My parents bought this house in the Boston-Edison area of Detroit in 1950. I was born in 1953 and as early as I remember the neighborhood was never more than 25% white. I walked to elementary school and took the public DSR (Detroit Street and Railway) busses to Jr. high and high School. Later I attended Wayne State University, located right downtown, near museums, government buildings and retail establishments. I could have taken the bus here as well, but because I usually had to work after classes, I drove.
In 1967, the riots broke out 3 1/2 blocks southeast of us. Along with many buildings, our neighborhood drugstore, just 2 blocks northwest of us was burned to the ground. We were living right in the middle of a war zone. We lived in this house until 1974; I graduated from WSU College of Pharmacy, and then practiced retail pharmacy in Detroit for the next 20 years… “White flight” wasn’t for everyone.
Photo taken 2010
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