The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922; / Clarence M. Burton, editor-in-chief, William Stocking, associate editor, Gordon K. Miller, associated editor. [Vol. 2]

1500

CITY OF DETROIT

mained in a neglected condition and has never been useful to the public for
purposes of recreation as a park."
On the other hand Mr. Hinchman who lived in the Abbott homestead where
the Hammond Building now stands, stated that the city hall would be "large,
massive and three stories high" and would greatly damage his property and
prevent his enjoyment of the public square.
The Supreme Court decided against Mr. Hinchman and the city proceeded
with its building. This was just as the Civil war was breaking out and all
thoughts of levying additional taxes for building were abandoned. It was not
until some time after the war was ended that the people felt like going on with
the work.
The first contract was let in 1866, but the building was not completed until
1871.
Now let us pass on to the north side of Michigan Avenue. Lot 46 in section
eight is sixty feet wide fronting on the north side of Michigan Avenue east of
the New Home Bank Building lot. It is now owned by the estate of the late
William A. Butler. In 1859 there were three stores on the lot, the block being
called the " Mechanics' Block." The middle store was No. 20 Michigan Avenue
occupied by Asa P. Morrman.
Lot 47 is on the corner of Griswold Street and what was left of lot 48, after
Griswold Street was opened through north of Michigan Avenue, is on the east
side of Griswold Street a little north of the Avenue. Lot 47 was donated to
Charles Stewart (or Stuart) in 1807 and he sold it to George Wyeth for thirty
dollars and Jonathan Kearsley bought from Wyeth for $130.00.
There were several small buildings on the lot, all owned by John Daly who
had a lease from Kearsley. Daly had a grocery and house on the corner of the
two streets. Daniel Daly lived with him. The buildings were sold to Barney
Sweeney and he.sold them to various parties. Mathew Hickey occupied a part
of the corner in 1856 with Sweeney.
In 1859 Sweeney occupied the building on the corner. At one time there
was a school maintained in the upper rooms of the building on the corner. Mr.
George N. Brady says that he went to school there when a boy and he remembers
as two of his schoolmates the late Senator Thomas W. Palmer and James Scott.
The corner building had been formerly occupied by William Ellis, a milkman.
The next building north of Sweeney's was occupied by Daniel Bresnahan and
Florence Griffin. In 1852 Daniel Dwyer had a grocery there. The next parcel
extended to the alley and was occupied by Cornelius Bresnahan and Bartholomew Gallivan. The east part of the lot fronting on Michigan Avenue was occupied by Jeremiah Ready. There was an alley or passage way along the east side
of the lot and one or more houses in the rear faced on the public alley. Pat
Conner, a paver, lived in the alley.
Major Kearsley was the owner of the land at the time of his death and his
son, Edmund R. Kearsley, and his granddaughter, Sarah M. W. Sterling, sold
the property to Robert P. Toms and Christopher Stadler. Toms got the entire
parcel at a cost of $43,000 between 1871 and 1879.
In 1879 there were two brick buildings on the lot, the easterly building being three stories high. The first floor was generally rented for a saloon and Jeremiah Falvey for some years had his grocery there.
It was somewhat difficult to rent the upper stories. We did not have elevators at that time. For' some years the upper rooms were rented to a sign