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Welcome To Beautiful Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan: home of General Motors and the birthplace of the United Auto Workers Union. I was born here in 1960. My grandfathers, uncles and my dad all worked in the factories. My great grandfather participated in the great sit-down strikes in 1936/37.
Flint's heyday, in the mid-20th century, created a middle class of factory line workers who were very well-paid and very ill-educated. The plant closings started in the 80's, Michael Moore's film, "Roger & Me", documented the sociopolitical impact of factory closures during this time. GM continued to downsize until well into the 21st century, ruining the infrastructure of the community.
Flint's crime-rate was documented, in 2007, as the third worst in the United States. The next year, when gas prices climbed past the $5.00-a-gallon mark, the fallout caused the eventual bankruptcy of GM. Flint has taken a turn for the worst and is fading fast. I've been documenting the city's decline since 2007 in photographs of building structures, roads, factory demolitions, etc.
Flint's heyday, in the mid-20th century, created a middle class of factory line workers who were very well-paid and very ill-educated. The plant closings started in the 80's, Michael Moore's film, "Roger & Me", documented the sociopolitical impact of factory closures during this time. GM continued to downsize until well into the 21st century, ruining the infrastructure of the community.
Flint's crime-rate was documented, in 2007, as the third worst in the United States. The next year, when gas prices climbed past the $5.00-a-gallon mark, the fallout caused the eventual bankruptcy of GM. Flint has taken a turn for the worst and is fading fast. I've been documenting the city's decline since 2007 in photographs of building structures, roads, factory demolitions, etc.
4 comments:
More great photos. The ones from downtown are beautiful. And one of the abandoned houses looked almost like a postcard (it didn't have the windows boarded up). Is it possible to post a photo of the "Grand Funk Railroad" on the tressle bridge and the big block everyone paints off I-69 at Hammerberg and 12th?
Would like to add that some of these items are on Google Maps and Bing street views, including buildings that have been torn down. It's unknown how long these street views will be like this before they take new ones. Case in point - GM at Dort and Davison. I wish they had more street views down the side streets. Makes it nice to find a house for genealogical purposes in the safety of our own homes.
You know, there is a LOT of beauty in Flint. I personally can see it in the photos that come off so negative on this blog. Some of what you depict is cleaned up. Some is going on to another life such as the Durant Hotel to soon be college housing. I have lived here for 57 years both in Flint and surrounding areas. Why don't you go out and find that beauty too? It's the negativity in our lives that drags us all down.
Personally, I would have mentioned what each photo was-such as street address, business when last viable etc. It gives those who have left the area a little more perspective. I really love some of the architecture of the era of some buildings. Incredible workmanship and very savable to someone who can see it and wants to save it.
When I think of Flint, it's about Walker, Whittier, McKinley and Flint Tech that prepared me for my 4 years at G.M.I. and 16 1/2 years at Buick Factory 70, upon graduation from H.S. and my first job in the Foundry before I started at GMI.
The last time I was in Flint was following the death of my wife of 50 years (Connie Yuill) and to visit my Mother who is now 98 YO. It is truly a shame to observe what's left. No factories, auto plants and all the accessory divisions and NO foundries.
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