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I thought readers might enjoy a letter I wrote to Stuart Blond, Editor of the The Packard Cormorant, regarding the latest issue about the Packard Plant.

Dear TPC Editor:

I just received my Winter 2009 issue of The Packard Cormorant, and immediately got a serving of my favorite beverage and began to read. The first article, The Boulevard, Appropriately Named "Grand" A Drive Past The Packard Plant, by Leon Dixon just stopped me in my tracks. What a wonderful travelogue! I have only been to Detroit once, on a multi-city business trip, many years ago and have no real memory of it. Mr. Dixon's description of growing up in the Motor City reminds me of telling newcomers to my hometown (Santa Fe, New Mexico) what it was like in the day. His tour description, taking us up East Grand Boulevard from Belle Island to the plant, painted a vivid word picture for me. I felt like I was there with him in a 1953 Patrician (the Packard of my choice for the ride). To enhance the experience, I took the article with the 1940 map of Detroit, to my computer and launched Mapquest using the Packard plant address. I then followed the story from Belle Island using the features of Mapquest and the 1940 map to follow the route on old and modern streets. This article was one of my best "drives".

The demise of the Packard plant is a sad and lingering story. Thankfully, we have still have the Proving Grounds.

Congratulations on superb issue. In my estimation, it is one of the best.

John Lawrence

Austin, Texas

John, Hundreds of us made that journey, from Belle Isle (not island-we were settled by the French, and there is a lot of French lexicon in Detroit to this day) to the Packard plant via East Grand Boulevard, over 100 Packards in a very slow moving line on a stifling hot day.
I thought the issue was terrific. There is a lot that John McArthur didn't say in the last article, bringing us up to the present, but he is an attorney, And I think he knows what to say and what not to say.
The plant remained in such a time warp into the 1980s and 1990s, and with the proving grounds it seemed like there were angels looking out for Packard's touchstones. That all changed in a short few years, thank goodness the proving grounds group acted when they did and saved that 13 acre compound for us to visit and enjoy, entertain and educate.

John, beautifully written, your letter to Stuart says it better than I ever could have! I couldn't put that issue down until I had finished, tears nearly welling up a couple of times. I must say I've enjoyed the recent approach of multiple articles on a common theme in each individual issue.

I can't resist pitching it one more time, guys, if we want to see the Packard Proving Grounds survive and grow, we need to continue to support it with contributions.

John,

I was also fascinated by the articles. I was born and raised in Detroit. My formative years were the 1960's and 70's. The drive down the Boulevard was also my favorite as well as the 1940 map. It can choke you up when you realize what the city once was and what it has become. Our family still lives there and while times are hard it is not post apocalyptic. There are still people that take care of their homes and raise their kids as well as they can.

Many factors exist as to why this once great city has reached its current depths. A book I am reading, The Origins Of The Urban Crisis by Thomas Sugrue, delves into a lot of it. Bottom line is that the seeds were planted some 60 years ago. It is an interesting read

Sorry to digress. I will be reading this issue of TPC over several times I am sure. I was at the 1982 national that toured the plant and I have visited small companies doing business there in the late 80's early 90's as part of my job. Pity it can't be toured again.

Lastly, the article Fire At The Packard Plant was particulary interesting. I was born February 5, 1959 and this fire occured on February 9th. I was probably just coming home from the hospital !

John, Being in Canada I haven't received the Winter 2009 Cormorant yet but now I will await it with great expectation! As a youngster I remember Detroit in the late 1940's and early 50's vividly since my father and grandfather (who worked for several years in the 1920's at the prestigious Detroit Athletic Club of which Henry Joy was a prominent member)often took me "across the river" to picnic at Belle Isle or catch the Boblo Island boat for a journey down the river. It was an enchanting and safe place for a kid in those years. I can't recall ever visiting the Packard plant in operation but I do remember the Packard display at the Detroit Auto Shows especially the introduction of the 1955's and the 25000 mile Patrician.

On reflection, it is amazing that the Plant existed for as long as it did in essentially its' original form. So many have not.

Desi, my friend, you and I go back a long way with MCP, now I find out that you and I (and govenor Grandholm) were born on the exact same day! February 5th 1959!

Happy Birthday, hope to see you again.

P.S. I was born at Holy Cross on the East side. My parents must have taken their passports to go to the east side, we were westsiders (NW Detroit)

What a coincidence ! Happy birthday to you too. I was born at Women's Hospital (now Hutzel). We were eastsiders but moved to the NW side (Fenkel & Schaffer area)in 1968. Then back to the NE side in 1975. So I got a free pass on either side of Woodward

Stuart does a great job with the Cormorant, and deserves the accolades. Well done!!

Quote:
Dave
Do you have any good first-hand stories about some of those prominent members?