THE HAMILTON RIVER BUS

We lived in a new neighborhood in the far corner of Northwest Detroit. The new Northland Shopping Center was about one -half mile away in Southfield Michigan. The area was new and growing.

The city of Detroit operated a bus system known as the D.S.R. {Department of streets and railways.} One day during the December holiday break from school my mother said, you could call a couple of your friends and see if they would like to go downtown by bus for the day. You could have lunch at the lunch counter in Kresge's 5 and 10 dime store. Take a walk around the very large Hudson's department store and see all the holiday decorations. See a movie at one of the very nice movie theaters downtown.

The plans were completed ,the outing began. My mother told us where to catch the bus. She reminded me to be careful crossing the streets and to make sure to take the bus that said Hamilton/River on the sign at the front of the bus. The Hamilton/River would begin at Northland and wind through the streets of Detroit. The last stop would be at the end of downtown at the Detroit River. I was about eleven years old at the time. This was the 1950's when kids could ride a bus by themselves and ride all over the city. You would ask a woman who might be standing if she would like your seat. I don't think people had heard anything about crime yet. I think we were living on the planet earth. But I can't be sure.

The journey began. The bus headed down James Cousins {later to become part of the Lodge Freeway.} Picking up and dropping off people along the way. The bus made a left turn on Seven Mile Road. The first busy intersection was Seven Mile and Schaefer. Many small stores lined the streets. Sol's Delicatessen. { He liked to be known as "Sol the corn beef king". The New York Bagel Factory, The House of Foods Market, bakeries and a butcher shop and of course a small drug store. We were not getting off here today we were headed downtown.

The bus continued down Seven Mile. Past the Royal Movie Theatre, Zukin's Ice cream shop and Karp Drugs.

We approached Seven and Wyoming. The very popular Darby's Restaurant was on this corner. Between 1959 and 1963 I would get off at this stop everyday walk one half mile south on Wyoming to the famous Mumford High School. I would also pass Curtis Drugs where sometime in the mid 60's I would work part-time.

The bus continues east on Seven mile. We pass a public library and Don Drugs. I happen to know Don Drugs was actually owned by a man named Jack and his brother Ben.

We cross Livernois a busy street that ran north and south through Detroit. This intersection was also known as the Avenue of Fashion because of the high-end clothing and shoe stores for both men and women in the area. We stay on the bus because we are going downtown.

The bus continues down seven east of Livernois. We pass two of Detroit's nicest neighborhoods, even to this day. Sherwood Forest and Palmer Woods. Many of the kids who went to Mumford high came from these sections. We ride through part of Palmer Park and past the Detroit Golf Club. We cross Six Mile Road and to my surprise we are now actually on a street called Hamilton. Remember this is the Hamilton River Bus and we are headed to downtown Detroit. We will not get off until we get there.

The bus heads down Hamilton. We reach Glendale. From September 1963 until February 1965 I will get off at Glendale and walk two blocks east to Highland Park Community College. A school I will attend for a year and a half.

The bus continues to make its way down Hamilton. We come to another busy intersection Hamilton and Claimont There is another drug store on this corner called Carver Drugs. My uncle owns this store. I will get off at this stop many times between 1960 and 1963 because I worked for my uncle part-time while going to Mumford High.

The bus moves on to West Grand Blvd and makes a left. The Fisher Building on the left. The General Motors Building to the right. Two very impressive buildings. We make a right on Third Avenue. The bus winds in and out or a couple of streets whose names I never learned. Suddenly we are on Woodward Avenue heading into a busy downtown Detroit. We get off at Grand Circus Park, Again, this is another stop I will get off many times when I attend Walsh College of Accounting which for many years was located on Madison Avenue downtown

Today I am only eleven and this was the first of many trips I will take on the Hamilton River bus.

WRITTEN BY

RON TURETT

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