7257 Cahalan
Detroit, MI

Background

  • 1818

    The township formerly known as Springwells, was founded by Lewis Cass. Its name was derived from the many natural springs which were once found in the area.

  • 1837

    The State of Michigan is admitted to the Union as the 26th state. During this same year, the Michigan central Railroad develops through Springwells Township, It would be the first stop out of Detroit and it had created a rise in commercial traffic

  • 1849

    The City of Detroit begins annexing the portions of Springwells Township just east of Brooklyn Street which is now part of the Corktown neighborhood

  • 1884

    The United States Army occupies nearby territory just south of Springwells Township to construction on a strategic fort along the Detroit River. The territory just east Livernois is being annexed by the City of Detroit

  • 1906

    As Detroit continues to grow as an industrial city, another portion of Springwells Township is annexed including the territory where the house at 7275 Cahalan was located.

  • 1912

    In order to fill the demand for worker housing, the Ferndale neighborhood which was a part of Detroit’s boundary increase was being developed for low to moderate residential housing

  • 1917

    Just blocks away, construction of Henry Ford’s Rouge River Complex is underway. It was designed by Albert Kahn and had taken over eleven years to complete. Once operational it had become the first fully integrated industrial complex in the world.

Occupancy

  • 1920

    The house is first occupied by Ernest William Bannow for nearly fifteen years

  • 1935

    John Barney moves into the house and would call this place his home up until the 1950s

  • 1954

    William Stosis purchases the house. The Stosis family would retain ownership of the property through the turn of the century

  • 2009

    The property is sold to it last known occupant

  • 2012

    The Wayne County Treasurer retains ownership of the property

  • 2012

    The once abandoned house at 7275 Cahalan was properly deconstructed and its building materials are put to good use once again.

Sources: 

City of Detroit Buildings and Safety Department

City of Detroit, Assessment Division, (Detroit, MI)

Detroit, MI, City Directories, 1890-1960, (Detroit, MI; The Burton Historical Collection)

The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Volume 1 By Clarence Monroe Burton, William Stocking, Gordon K. Miller

Wayne County, Treasurer’s Office, (Detroit, MI)