Detroit Jazz History Posts
I am excited to be collaborating with Lars Bjorn and Jim Gallert to re-energize the Detroit Jazz History website. Lars and Jim are legendary jazz archaeologists, and they have interviewed…
Motown and the Empire on West Grand Boulevard
Motown and the Empire on West Grand Boulevard, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP The story of the Motown Record Company and its empire on West Grand Boulevard is complex and rooted…
The Real Story Behind Henry Ford’s Famous Five Dollar Wage
The Real Story Behind Henry Ford's Famous Five Dollar Per Day Wage and Its Availability to Black Workers, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP On January 5, 1914, Henry Ford made headlines…
Bird in the D: Charlie Parker’s Detroit Story
By Rod Arroyo The legendary Charlie "Yardbird" Parker didn't just revolutionize jazz—he left an indelible mark on Detroit's music scene. From helping to discover future stars like Betty Carter to…
How the Federal Government’s Actions to Improve Housing and Transportation Harmed and Excluded Black Americans and Helped to Build a White Middle Class
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP As the United States struggled to escape the Great Depression, it elected a new President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1932. In his acceptance speech for the…
When Bebop Came to Detroit: The Story of a Jazz Revolution
When Bebop Came to Detroit: The Story of a Jazz Revolution, by Rod Arroyo, FAICP As World War II raged across the globe in the early 1940s, something also explosive—though…
Comerica Park and Paradise Valley – A Historical Perspective for the Detroit Tigers’ Opening Day
Comerica Park and Paradise Valley - Looking Back During the Week of Opening Day by Rod Arroyo, FAICP Thousands will gather in downtown Detroit for the annual rite of Spring:…
A Story of Two Detroit Hotels, a Baseball Legend, and Two Famous Dancers
Hotel Statler, Book-Cadillac, Lou Gehrig, and Veloz and Yolanda By Rod Arroyo, FAICP My research into Detroit's history has unveiled an interesting family connection. This is the story of two…
Detroit’s Cinematic Wonderland: A Story of Lights, Camera, and Action in Detroit’s Historic Grand Circus Park Theater District
By Rod Arroyo, FAICP Between 1917 and 1928, Detroit transformed into a movie lover's paradise. The Grand Circus Park Theater District became a dazzling entertainment hub that captured the city's…
Early Skyscrapers in Detroit: The Alphabet Buildings
Early Skyscrapers in Detroit: The Alphabet Buildings By Rod Arroyo, FAICP Detroit has one of the finest collections of early skyscrapers from the early 1900s. I have always been fascinated…