American Fur Company Buildings, Mackinac Island Michigan
When the French, the first discoverers of the vast Northwest territory came to know the country with its network of lakes and rivers they found it to be the greatest fur producing region on the continent and soon realizing the importance of Mackinac Island, then called Michilimackinac, made it a central rendezvous for the coureurs des bois. These originally were men who accompanied the Indians on their hunting expeditions and returned, their canoes laden with pelts, which in Montreal were traded for the necessities and often the pleasures of life. We read as early as 1693 of 200 canoes laden with beaver pelts being brought from Michilimackinac to Montreal.
This trading continued until 1763 when the close of the war between the French and English saw the end of the French domination of Canada. The trade then fell into the hands of the British subjects, the old coureurs des bois were, after many lawless feuds broken up and dispersed. It was not until three years later, profitable trade was resumed and through the efforts of Montreal merchants various companies were organized to systematically carry on this rich enterprise. Among the companies then formed was the Mackinaw Company which had its chief factory at Michilimackinac.
More...Mariners Church, Detroit Michigan
The church which cost a trifle over $15,000.00 for the building and its furniture and has a seating capacity of 500 persons, became a reality through the will of Mrs. John Anderson. Col. John Anderson with his wife and sister-in-law Miss Charlotte Ann Taylor, came to Detroit on the first steamboat on the Upper Lakes, the "Walk-in-the-Water". Mrs. Anderson and her sister Miss Taylor, had an agreement that their estate should be used for the erection of a church for mariners and Mrs. Anderson who survived Col. Anderson and her sister, made her will accordingly.
The spirit of the sea prevails throughout the building. A small service stairway toward the front of the church from the first floor going up (installed at a little later date) is lettered "Hatchway to Main Auditorium", The Life Preservers that hang on the wall and the "Anchor" hand rail brackets on the main stairway, are items of interest in the furnishing and equipment of the interior. Also on each side of the altar are "Ships lights" which are regulation starboard and port lights.
More...Hupp Motor Car Company Detroit Michigan
Robert C. Hupp was one of scvoral enrly Detroit automakers who achieved moderate success, but was ultimately unable to compete against Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. He began working as a common laborer at the Olds Motor Works in Detroit in 1902. Hupp and E.A. Nelson, a stylist with Packard, decided to build a high-quality, medium-size automobile and they launched the Hupp Motor Car Company on November 8, 1908, with a capitalization of only $25,000. Charles D. Hastings, who invested $8,500 in the new firm, became general manager in 1910 and Robert Hupp left the company the following year. The four-cylinder Hupmobile was an immediate success. Production amounted to 500 cars in 1909, but the next year jumped to 5,340 and to 12,543 units by 1913, making Hupp one of the larger producers, although still small compared to Ford, who turned out 182,000 cars in 1913. When the firm reincorporated as the Hupp Motor Car Corporation in November 1915, the owners increased the capital stock to $6.5 million. The company started in a small factory on Bellevue Avenue, but moved to a larger plant on nearby East Jefferson in 1911. Both factories were located on Detroit's east side in a congested industrial district extending along the Detroit River. By 1915, Hupp had completed the first segments of a new complex on East Milwaukee Avenue at Mt. Elliott, in the rapidly-developing Milwaukee Junction industrial district, and it served as the company's main plant for three decades.
The Milwaukee Avenue facility initially consisted of a large, sprawling four-story brick building with several wings, plus a brick powerhouse. About 1,700 worked there by 1919 and the facility became increasing overcrowded as production rose. The company added six interconnected four-story reinforced concrete buildings in 1919-1922, giving the complex a total of about 1.6 million square feet of floorspace. The Detroit architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls designed these additions and Everitt Winter served as the general contractor. With the new facilities, the Hupp Corporation increased production from 15,000 units in 1921 to 38,000 in 1923. Although the company had achieved great success with a four-cylinder model, it launched the Straight Eighi Hupmobile in January 1925 and sold 13,000 the first year. In October 1925, the company replaced its four with a new six-cylinder car and sold over 8,000 of the new model in the closing months of 1925. In the same year, Hupp also shifted all body work, including trimming and painting, out of the Milwaukee Avenue plant in order to free space for the new models. DuBois Young, who had joined Hupp in 1915 as vice president for manufacturing and became president in 1926, was the driving force behind these changes. Hupp's sales reached 50,374 cars in 1929, but then plummeted to 17,450 in 1931.
More...Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church, Detroit Michigan
Sts. Peter and Paul's Jesuit Church was originally built as the Cathedral of the Detroit Diocese. Not much information concerning its erection is available, but in 1899, on the occasion of the celebration of the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of its consecration, a short history was prepared and printed in the souvenir program for this event. A copy of this program was found in the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library, and most of the information hereinafter recited, emanates from this source. Some material was also obtained from farmer's History of Michigan, Michigan Pioneer Collections (Vol. 15 - 1888), Daily Advertiser's Directory (1850- 1851), etc.
On June 29, 1844, Rt. Rev. Peter Paul Lefevere, Bishop of Detroit, laid the cornerstone of the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, in honor of his patronal saints. On June 29, 1848, Bishop Lefevere consecrated the completed structure with fitting ceremonies.
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