Google: The Packard Plat Then and now. Excellent article with photos (and overlays of then and now) of the Packard plant.
I was just in Detroit and convinced my cousin (who lives there) to drive by...after driving there, we were not so anxious to get out of the car. Cool to see, but looks to be quite a rough area.
Thanks for the interesting read before I'm off to work. here's a link : http://www.freep.com/article/20121202/NEWS01/120823062/?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|BLOG44
Sad to see some of America's rich automobile history in such a state, but it pretty much reflects what we've become since then. I don't like it at all.
it's very sad to see the decline in detroit. while leaving the belle isle grand prix , i was amazed at some of the homes unfortunately the condition on some was terrible but the style, size and beauty of the homes was incredible. when i went to detroit this year i stopped at the model t plant on piquette st . just standing in the building taken in the sights and smells was incredible
What amazes is me is that Detroit would rather let it sit and deteriorate than recycle all the materials in it. There is a lot of material that could be repurposed just leaching into the ground.
Huge portions of Detroit are being stripped and returned to farm land. Or at least rural style land. Why have a huge city in ruins and slums. Sad, but another cycle of life. I agree with another statement made earlier, the US is not what she used to be and may never be again, the statement was made to look around you, and really look hard at all the urban decay you see almost everywhere. Buildings homes cars ,whatever. People can't be bothered to look after what they have, they would rather let it rot and look towards something better.
I have "driven" around there in Google Earth and didn't know it was the Packard Plant. it is crazy what happened to that area.
As a major Packard fan, this saddens me. But given the shape of what's left, I say let 'er rip. BTW, the large doorway surround at the front door was sold to a Packard museum for something like $100K +. And wooden floor sections/office doors are available (or WERE available) from Motor City Packards, with a portion of the money being set aside for the improvement of the Packard Proving Grounds in Utica, MI.....
My thanks to Brian Kaufman for his time and effort in allowing us to slide our mouse from then to now.
My mom worked in their Southern California plant and it too is still being used by anothrer occupant. She worked in the offices but told the plant employed over 1,000 workers. It did some Studebaker and REO military truck parts work too. It was always well manicured and if someone didn't tell me what the plant was I would nevr have guessed it. Normbc9
How eerie was that? Depressing how such a beautiful place was left to rot. Very cool idea for a blog though.
Detroit certainly had it's heyday. Millions upon millions were made in and around that city. There are still auto companies doing Ok there but the "big" days are over for that part of the industry. It's now a global world like it or not!
Detroit has had several heydays. The first was railroad related manufacturing. Following that Detroit was where all the biggest wood and coal stove manufacturers were located. Then there was the auto industry and the many specialty shops that served it. Detroit had thriving residential, commercial, and industrial areas. At one time Detroit had the highest per-capita income in the country, was one of the largest cities in the country, and was a major venue for nationally known entertainers.
And now it's home to a lot of dilapidated buildings, out-of-work citizens, and one of the dumbest "reality" shows on TV.
Yes it's sad to see what things have become. Pontiac to the north is another example of the decline of the Auto Industry. At one time there were 5 GM facilitys in that city alone......now all gone! very high crime per capita rate, and a haven for parolled ex-cons to illegally congrigrate. As the son of a retired GM employee it's frightnening to think of all those jobs now gone for good, changing tides for sure. I am still in the Auto Industry and see some amazing stories of just how much things have changed overall in society today. There was a story about todays youth not caring about owning a car??? the "youth" in this story was a 25 y.o. manchild that lived with friends in Chicago , whose mode of transportation was a 200.00 bike he just spent 500.00 on a rim for???? He said technology was more important to him and would would rather spend the money on a faster computer or better cell phone!! I don't know im approaching 44 and feel like the "old man" telling remeber when stories BTW DO NOT BUY THE PACKARD FLOOR MATERIAL CANDLE HOLDERS ON ETSY...THE **** IN THOSE FLOORS WILL KILL YOU....YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Yeah....I say, knock it all down, remove the debris, disc it up and plant native trees on it. It had a noble use....nothing to be ashamed of....but now let the wild animals re-occupy what was once theirs. That course of action is preferable to letting it slowly decay.
i was already fightin a pretty big bout of depression, now i see this. man thaT REALLY HURTS. i know times change and things get old and are replaced.but with what. dont seem like detriot is going to pull out of this one. for one we are no longer a manufacturing nation.so what company is going to replace what was once there.my country is dying a slow death and it hurts to see all the beautiful buildings rot and all the jobs that gave us our strenth go overseas.
One problem is that many areas are so contaminated that you probably couldn't dig a hole deep enough to clean it up. That along with all the other problems limits the value of the property and what can be done with it.
If that building is still there after 50 years with no maintnance, maybe it should be repurposed - it's sure not going to fall down anytime soon.
I recently sat my parents down at my computer and 'drove' them through Detroit on Google Earth. They were born, raised and married there but hadn't seen the city since moving to Socal in 1970. It was very bittersweet to see a mid 70's couple saddened and amazed at seeing their once proud city as a now war torn mess. My Dad has never used a computer and was amazed at Google Earth! He started racking off addesses of his home (now gone), schools, etc. It really took him back to be able to follow his paper route that he rode 60 years ago. We even found the ruins of Continental Motors where his Dad once worked.
The Packard museum in Ohio has the Packard crest from the bridge in it. That museum has to be one of the best automotive museums I have ever seen.It is in an old Packard dealership that had been brought back to life. When the man bought the building with the intent to make it the museum he was amazed to see all the original signage and original parts in the attic. ANAZING place. I spent hours in there. He has got a library full o book and you can flip through everything. Magazines from the teens to build manuals from the 50s Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
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