Detroit Historical Society

08/29/2026

On August 29, 1881, the Detroit Common Council officially changed the name of Belle Isle to Belle Isle Park. This ca. 1880s cabinet card shows the entrance to the park along Central Avenue, taken from southwest Bridge No. 6, a rustic wooden bridge crossing the Loop Canal.

Learn more about Belle Isle's history: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/belle-isle-park

08/28/2026

Two lectures tomorrow at the Detroit Historical Museum!

It's also the final weekend of Educators & Librarians Appreciation Month. All school and library employees can show their IDs to get FREE Detroit Historical Museum or Dossin Great Lakes Museum admission through the end of August.

Saturday, 8/29! Join us for a lecture:

🏙️ 11 am - 12:30 pm Detroit Architects Lecture: Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough
Join author, photographer, and architectural historian Dale A. Carlson for an exploration of the lives and careers of Edward C. Van Leyen, Edward A. Schilling, and Henry J. Keough and their many well known buildings.

🧥 2 - 4 pm Fur Reimagined: History, Identity, and Fashion - Artist Talk with Cristin Richard
Explore the history of the fur trade through the lens of art, culture, and fashion with artist Cristin Richard. Presented in conjunction with the new exhibition RETRO4ward.

Both events are included with general admission. Find more details and registration at detroithistorical.org/events

08/27/2026

On August 27, 1902 the Cadillac Automobile Company was launched out of the remnants of Henry Ford's second, failed business. Its founder, Henry Leland, convinced former Ford board of directors that he could create a viable company, using a motor he had developed for the Olds Motor Vehicle Company.

Henry Leland's personal 1905 "Osceola" - the first fully enclosed car built by Cadillac - is held in our collection.

Learn more: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/collection/object/automobile-1905-henry-lelands-cadillac-osceola

08/26/2026

On August 26, 1950, Ransom E. Olds died in Lansing, Michigan at 86 years old. His use of the assembly line, though stationary not automated, and his early development of a successful auto model led many to consider him the father of the automobile.

Learn more: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/olds-ransom-e

08/24/2026

On August 24, 1978, Willow Run, the Albert Kahn-designed bomber plant near Ypsilanti, Michigan, was made a Michigan State Historic Site. Constructed in 1941 by the Ford Motor Company for the mass production of the B-24 Liberator military aircraft during World War II, Willow Run produced a B-24 every hour at its peak in 1944.

Learn more: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/willow-run

08/22/2026

On August 22, 1908, this postcard from our collection was postmarked, showing a Detroit municipal bus parked at a station with a ticket office.

08/21/2026

On August 21, 1897, Ransom Eli Olds, an engine-maker from Lansing, Michigan, founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company. Two years later, he relocated to Detroit, and the company eventually became Oldsmobile. Its Curved Dash runabout - pictured here in the Detroit Historical Museum - was the first large-scale production car in America.

Learn more: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/olds-ransom-e

08/20/2026

On August 20, 1920, the nation's first commercial radio station, WWJ Newsradio 950 (then known as 8MK) made its first broadcast from a studio in the offices of the Detroit News. The transmitter used in that first broadcast is on display at the Detroit Historical Museum.

Learn more: https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/wwj-950-am

08/19/2026

⛵🌤️ We had a great time at Camp Detroit! Earlier this month, 30 students joined us for a week of exploration at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and other sites around the city.

With the generous support of donor Alberta T. Elder, Camp Detroit returns each summer to show kids firsthand how learning can happen anywhere—and how much there is to discover right here in Detroit. Learn more on our blog.

Please note! The Dossin Great Lakes Museum will be OPEN LATE with FREE admission from 5-8 pm on Thursday, 8/20 with the next event in our Quad Anniversary Lecture Series.

08/17/2026

On August 17, 1920, a seaplane arrived in Detroit from Cleveland with the first delivery of air mail to Michigan. By 1946, this postcard notes that City Airport handled more than half a ton of air mail daily.