Famous People Who Went Through Michigan Central Station in Detroit

Author Jonel Jaska

February 26th 10:15 AM

In  June, Michigan Central Station will reopen after more than 30 years of vacancy. Built in 1913, the station had trains running in and out of the City of Detroit for nearly 75 years before it closed in 1988.

Ford Motor Company bought the old train station in 2018 after it sat decaying for decades. Ford has been working to rehabilitate the property for the last 5 years as part of the Michigan Central Mobility Innovation District. The company worked closely with the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service to make sure that the building retained its history while being renovated.

In a statement, Michigan Central Station officials said, “We know Detroit and the world are eager to see how we’ve brought Michigan Central Station back to life. We are excited to show you the first glimpse of the station on June 6, 2024, as we celebrate its reopening.”

When it opens back up this summer, the station will reportedly include a coffee shop where drinks are served out of the old ticket windows, small shops, eating areas, spaces for education and an event space. Keep up on more news ahead of the Station reopening at their website here… https://michigancentral.com/

Thousands of travelers made their way through Michigan Central Station when train travel was at its most popular. They included vacationers, military members traveling to and from their station destinations and even some famous folks, including several Presidents of The United States. Check out some of the famous people who visited Michigan Central Station.

Actor Charlie Chaplin

English film actor and director Charlie Chaplin.

Inventor Thomas Edison

American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison with an Edison Standard Phonograph.

President Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, sitting at his desk.

President Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States from 1928 to 1932.

President Harry S. Truman

American statesman Harry S Truman, the 33rd President of the United States of America.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States from 1933-1945.

Artist Frida Kahlo

Guests view an Immersive Frida Kahlo Exhibit in San Francisco, California. The Mexican artist spent a number of years in Detroit with her husband Diego Rivera.

Artist Diego Rivera

Painter Diego Rivera. Famous for his murals depicting life and history of the Mexican people, including the Detroit Industry murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The Women Of The Civil Rights Movement

• Rosa Parks

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  Rosa Parks is mostly known for her role in initiating the Montgomery Bus Boycott. By refusing to give up her seat for a white passenger, Parks kicked off the Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her seat for a white passenger in 1955. The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted for a little over a year and was led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Segregation in the bus system was eventually overruled as unconstitutional in 1956. Parks debunked the rumor that she refused to give up her seat in her 1992 memoir Rosa Parks: My Story. "People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired," wrote Parks. "but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in."

• Coretta Scott King

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  While Coretta Scott King was Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife, she was not in her husband's shadow by any means. She had been interested in civil rights before she met King. She studied music at Antioch College, where she served on the NAACP chapter and Race Relations and Civil Liberties Committees. It was during her studies at the New England Conservatory in Boston that she met King and continued to fight for change. According to The Atlantic, Martin admitted that Coretta "educated him" about "anti-war advocacy," which complimented the theme of his peaceful protests. She also did not stay quiet about how the movement often tried to bury women's involvement. "Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul," the civil rights activist said. Even after the 1968 assignation of her husband, she continued to advocate for change by creating social programs and fighting for the rights of marginalized people.

• Diane Nash

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  Diane Nash was a student leader at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she participated in the student-led sit-in. She was a founding member of the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and also was a Freedom Rider during the bus boycotts. She also worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) for voting registration. The SCLC was known for holding large marches like the ones in Birmingham and Selma. She spearheaded the Selma march and walked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For all of her life's work, which included the fight for equality, Black voting rights, fair housing, and the antiwar movement, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 by President Joe Biden.
• Dorothy Height

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  Dorothy Height was one of the organizers of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In her career, she fought for gender equality and gained great knowledge in organizing. After her studies at New York University, she became a social worker for Harlem Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). She was the leader of the organization for 40 years. Her organizing skills were so excellent that she was called to help by former presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1989, she received the Citizens Medal Award from President Ronald Reagan.

• Myrlie Evers-Williams

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  Like Coretta, Myrlie Evers was also married to a civil rights icon while also being one herself. Myrlie was married to Medgar Evans, who was assassinated in June of 1963. The couple has three children, and on the day of his murder, she was inside their home with them when he was shot and killed in the driveway by a Ku Klux Klan member. She wrote about her life, the murder of her husband, and the civil rights movement in For Us, the Living in 1967. As for Myrlie's impact on the Civil Rights Movement, she was a field secretary for the NAACP before she became the first woman to chair the organization, a position she held until 1998. She also campaigned for voter's rights and desegregation in Mississippi. And, she delivered the invocation for Former President Barack Obama's second inauguration.

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Author Jonel Jaska

Category:

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Tags:

Diego Rivera,Frida Kahlo,Michigan Central Station,President of the United States