New Book Releases

Since its establishment 114 years ago, the Detroit Athletic Club (DAC) has played a crucial role in the amazing history of the City of Detroit. Originally a club for amateur athletes, it was reorganized in 1913 by prominent automobile and industrial leaders. In that year, Albert Kahn, a renowned architect, designed the magnificent six-story clubhouse that still stands in the heart of Detroit's theatre and sports district.

Beginning with the birth of the original club on Woodward Avenue in 1887, this book chronicles the history of the DAC up to the present, in over 200 vintage photographs-many never before seen outside of the club. Images gathered from the club's archives cover the formative years at the first club, the building and opening of the new club, the DAC's great athletic traditions, its membership and staff, social activities, the art of the DAC and its magnificent restoration at the end of the 20th century.

Mount Olivet was the second Catholic cemetery developed by the Mount Elliott Cemetery Association. Now surrounded by city, Mount Olivet was nestled in the countryside when it opened in 1888. Directions in 1900 instructed visitors to reach the cemetery via train or electric streetcar. Round-trip was 35¢ on the Grand Trunk Railroad. The varied backgrounds of those buried in the consecrated ground at Mount Olivet reflect the surge in immigration to the city that spanned the early 20th century. Belgian, German, Italian, and Polish cultural, business, and political leaders are buried here. Each group clustered near its own Catholic parish and had its own funeral directors, photographers, and florists: Our Lady of Sorrows (Belgian), St. Joseph (German), San Francesco (Italian), and St. Albertus (Polish). Funeral directors included Charles Verheyden (Belgian), Frank J. Calcaterra (Italian), and Joseph Kulwicki (Polish), who officiated at the first burial at the cemetery. Military burials range from Civil War soldiers to those who fought in Vietnam. The cemetery is graced with beautiful marble and granite statuary and unique mausoleums designed by noted architects and featuring stained-glass windows. The Mount Elliott Cemetery Association provides perpetual care for Mount Olivet Cemetery and four sister cemeteries: Mount Elliott, Resurrection, All Saints, and Guardian Angel.

A repository of community memory, exquisite architectural structures, and lasting tributes to the departed, Woodlawn Cemetery serves as a testament to Detroit's multi-faceted history. Considered by many as an outdoor museum of Detroit's architectural, economic, social, and cultural vitality, Woodlawn is the final resting place of the Dodge Brothers, Edsel and Eleanor Ford, Hazen Pingree, and James Couzens, along with countless other historic figures. Through a rare collection of photographs, this book serves as a guided tour along the paths of Woodlawn, from the work of noteworthy architects and sculptors to the legacies of the extraordinary people who have shaped Detroit history.

Mount Elliott Cemetery is Detroit's oldest extant cemetery, started by the Catholic community in 1841. The consecrated ground is named for architect Robert T. Elliott, who was instrumental in purchasing the land and was the first interment. The roads in the cemetery honor religious leaders: (Pope) Pius Avenue, Bishop LeFevere Avenue and Place, and Bishop Borgess Avenue. The remaining roads carry biblical themes: Calvary Avenue, Holy Cross Place, Trinity Avenue, and Resurrection Avenue. Remains from Detroit's St. Anne's cemetery were brought to Mount Elliott, where French, German, and Irish surnames abound. The tombstones at Mount Elliott reflect family names well known in the tricounty area: Beaubien, Campau, Caniff, Chene, Cicotte, Moran, and Moross. These religious, business, and political leaders have left their names on buildings, roads, and landmarks. They are commemorated here with handcrafted marble, granite, and zinc memorials. Mausoleums honor families, including Palms, Scanlon, and Welch. Military burials include those who served in Napoleon's army, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam. The special areas for the Detroit firemen and many Catholic religious orders pay homage to the groups of men and women who worked so selflessly to protect and serve the city. The Mount Elliott Cemetery Association provides perpetual care for Mount Elliott Cemetery and four sister cemeteries: Mount Olivet, Resurrection, All Saints, and Guardian Angel.

In 1926, a former two-time University of Michigan All-American football hero decided that a pastoral area of Huron Township could be transformed into a cemetery. Two years later, Michigan Memorial Park opened its gates to begin serving the needs of this growing community tucked away in a corner of the township located southwest of Detroit. Bordering on the peaceful Huron River, this former home to the Wyandott tribe and later French settlers has become a sprawling 300-acre parcel of land still surrounded by woods and farmland. It is Michigan's largest nondenominational cemetery whose ownership has remained in the same family for four generations. Thousands of trees, a plethora of sculptures and fountains, and swan-filled ponds adorn the gardenlike grounds adding to the tranquility experienced by all those who visit. Michigan Memorial Park has remained one of the pillars of the community, not only providing a resting place for many thousands who have passed away but also giving back to the community through its involvement in civic activities.

In the early hours before dawn on October 6, 1907, a raging fire illuminated the sky as the historic chapel that stood on the cemetery grounds for over half a century reduced to a pile of cinders and ash. Lit by sparks from a nearby barn ablaze from an act of arson, the fire destroyed priceless paintings, relics, statues, and artifacts that held sacrament to the area's earliest settlers. So ended the era of the cemetery's obscure past and launched a new era for the little mission?turned?graveyard nestled southwest of Detroit. Detroit's Holy Cross Cemetery is a collage of persons whose immigrant dreams landed them in an area budding with industry. The cemetery's evolution reflects the waves of immigration, from the early French to the Irish, Germans, Hungarians, Poles, and Hispanics. From its 1838 2-acre roots to its current 65-acre span, Holy Cross Cemetery filled the need for a Catholic cemetery on Detroit's west side.