City of Detroit celebrates 322nd birthday with newborns
(CBS DETROIT) - The city of Detroit was founded on July 24, 1701. On Monday, the city celebrated its 322nd birthday and new life.
The Detroit Medical Center celebrated the nine newborns at the birthing centers of DMC, Hutzel Women's Hospital, and Sinai-Grace Hospital.
The babies received outfits from the "Born in Detroit" brand, which donated more than 300 onesies to DMC.
"My partners and I created the Born in Detroit brand to honor pride in the city and showcase what the city means to you, whether you were born here, or you have the feeling of Detroit born in you. Being able to provide babies who are truly Born in Detroit with our clothes, just puts a smile on my face," said "Born in Detroit co-owner, in a statement.
"This effort is a great way to celebrate new life and the birthday of our great city," said Brittany Lavis, CEO of the Detroit Medical Center. "We are grateful to Born in Detroit for their generous donation."
History of Detroit
According to the Detroit Historical Society, the city was founded by French military leader and trader Antoine de la mothe Cadillac. He returned to France in 1698 to petition for King Louis XIV to authorize a French outpost along "le détroit" (the strait).
In 1700, Cadillac persuaded Jérôme Phélypeaux Comte de Pontchartrain, King Louis' minister or marine, to authorize an expedition establishing not an outpost but a settlement.
The society says a year later, Cadillac and his entourage "traveled by way of the Ottawa River, through Lake Nipissing, out down French River into Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and finally the Detroit River," stopping at Grosse Ile on July 23.
The next day, they chose the narrowest part and named the site Fort Pontchartrain, named after the marine minister who approved the expedition. Thus, the full name Fort Pontchartrain du détroit became Detroit.
Decades later, John R. Williams helped write the city charter of 1824 and served as the first mayor of Detroit, according to the Detroit Historical Society.
Williams and his uncle Joseph Campau were notable for founding the newspaper "The Democratic Free Press and Michigan Intelligencer," which later became the "Detroit Free Press."