Ecorse Historical Society

01/22/2026

DEEETROIT BASKETBALL, PISTONS PLAYING !!

10/20/2025

DID YOU KNOW...

French
Before the arrival of French settlers in the early 1700s, the area now known as Ecorse, Michigan was home to several Indigenous peoples who thrived along the Detroit River and surrounding waterways. These groups were part of the broader Algonquian linguistic family and included:

🌿 Indigenous Peoples of the Ecorse Region
Potawatomi: Occupied much of southwestern Michigan, including areas near the St. Joseph River and extending toward the Detroit River. They practiced agriculture and lived in semi-permanent villages.

Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox): Lived in the Saginaw Valley and eastern parts of the Lower Peninsula. They were known for their mobility and resistance to European encroachment.

Kickapoo: Also present in eastern Michigan, though they later migrated westward.

Mascouten: Inhabited territory stretching from the Saginaw drainage to Lake Michigan. Their name means “Little Prairie People”.

Miami: Lived near the southern shore of Lake Michigan and along the St. Joseph River before moving toward Ohio.

Ojibwe (Chippewa): Ancestors of bands in the western Upper Peninsula, they were more prevalent in northern Michigan but had influence throughout the region.

Huron (Wyandot): Migrated into southeastern Michigan from Ontario and were known for their complex social structures and trade networks.

These communities used the river valleys for transportation, cultivated crops like corn, beans, and squash, and left behind burial mounds and other archaeological traces. Their seasonal movements and rich cultural traditions laid the foundation for the region’s later development.

(SOURCE: https://michiganology.org)
SOURCE: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/resources/indigenous-education/indigenous-communities-in-michigan/tribal-nations-in-michigan

*Pic below is of the Chippewa (Ojibwe) people.

10/18/2025

10/18/2025

SAVE THE DATE!

The Ecorse Historical Society will be hosting our Annual Tree Lighting on December 5, 2025 at 6:00 pm at John D. Dingell Park, 4501 W. Jefferson Ave, Ecorse, MI 48229

WE CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND!!!

10/12/2025

ECORSE: Franklin's - 1970s

The five and dime store was located at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Josephine street. Remember walking there to get bubbles, jacks army men, bolo bats and so much more. Those were the days! 🙂

10/12/2025

ECORSE: Fire Department - May 8, 1959

(Source & Copyright Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University) https://library.wayne.edu/reuther/

10/12/2025

ECORSE: Dismantling Mill Street bridge - 1988

After having been closed due to unsafe conditions since the 1970s and with no money available for its refurbishment, the Mill Street bridge comes down.

10/12/2025

ECORSE: Ciungan's Shrimp House fire - 1987

Fire would end up gutting this iconic landmark on Southfield Road just west of Jefferson Avenue in October 1987. The photo was marked October 3 when processed. Ciungan's was began by Eli and Virgil Ciungan 39 years prior. Virgil would later become an area judge. Christine, a daughter, brought the famous shrimp recipe with her to Lloyd's Bar of Grosse Ile, where it is currently a special served on Saturdays only.

(Source: Historical Images)