The Detroit times., 1911-04-15
MAP TELLS STORY
Of HOW DETROIT
HAS CROWN
City's Area in 1900 Was 20 Square
Miles-Today It Is Alb Square
Miles and We Are Still
Growing.
Big Advance in Real Estate Value
Another Evidence Of City's
Prosperity.

The best way to find out what has
been done in the real estate line in
Detroit, in the past ten years, is to
compare the map of Detroit, in 1900
with the map of the present great
city. The area OF Detroit in 1900 was
20 square miles, and much OF this
area was not built up. Today the
area OF the city is Ais square miles
and every month is adding to the
amount of this area that Is improved
The growth of the city has been In
all three of the directions possible
the river preventing any extension OF
the southern boundary. To the north
the city limits have been moved up
to the line of the village OF Highland
Park, but the imaginary division line
could not stop the growth of the city
In that direction and the city actually
extends two or three miles beyond the
northern limits. For some years there
has been agitation for the annexation
OF Highland Park to Detroit, and
within the next few years 1t is likely
that all the area of that suburb will
come within the extended city limits
The growth has been almost as
great to the east A short time ago
the village of Fairview was taken in
on the east end of the town, lying
along the river, and this section of
the city has been building up at a
rapid rate. Similar extension of the
western city limits has been made
necessary by the growth OF the city
in that direction.
One does not have to be very
old-timer to be able to "reminisce
about Detroit The man who has
been away from the city only five
years will hardly recognize the sky
line OF the city as he sees ii from the
river All through the downtown dis
trict fine new structures OF steel and
stone and brick and concrete have
been springing up and old structures
have been remodeled until one does
not recognize them.
In the outlying sections of the city,
where once there were nothing but
open commons on which the school
boys played baseball, there are now
busy factories making automobiles,
adding machines, heating apparatus,
brass goods, paints. and all the other
lines OF manufactures that go 10
make up the output OF Detroit fac
tories. On other tracts where COWS
were pastured and corn was growing
few years ago are thousands OF
homes built by thrifty Detroit work
men.
These are the indications OF the
real estate transactions that have
been put through by Detroit real
estate men within the past decade.
One of the many points upon which
Detroit claims pre-eminence among
the cities Of the United States Is the
fact that larger percentage OF De
troit workmen residents own the
houses in. which they live than in any
other large city in the country. In a
city with a record like that it is easy
TO imagine that real estate men do a
thriving business
There Is another fact that has made
the real estate business in Detroit a
good one There are very few cities
in which the prices OF real estate are
comparatively, so low. There has
been 20 big real estate boom such as
we see in many cities that have en-.
loved rapid growth such as that of
Detroit. The increase in values,
while substantial has been steady.
There has been none OF the over-spec-
ulation or undue imitation OF prices
which is always followed by disas-
trous reaction, and retards develop
ment, sometimes for years. The real
estate prices have barely kept pace
with the actual increases in values
There have been two notable ten
dencies in the expansion of the busl.
ness district of Detroit The most
important has been the rapid exten.
sion OF business up Woodward.ave.
From Grand Circus park TO the rail-
road tracks, this street, which was
formerly occupied by stately resi-
dences has been given over 10 busi-
ness purposes, until now nearly every
block contains stores. garages and
other commercial buildings, and more
are building every year.
There has been large advance in
real estate values along the avenue as
a result of the encroachment OF busi-
ness into what was formerly resi-
Dental street. II is said that practi-
cally every piece of desirable business
property on the street has changed
hands. some several times, within the
past few years at rapidly increasing
figures.
To lesser degree business has
spread ont along the other main thor.
oughfares OF the city. Jefferson-ave,
Grand River.ave., Michigan-ave., and
Gratiot.ave., having felt the impetus
OF the expansion Of the commercial
requirements OF the city.
In the strictly downtown district
the most noteworthy movement OF
recent years has been the expansion
into the district east OF Woodward
ave, and north OF Monroe-ave., and
tha davalonmant of Broadway aR q