Archive for January, 2008

The (Detroit) Auto Show

Published
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Mangojr
on January 27, 2008
in Automobiles and History
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We went to the auto show in Detroit today. The very first Detroit Auto Show was held in 1899 at the Light Guard Armory. It was organized by the Tri-State Sportsman’s and Automobile Association. This first show featured major attractions of big-game trophies bagged in Africa and an exhibit of fishing tackle, hunting equipment and sporting goods. Also on display were two steam mobiles and two Waverly electric cars.

The auto show that eventually changed its name to The North American International Auto Show, began in December 1907 at Beller’s Beer Garden at Riverside Park (an amusement park also called Electric Park), located on Jefferson Avenue near the Belle Isle bridge. It was the first show put on by the auto dealers and exhibited 33 cars vehicles from 17 exhibitors.

This show attracted 200 sportsmen from all parts of the country and so elated the promoters that they threw a party which absorbed all the profits from the show!

1910 Detroit Auto Show

Well, the Detroit show has certainly grown and changed over the years. More than 6,700 journalist from all over the world attend the show. Over 700 vehicles are on exhibit in Cobo Center, with attendance at more than 700,000 people.

We go to the auto show every year. The last couple of years, we’ve parked at the Detroit Zoo and taken a shuttle bus downtown. Since parking down there is such a pain, this has really worked out well. We got down there soon after the show opened, so we beat the crowds. They really need more space. Hopefully the powers that be in Detroit will come to an agreement to either expand Cobo or build a new facility.

2008 Auto Show

We had a great time looking at all the new cars. Our personal favorite is always the Corvette, especially the new ZR1. We enjoyed the new concepts as well, especially the Buick Riviera, the Fisker Karma, and the Cadillac CTS Coupe.

Once inside the show, it’s easy to forget about the Michigan recession and the struggles of the Detroit automakers.

Brrrr!

Published
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Mangojr
on January 20, 2008
in Other Stuff
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Less than two weeks ago, I wrote how warm it was and how it felt like Spring. Well, that’s just a faded memory now! It was 2°F when I woke up this morning and has warmed all the way up to 10°F at 4 pm. I guess it’s a good day to sit home and stay warm and watch football. The below picture is of our Rhododendron. Look how cold and sad it looks! It’s leaves are tucked down just trying to stay warm…

cold-plant.jpg

“Low bridge, everybody down”

Published
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Mangojr
on January 14, 2008
in Genealogy and History
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In April 2006, Bruce Springsteen released We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, a collection of songs popularized by the folk artist Pete Seeger. My favorite song on the album is Erie Canal. Erie Canal is one of those songs that I, and a lot of kids, grew up singing. But, I never really listened to the words or appreciated what the song was about until it connected with my family history.

The Erie Canal is in the state of New York, and runs from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It effectively connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes. While proposals for a canal date way back to 1699, the first portion did not open until 1819. On October 26, 1825, the entire canal was completed.

In all, it was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. There were 83 locks along the canal. Each was 90 feet by 15 feet. A ten foot wide towpath was built along the bank of the canal for horses, mules, and oxen led by a boy boat driver or “hoggee“. In the Canal’s heyday, vessels were pulled by these animals, plodding along this parallel path.

erieboat.jpg

The canal was enlarged between 1836 and 1862 to widen and deepen it. Passenger traffic on the canal waned with the advent of the railroad, and in 1918, The Erie Canal was replace by the larger New York State Barge Canal.

The impact the Erie Canal had on the settlement of this country cannot be overestimated. It made boom towns out of Buffalo, Rochester and other New York cities. It proved to be the key that unlocked an enormous series of social and economic changes in this young nation. The Canal spurred the first great westward movement of American settlers, giving access to the rich land and resources west of the Appalachians.

Thousands of immigrants arriving in New York City steamed up the Hudson River and took the Canal west. My own ancestors used the Canal to move westward, eventually settling in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

“Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, yeah we’re coming to a town
And you’ll always know your neighbor
And you’ll always know your pal
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal”

It “Feels” Like Spring

Published
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Mangojr
on January 8, 2008
in Other Stuff
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The last couple of days have felt wonderful. The temperatures have been in the low 60’s - 30 degrees above normal! We had 7″ of snow on the ground a week ago, and it’s all gone now. It felt nice to go outside without a coat on! But alas, it’s only January. Spring around here is still several months away. Freezing temperatures will be back by the weekend. Oh well, it was a great break from the cold.

King Louis

Published
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Mangojr
on January 3, 2008
in Other Stuff
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Disney’s The Jungle Book has always been my favorite. (The DVD was a great Christmas gift!) I never saw it as a kid, but was introduced to the 1967 classic with my own children. I think its my favorite Disney movie because of the music and the character voices and the memories of enjoying it with my kids.

The part of King Louie, the orangutan, was voiced by the entertainer Louis Prima. His performance of “I Wanna Be like You” is great. In it he’s joined by Phil Harris, the voice of Baloo the Bear. That whole sequence makes me laugh! It interested me in finding out more about him and hearing more of his music.

Prima was an incredible entertainer. His distinctive sound encompassed swing, New Orleans-style jazz, boogie-woogie, jump blues, R&B, early rock & roll, and even the occasional Italian tarantella. One of his most popular hits was “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody”. Part of the song is featured in the video below:

Prima’s wife, Keely Smith, is also featured on the video. His greatest period of popularity coincided with his marriage to her. Smith’s coolly sophisticated vocals and detached stage manner made a perfect counterpoint to Prima’s boisterousness. Their on-stage interactions, the happy-go-lucky husband squelched by a tart remark from the unamused wife, later influenced Sonny & Cher.

Louis Prima entertained and recorded from the mid 1930’s until the the 1970’s, passing away in 1978. I recommend the CD “Capital Collector’s Series: Louis Prima”. It is also available on iTunes.