Marianne Smith
Title
Marianne Smith
Description
Marianne Smith describes driving through Detroit to a school photo shoot in July, 1967.
Publisher
Detroit Historical Society
Date
07/15/2015
Rights
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Format
Text
Language
en-US
Type
Written Story
Coverage
Detroit, Michigan
Text
I grew up in Detroit on Elmira, between Mendota and Griggs. My Uncle Jim owned the Sinclair Gas Station on the corner of Elmira and Wyoming for most of my childhood. My parents bought the house my mom grew up in on Elmira. I was the eldest of 4; my siblings were triplets, a natural rare occurrence back in 1951. Their picture was in the Detroit News every year for several years of their childhood. We moved from Detroit to Livonia in 1964.
I attended Ladywood High School in Livonia and graduated in 1968. I was scheduled to have my senior pictures taken at a photo studio in Detroit the day after the riots started in July, 1967. My mom was really scared to drive me into the city but I insisted - I didn't want to miss having my senior pics taken. I remember driving into the city and seeing smoke everywhere and being really frightened and wondering what was happening to my city and what trouble I had brought on my mom and me. I was scared through the entire photo shoot and clearly I still have vivid memories of that entire period.
I attended Ladywood High School in Livonia and graduated in 1968. I was scheduled to have my senior pictures taken at a photo studio in Detroit the day after the riots started in July, 1967. My mom was really scared to drive me into the city but I insisted - I didn't want to miss having my senior pics taken. I remember driving into the city and seeing smoke everywhere and being really frightened and wondering what was happening to my city and what trouble I had brought on my mom and me. I was scared through the entire photo shoot and clearly I still have vivid memories of that entire period.
Original Format
email message
Submitter's Name
Marianne Smith
Submission Date
03/24/2015
Search Terms
Detroit News, Livonia, Ladywood High School,
Files
Collection
Citation
“Marianne Smith,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed October 13, 2024, https://detroit1967.detroithistorical.org/items/show/30.