New Park Coming Near Fort Street Bridge
A new park will be built in an industrial neighborhood of Southwest Detroit.
A new park will be built near the new Fort Street Bridge in Detroit to commemorate the 1932 Hunger March. The Michigan Department of Transportation donated a piece of land for the park after tearing down the original historical marker during the construction of the new bridge.
David Elsila is a historian with the Michigan Labor History Society.
“The Ford Hunger March Commemoration here at the park I think is very important to help us remember the sacrifices and the struggles that people made during the great depression,” Elsila says.
Elsila says the Hunger March took place on March 7, 1932, starting in downtown Detroit and heading toward the Ford Rouge Plant. He says protesters were fired on by members of Ford security services resulting in five deaths and many injuries.
The project kicks off a fundraiser for the Motorcities National Heritage Area to build the park. Residents can donate at Patronicity.com/fortstreet.
