Packard Plant
At one time, the USA made
the finest automobiles in the world. And Packard was
one of the best. Covering more than 40 acres with 3.5
million square feet of buildings, this complex was
built in 1903. The plant closed in 1958 and has since
spent a lifetime in decay.
I can't begin to describe
the range of emotions I went through while
photographing the plant. I thought of all the people
who worked there. The two or three generations of
families who might have depended on the company. I
thought of the now-abandoned neighborhood and how
vibrant and familiar it once was. And I thought of
the fat-cat executives whose poor judgment did the
company in.
The place isn't fenced
off so you can explore at will. I didn't go deep into
the place - it all looked too spooky and unsafe to
me. I moved quickly as I took these shots and kept a
constant lookout for any approaching gang-bangers,
rats, or anything else requiring the attention of the
.380 I was packing.
Michigan Central Station
It sits about 150 yards back from Michigan Avenue and
stands defiantly, looming over Corktown and the
skyscrapers to the north. Built in 1912, it was, at
the time, the tallest railroad station in the world.
At its peak, over four thousand passengers a day
caught over 200 trains coming and going from the
station. The last train left in 1988 when the station
shut down. As you can see, it's empty now. Although
it's on the U.S. National Register of Historic
Places, its future is uncertain.
Fortunately, Detroit is dead broke. The city can't afford to keep all its traffic lights on so it sure as hell can't afford to demolish this beast either. Therefore, count on this great building to outlive you and me. And maybe the next few generations as well.
King Kone
For the next few months, I'll be working on a project
in south central Michigan, not far from Detroit. Of
course, for a photographer who likes shooting old
buildings and structures from the early 1900's, I'll
visit Detroit a few times to capture images of the
old auto plants. I'll post some images on this blog.
Meanwhile, my day-to-day work keeps me in the small
town of Jackson, MI. Like a lot of towns in Michigan,
it too once was home to a few large and not-so-large
factories. The project will also have me traveling to
other small towns scattered around Michigan.
Last week, I had to travel to the town of Owosso for
an all-day meeting. On the way, I passed through
Perry, MI. Just as you approach the town from the
south on highway M50, you come up on the King Kone
ice cream shop. It is a clean and well-preserved
structure. 50 or 60 years ago you might have seen far
more odd structures like this, but most are gone.
Thankfully, the owners of this one kept it
maintained.