Celebrating Detroit's birthday with a Bucket List achievement

A walk through of 315 years of Detroit's existence

Today marks Detroit's 315th birthday. 

It was on July 24, 1701, that Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac landed here and built Fort du Pontchartrain du détroit.

Recommended Videos



According to the Detroit Historical Society, he led 100 Frenchmen and 100 Algonquins, and the settlement was named détroit (Detroit) because that is the French phrase for "the strait," an obvious reference to our large river.

For nearly 60 years, Detroit was a French stronghold. 

Yes, there were skirmishes with the Indians, but this was a French stronghold until the British were given control of Detroit in 1760 as part of the settlement at the end of the French and Indian War (which was really a war between France and England, many Indians sided with the French). 

That had to be a major concession for the French, because our fort was a key strategic site.  In fact, at the beginning of the war in 1754, France sent 400 militia and supplies here.

The Michigan territory officially became part of the United States on September 3, 1783, but the British didn't give up control of the fort at that point.  It wasn't until July 11, 1796 that the British finally surrendered Detroit to the United States. 

By the way, it's not widely known that, in 1779 during the Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington actually considered attacking the British fort here in Detroit. 

But he never gave the order.

And the rest, as they say, is history!

So what does this have to do with my bucket list achievement? 

As many of you know, I have a great love of history.  To me, you cannot possibly know where you are going if you don't know where you're coming from.  That's why I cherish looking at old stamps, coins, baseball cards, photographs, books, etc. 

Every time I see things like these in a museum, it paints a picture of the past, which gives me perspective on the present.  One thing I have always wanted to have is a pre-Revolutionary War era map of Michigan. 

And I finally found one at a relatively new store when I was up north a few weeks
ago:  Great Lakes Map Company, on M-31 just south of Charlevoix.  It's worth stopping in just to see the historic maps they have if you're up that way.

I didn't initially walk in with the intention of buying anything...I just wanted to look around and see some of the old maps.  Then I saw this map.

It's an original 1757 French travel map of the Great Lakes, made just fifty-six years after "détroit" was settled, and three years before it was ceded to the British! 

The translation of the title is:  "Map of the Lakes of Canada to serve as a general history of travel" (I don't speak French, so Google Translate helped with this...I hope I got it right). 

There are some minor creases in it, which are to be expected since this was meant to be folded up and carried in one's pocket. 

But it's in remarkable condition, and sure is an interesting depiction of our state!

Look carefully, and you'll see familiar names of the Great Lakes, some settlements, rivers, and even some Indian tribe names. 

I had the map framed to museum-archival quality standards to protect it forever, and picked it up this weekend,just in time to share it with you.  I hope you enjoy seeing this as we celebrate Detroit's birthday!

By the way, since some of you will undoubtedly wonder, what are some of my other bucket list items are, one is to see the White House bowling alley (I just started working on that). 

Another is to interview Paul McCartney and/or Ringo Starr (I've been working on that for many years, but keep
failing. I won't stop trying).  

And I'd really like NASA to select me to be the first broadcast meteorologist to take a trip to the International Space Station and report about the science research and life aboard that magnificent floating laboratory. 

I'd love to hear some of your bucket list dreams; post them as a comment on the Local 4 Facebook page post about this article!