside a circle, one black and one white, almost but never quite touching across the racial divide. This has been the logo of Focus: HOPE, an organization fighting for basic human rights in Detroit and Southeast Michigan for over forty years. And until her death last week, one of the leaders of the fight was Eleanor Josaitis. read more »

Guest Post: Ciera Casteel on the Wayne State University Oral History Course Oral Histories

aorchard — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 11:05:31 -0400

Please note: The oral history course collections mentioned in this post have been consolidated into one collection: Wayne State University Oral History Methodology Course Oral Histories. Please refer to the finding aid here: https://archives.wayne.edu/repositories/2/resources/3381.

Over the course of the last few months I had the opportunity to work at the Reuther Library processing oral history collections. This was an incredible experience through which I was able to create tools to increase researchers' access to four relatively new collections: the Wayne State University Oral History Course Oral Histories. These four collections are a treasure for researchers studying a number of topics. read more »

University City

Public Relations Team — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:56:11 -0400

Kelly Kietur is a student at Wayne State University working towards her Archival Administration Certificate.

The tightly packed Wayne State campus is a familiar sight to students, but at one point in time, Wayne State had ambitious expansion plans in mind. The controversial University City project, developed in the early 1960s, was a plan to build a university community with housing, shopping, and schools on 300 acres of land around Wayne State’s campus. read more »

(2502) Buildings, City Hall, Detroit, 1960

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:59:47 -0400

An aerial view of the area surrounding Old City Hall, including the National Bank of Detroit and the Majestic Building, Woodward Avenue, Griswold on the west, Michigan Avenue on the north, and Fort Street on the south.

The building, a Renaissance Revival landmark created by architect James Anderson, took nearly 10 years to complete and was dedicated on July 4, 1871. Located on Campus Martius, it served as the base for most city and county government offices in Detroit until the completion of the City-County Building in 1957. It was demolished throughout August and September of 1961 amidst protest from the historic preservation community

(2503) Buildings, City Hall, Demolition, Detroit, 1953

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:55:13 -0400

An aerial view of Old City Hall., Detroit, Michigan.

(2503) Buildings, City Hall, Detroit, 1953

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:55:43 -0400

An aerial view of Old City Hall, Detroit, Michigan.

(2504) Buildings, City Hall, Demolition, Detroit, 1961

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:44:46 -0400

A close up view of workers attending to the “Floral Clock” on the lawn of the Old City Hall Building. Part of series.

(2504) Buildings, City Hall, Floral Clock, Detroit, 1957

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:48:16 -0400

A close up view of workers attending to the “Floral Clock” on the lawn of the Old City Hall Building. Part of series.

(2505) Buildings, City Hall, Demolition, Detroit, 1961

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:42:09 -0400

An unidentified man holds up the metal box (time capsule) that was retrieved from the cornerstone of the Old City Hall Building. Inside the box are historical documents and bound volumes that date back to the construction of the building in 1871.

(2506) Buildings, City Hall, Demolition, Detroit, 1961

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:39:37 -0400

Demolition workers, assisted by heavy machinery, attempt dig out the time capsule placed inside the cornerstone of the Old City Hall Building 90 years prior. Part of series.

(2528) Buildings, City County Building, Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 1950s

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:05:11 -0400

Construction workers prepare the caissons to be lowered into the foundation of the new City County Building, Detroit, Michigan.

Photographer’s Note: “Each caisson goes down 125 feet and then filled with cement.”

(2529) Buildings, City County Building, Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 1950s

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:03:19 -0400

Construction workers prepare a caisson to be lowered into the foundation of the new City County Building, Detroit, Michigan.

(2532) Buildings, City County Building, Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 1950s

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:02:52 -0400

Construction workers prepare a caisson to be lowered into the foundation of the new City County Building, Detroit, Michigan.

(2530) Buildings, City County Building, Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 1950

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:58:15 -0400

A city block’s worth of buildings are torn down to make way for the new City County Building, Detroit, Michigan. The street that runs through the foreground is Jefferson Avenue.

(2532) Buildings, City County Building, Coleman A Young Municipal Center, 1950s

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:55:27 -0400

An aerial view from the north and east of the city block cleared for the construction of the City County Building Detroit, Michigan.

(9477) Buildings, City Hall, Demolition, Detroit, 1961

eclemens — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:04:12 -0400

The front steps and upper balcony turn to rubble as the demolition of Old City Hall progresses. Part of series.

(26874) West Central Organization (WCO), Petitions, 1966

eclemens — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 12:20:07 -0500

Members of the West Central Organization (WCO) arrive at Mayor Jerome Cavanagh’s home to deliver a petition calling for changes in the urban renewal and low-cost housing programs.

(29750) Urban Renewal, Wayne State University, University City, 1964

eclemens — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:31:16 -0400

A view of the neighborhood at the corner of W. Warren Avenue and Lincoln. The area was targeted for demolition to make way for Wayne State's "University City," an area of mixed residential and educational development west of the main campus.

(30650) Urban Renewal, Black Bottom, Paradise Valley, Detroit, 1964