Road Facts
World’s First Concrete Mile
Located at Woodward Avenue between 6 Mile and 7 Mile is the first full mile of concrete road ever built in the US.
Nation’s First Modern Highway
Davison Freeway is considered to be the Nation’s birthplace of the Super Slab, (M-8) between the Chrysler (I-75) and Lodge (M-10) freeways. The six-laner was built in 1942.
Detroit boasted some of the US’s the first traffic lights in 1910, the first white centerline on River Road in 1911, and the first stop signs in 1915. With the introduction of automobiles, Detroit Police Officer William Potts decided to adapt railroad signals to help control street traffic. He used red, amber, and green railroad lights and lots of wire and electrical controls to make the world’s first electrical traffic light. His light was controlled manually and was installed in 1920 on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit.
Get Out of Town
The Henry Ford Museum houses an array of exhibits showcasing the results of American genius at work. In addition to one of the finest automotive history collections in the country, exhibits include the world’s most accurate replica of the Wright brothers’ Flyer, the only remaining prototype of the Dymaxion house, and John F. Kennedy’s fateful Dallas limousine.
Henry Ford Museum
20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI
hfmgv.org
Rock City Playlist
Kiss isn’t the only one to sing about Detroit. Here is a playlist for your Detroit journey (Journey made a song about Detroit as well called “Don’t Stop Believin’”: “Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit”).
• “Detroit” – Primal Scream
• “Detroit” – Rancid
• “Detroit” – The White Stripes
• “Detroit 442” – Blondie
• “Detroit Breakdown” – The Bellrays
• “Detroit Breakdown” – The J. Geils Band
• “Detroit Breakdown” – The Gories
• “Detroit City” – Alice Cooper
• “Detroit City Blues” – Fats Domino
• “Detroit Has a Skyline” – Superchunk
• “Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)” – Sufjan Stevens
• “Detroit Rock City” – KISS
• “Detroit Rock City” – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• “Doctor Detroit” – Devo
• “Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey
• “Dog Eat Dog” – Ted Nugent
• “The Heart Of Rock & Roll” – Huey Lewis And The News
• “Hello, Detroit” – Sammy Davis, Jr.
• “I Care About Detroit” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• “It’s Still East Detroit to Me” – Kid Rock
• “Broke in Detroit “ – The Dirtbombs
• “Motor City Is Burning” – MC5; John Lee Hooker
• “Motor City Madhouse” – Ted Nugent
• “Murder City Nights” – Radio Birdman
• “One Piece at a Time” – Johnny Cash
• “Panic In Detroit” – David Bowie
• “Passport to Detroit” – Joe Strummer
• “Son of Detroit” – Kid Rock
• “Worse Than Detroit” – Robert Plant
• “8 Mile” – Eminem