Detroit history

In the classroom or in the streets, Jamon Jordan is the people’s historian for Detroit

Jamon Jordan, Detroit's first official historian, is a tour guide and former classroom teacher who's made it his mission to…

3 years ago

Detroit’s Brutalist architecture deserves a closer look

Detroit's Brutalist architectural legacy isn't often recognized. Here are some of the most notable Brutalist buildings to know in the…

4 years ago

5 women who shaped Detroit’s past and present — and where to find their history

Get to know the stories of these five strong women who made Detroit history, shaping the city's past and present.

4 years ago

The mysterious origin of Detroit’s Jesuit pear trees

Today, Jesuit pear trees are considered a treasure of Detroit's natural history and preservation efforts are underway.

4 years ago

The oppressive history of curfews in Detroit

Historian Jamon Jordan traces the roots of Detroit's protest curfews to a Black uprising in 1833.

4 years ago

When Hudson’s imploded, this architect’s imagination took off

The Shin sisters created De-troit Detroit," a collection of demolished building fragments inspired by a 2018 visit to Detroit.

5 years ago

7 of Detroit’s architectural creatures watching you from above

You might not always notice the gargoyles and other faces carved on Detroit's famous buildings, but they see you...

6 years ago

Confessions of a jaywalker

In many places, streets force you to engage in risky behavior — sidewalks disappear without warning, or you have to…

6 years ago

Remembering Asian Village, a Detroit development project that crashed and burned

Take a trip back in time for the story of Asian Village -- an early New Detroit success story that…

7 years ago