Detroit, 7 March 2018

Zug Island

Yesterday, I went back to the Detroit Public Library and visited the Burton Historical Collection section again. I was told that they have a map section with a collection of some ancient maps which are worth to look at, of course. Mr. Morton, a very friendly museum’s employee, was helping me to find what I was looking for. He showed me a variety of different maps. It was thrilling to compare them and to find some details that are worth mentioning. Have a look and enjoy the beautiful cartographic artworks of that time.

This map is from 1906 (Baist’s Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Detroit, Michigan, published by G. Wm. Baist).
Imbedded between Zug Island and Fort Wayne you see the Solvay Process Company which came to that place in 1895.

This is an extract of the book »The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Volume 1« (Detroit-Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1922)

The Solvay Process Company (1880-1985) was a pioneer chemical industry of the United States in the manufacture of soda ash and a major employer in Central New York (Wikipedia).

The following picture shows a detail of Zug Island. Interestingly, nothing was mentioned on the island except some excerpts from another part of the map.

The next map is from 1907 (Pocket Map of Greater Detroit, copyright by A. J. Farmer, published by Silas Farmer & Co.).

At least, the railroads that pass through Zug Island were mentioned.

The next map is from 1914 (Map of the Distribution System of the Detroit Water Works).

The following map is from 1919 (Federal Map of Detroit and Environs, Federal Lithograph Company, Detroit, especially designed for R. L. Polk & Co. Publishers, Detroit City Directory).

The next map is from 1923 (Volume Two Baist’s Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Detroit and Suburbs, Michigan, copyright by G. Wm. Baist).

Let’s have a closer look. It is notable that the canal that was built in 1888 is not marked. On this map it looks like as if River Rouge had no branch-off down there. Maybe it was just marked at the wrong position too far above.

The next map is from 1925 (Map of the City of Detroit and Environs, Michigan, copyright by Douglas Printing Co.).

Getting closer, you can see that also on Zug Island railroads got more developed.

The following map is from 1928 (Federal Map of Detroit and Environs, copyright by Federal Lithograph Company, Detroit, Michigan).

The next map ist from 1929 (Federal Map of Detroit and Environs, copyright by Federal Lithograph Company, Detroit, Michigan).

The next map is from 1962 (Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River, Chart No. 400, Edition of 1962, published and sold by U.S. Army Engineer District, Lake Survey, Corps of Engineers, 630 Federal Building, Detroit 26, Michigan).

The following map is from 2004 (Recreational Chart 14853, Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River, published at Washington D.C., U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Coast Survey)

The next map unfortunately is undated. No copyright is mentioned. I want to share it anyway as it shows a special detail on Zug Island (Map of Wayne County, Michigan, showing hard rock geology and arterial well conditions).

When I was just about to leave the Detroit Public Library, I saw the following map which is presented in a glass case (Map of Detroit River and Adjacent Country, from an original drawing by a British engineer, H. S. Tanner, published by John Melish, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 26 August 1813).

Here we see the soggy marshland as it used to be three years before Samuel Zug was born in 1816 and 23 years before his arrival in Detroit.