News History & Fun in Michigan
The Oakland Hotel is a beloved St. Clair, Michigan treasure, offering guests an unforgettable glimpse into the town’s rich history and architectural heritage. From its early days as a bustling hub for tourists and industrial workers to its current status as a beautifully restored and modernized landmark, the hotel remains a vital part of the community’s identity.
Fenton was more than a lake stop. Rail lines, cement plants, and one 1914 factory fire shaped the town’s early years. Here are the scenes that explain what changed—and what stayed.
St. Johns, Michigan, has long been the place in Clinton County where the official business gets done. It is the county seat, and for much of the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was also a hub of commerce—a place where …
Ortonville’s early 1900s video show a working Main Street, a depot on the Detroit United Railway line, and a hotel called the Yolande House. A federal crash report from 1929 adds the hard edge: progress came fast, and it came with risk for local riders.
Before bridges spanned the St. Clair River, the Port Huron ferry carried thousands across the border. Three wooden steamers tell the story of a risky, vital crossing.
In 1910, Belleville, Michigan ran on schedules, not nostalgia. This feature examines daily life before Belleville Lake, when trains, mills, schools, and Main Street defined how the town worked.
Two Michigan Central freight trains met head-on at Denmark Junction in 1916, shattering a quiet night north of Vassar. Vintage photos and reports capture the moment when steel, steam, and fate collided on rural rails.
Downtown Detroit, circa 1949. The Barlum Hotel looms over Cadillac Square as buses circle the park and workers head toward the courthouse blocks. The bold wall sign faces Barlum Tower—now Cadillac Tower—built in 1927 during the city’s vertical building boom. This view likely sits a block east of Woodward Avenue, long considered Detroit’s spine. The scene is brisk, noisy, and confident, an everyday moment before the hotel’s later conversion to Cadillac Square Apartments.
Before freeways and food courts, Michigan’s highways were lined with quirky tourist towers. These towering attractions offered sky-high views, cold milk, and bragging rights. Let’s revisit the glory days of Michigan’s roadside observation towers.
Romeo’s Main Street, likely early 1900s. Two horse-drawn vehicles pause as flags wave. A sign on the coach at right claims it was the first carriage built in Macomb County, circa 1844. The claim is proud, if approximate. Romeo, about 30 miles north of Detroit, later became known for the Michigan Peach Festival, launched in 1931.
