| DETROIT CITY LIMITS IN 1863: WHEN HORSE-DRAWN RAIL CARS BEGAN |
The above 1873 map of the City of Detroit shows the city's boundaries as they stood from 1857 to 1875. In the ten years between
1863 (the year horsecars began operating in Detroit) and 1873 (year of map), a number of new streets were added and some existing ones
renamed. In 1863, most of the northern half of the existing city was farmland with very few cross-streets. Even though by 1873
the property lines of the various ribbon-farms were still in place, a number of new communities were beginning to develop in
the city's then northern sections.
The 1857-1875 Detroit boundary lines were as follows: The city's western limits began at the west line of the Porter Farm, which
in 1872 became the current 25th Street, while the northern boundaries included the tracks of the Detroit, Monroe and Toledo
Railroad (today, Grand Trunk Railroad (CN)), the west line of the Baker Farm (currently, Lincoln St.), eastward along the back
property line of numerous ribbon-farms (in the vicinity of today's Baltimore and Milwaukee Avenues) to the east line of the
Dequindre Farm (today, Detroit Connecting Railroad (Dequindre St.) tracks). The boundaries then made a direct line southeast-
ward to the northeast corner of the St. Aubin Farm (near Dubois and Harper (I-94) today), then south along (to the west of) what
is now Dubois Street, east along the vicinity of what became Leland Street, then along Elmwood, Gratiot and Mt. Elliott Avenues.
1863 (the year horsecars began operating in Detroit) and 1873 (year of map), a number of new streets were added and some existing ones
renamed. In 1863, most of the northern half of the existing city was farmland with very few cross-streets. Even though by 1873
the property lines of the various ribbon-farms were still in place, a number of new communities were beginning to develop in
the city's then northern sections.
The 1857-1875 Detroit boundary lines were as follows: The city's western limits began at the west line of the Porter Farm, which
in 1872 became the current 25th Street, while the northern boundaries included the tracks of the Detroit, Monroe and Toledo
Railroad (today, Grand Trunk Railroad (CN)), the west line of the Baker Farm (currently, Lincoln St.), eastward along the back
property line of numerous ribbon-farms (in the vicinity of today's Baltimore and Milwaukee Avenues) to the east line of the
Dequindre Farm (today, Detroit Connecting Railroad (Dequindre St.) tracks). The boundaries then made a direct line southeast-
ward to the northeast corner of the St. Aubin Farm (near Dubois and Harper (I-94) today), then south along (to the west of) what
is now Dubois Street, east along the vicinity of what became Leland Street, then along Elmwood, Gratiot and Mt. Elliott Avenues.
| (click-on map for larger, more detailed version) |
© 2010 (DetroitTransitHistory.info)
| (Map courtesy of The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection / Cartography Associates) |
TO RETURN TO MAIN-STORY CLICK-ON: THE PRE–D.S.R. YEARS — Part I