Wright Plane Visited Grosse Pointe a Century Ago

One hundred years ago, the first Wright plane came to Grosse Pointe for a weekend of aviation.

One hundred years ago, Grosse Pointers had an early opportunity to see a Wright Airplane. This event not only catapulted the influence of Grosse Pointers into the national and international spotlight, but it also presented for the first time, a debate that was beginning to cause a national stir:  should women fly planes? The Detroit Aero Club In a slideshow and brief history written for the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, John A. Bluth outlines the early history of aviation in the region, which was formed by many prominent Grosse Pointers. "William E. 'Bill' Metzger a prescient investor in bicycles and automobiles was also early to recognize the future potential of aviation. With Aero Clubs being formed all over the country, the well-…

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Elizabeth M. Vogel

2:03 pm on Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Thank you, Mr. Andrews. You are absolutely right... an event like this in 1911 would be tantamount a few individuals funding private space ship rides from the Country Club today. Wouldn't that be wild! I am sure it must have been a real treat... even for those who were just spectators on the ground!   more ›

Viewfinder: Grosse Pointe Historical Society Fundraiser

More than 400 attended the annual affair featuring a Windmill Pointe home on Lake St. Clair with a strolling dinner, open bar and live music.

The Grosse Pointe Historical Society held its annual fundraiser Friday at a Lake St. Clair waterfront home at 15324 Windmill Pointe Drive. Upon checking in, attendees were photographed in front of historic vehicles on the driveway.  Upon entering the home, servers handed out glasses of champagne. Attendees were able to tour the 1927 home and sprawling estate, featuring manicured gardens and waterside strolling dinner. Guests were also encouraged to visit the open bar.   More than 400 people purchased the $150 tickets and the proceeds go to support the historical society, the organization's programming and activities, said Board President Susan Hartz, who personally greeted everyone after they took pictures before they entered the home.  …

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GP History

The Gates of Rose Terrace

Rose Terrace, a property developed by the widow of auto magnate Horace Dodge, was razed despite efforts to save it.

I was in my Jeep at the corner of Lake Shore Road and Fisher, where so many Pointers often find themselves, waiting for the light to turn green.  I made the turn north, turned my head to the right, and glimpsed the wreath-adorned gates of what used to be the entrance to the palatial estate.  Rose Terrace is now a private road, with homes that were developed beginning in 1978. It's hard for me to imagine what the grounds would have looked like during its glory days — the gardens bustling with groundskeepers, the gala events drawing high society — but I am comforted. Like many walls and gates of estates that dot the Grosse Pointe landscape, the gates of Rose Terrace still stand. The most famous of the Rose Terrace residences, like so many …

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Farms Council Debates Impact of Library of Congress Event

Farms City Council members said they support the two-day Grosse Pointe Historical Society special event, but they questioned its impact on neighbors. The bus tour rolls in to the Pointes Dec. 17-18.

Grosse Pointe Farms City Council members agreed Monday to allow the Grosse Pointe Historical Society to host a special mobile tour bus with Library of Congress exhibits during its visit to Michigan later this month. However, council members also asked that society members seek neighborhood approval to ensure the event, traffic and possible noise does not disturb those living nearby. The tour, known as the Gateway to Knowledge, will make only two stops in the state on its 60-stop tour. The first is in Macomb County, and the second will happen Dec. 17 -18 outside the historical society on Lakeview. The tour is housed within a specially designed 18-wheel truck that serves as a rolling exhibition space, showing off replicas of famous …

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