The short story of Detroit, Michigan
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Detroit is a large city in the state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. It is a main port city on Detroit River, in the Midwest area of the United States. Situated north of Windsor, Detroit is the main U.S. city that appears south ofCanada. Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded Detroit in 1701.
The city is recognized as the world's customary automotive center. 'Detroit' is metonym for American auto industry and the important resource of famous music legacies renowned by the city's two familiar names Motor City & Motown. Other nicknames appeared in the twentieth century, they are Rock City, Hockeytown and Arsenal of Democracy.
Detroit ranked as United States' eleventh most populous city in 2006 with nearly 920.000 residents.
Detroit name came from Detroit River that means ' strait of Lake Erie' that links Lake Huron & Lake Erie; in historical context the strait includes Lake St. Clair & St. Clair River. Traveling up Detroit River by ship, Father Louis Hennepin declared the north bank of river as the perfect location for the settlement. There the French officer named Antoine de la Cadillac founded the settlement named Fort Détroit in 1701 naming it after comte de Pontchartrain the Minister of Marine on Louis XIV. Francois Marie Picoté was the last French armed commander at the Fort Detroit surrendering the fort on 29 November 1760 to the British.
During the French and Indian War, the British troops got control as well as abridged the name to Detroit. Numerous tribes that were led by Chief Pontiac Ottawa leader opened Pontiac's Rebellion including siege of Fort Detroit. Detroit passed to United States under Jay Treaty. Fire destroyed most of this settlement in 1805. River warehouse & brick chimneys of wooden homes were considered as the only structures to live in.
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Read about Detroit in our travel-guide
Recommended Detroit Guide
Detroit Travel guide
For those who like being outdoors, the Detroit Zoo offers an Arctic Ring of Life, exhibits with domestic farm animals, the Elephant House and if you get tired there is a miniature railroad that can take your family from one part of the zoo to another. And there’s also Matthaei Botanical Gardens where you can discover natural wonders from around the world with the help of well-marked signs that will educate you and your family about the thousands of plants at the Garden. Come and visit the Motor City Capital of the World, the home of Motown, and many museums and parks; this is the place to visit for living history as the past comes alive... Read more »
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