City history
Explore the rich history of Detroit, from its French colonial roots to its rise as the global heart of the automotive industry.
Chapter one
Earliest documented name
"The Strait"
An indigenous name is not reliably documented; the earliest recorded name is the French 'Le Détroit', referring to the river strait.
Fort of Pontchartrain of the Strait
The site was established by French explorers to serve as a strategic military and trading outpost within the North American wilderness.
Chapter two
Detroit synchronized its local time with the newly established Eastern Standard Time zone following key agreements made by the railroad industry.
The United States first implemented daylight saving time in 1918 to conserve fuel and energy resources during the First World War.
Chapter three
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac established Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which served as the foundational settlement of the modern city.
Following a major fire, Detroit was rebuilt using a unique hexagonal street plan designed by the prominent Judge Augustus Woodward.
The city pioneered urban mobility by introducing electric streetcar systems, which revolutionized how residents navigated the growing metropolitan landscape.
The start of mass-produced automobile manufacturing in Detroit transformed the region into a global powerhouse of industrial production.