CuriosiD

Latest Episodes:

What is the History of Detroit’s Times Square? Aug 22, 2017

Show notes

“There used to be a Times Square in Detroit. I know there’s still a People Mover stop, and I know there’s a street, but there used to be an actual square. And I think it was named after the old newspaper, the Detroit Times, but where was the newspaper headquartered? And also, how big of a paper was the Times?”

How Did Detroit Become a Center for Arabs in the United States? Aug 08, 2017

Show notes

WDET listener Priya Ganji has a diverse group of friends of Arab heritage, and she’s noticed their family, religious and cultural traditions are sometimes different from her own and other Americans’. So the 14-year-old asked “How did the Arab community grow to be what it is today in Detroit?”

That Waterway in Detroit, Is it a Strait or a River? Jul 25, 2017

Show notes

Listener Bailey Townsend asks “Why is the Detroit River called ‘Detroit River’ when it’s actually a Strait?”

What’s Happened at the State Fairgrounds? Jul 13, 2017

Show notes

“I show American Saddlebred Horses and we used to have a couple big shows up here at the state fairgrounds which are no longer available. And it was very sad to see that the Michigan legislature decided not to pay for the maintenance of the coliseum and the grounds.

Lewis Cass, Michigan Governor, Architect of Indian Removal Jun 27, 2017

Show notes

A listener asks, "Are the many different Cass locations in Michigan named after Lewis Cass? Do people know how horrible he was?"

Was there busing in Detroit in the early 1960’s? Jun 20, 2017

Show notes

Listener Cheryl Pernell was intereted in examples of busing in Detroit Public Schools around 1963. Pernell was bused to Dossin Elementary for the 1st through 7th grades, instead of going to Ruthruff in her neighborhood.

Who Was John R? May 30, 2017

Show notes

“Why is it just ‘John R?’ Most people use the last name of a person, not the first name, and an initial, so, I always thought that was kind of strange. And also, who was John R., and why was the street named after him?”

Are There Salt Mines Under Detroit? May 15, 2017

Show notes

Yes, but other than miners, few people have ever seen the inside of them.

Who Were the Natives in Detroit? May 01, 2017

Show notes

“Who were the Native Americans* that lived in the Detroit region, and how did they interact with the Europeans who settled it?”

What’s That Smell? Apr 10, 2017

Show notes

What’s up with the Detroit incinerator? Where is it, what’s going on there, and why does it smell so much on certain days and not others?