July 24, 1701

Detroit was founded.

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and about one hundred soldiers and workers arrived after a six-week canoe trip from Montreal. The Frenchmen landed on a sandy beach at the foot of a thirty-foot bluff along the Detroit River. Here, Cadillac built a log fort that he named Ponchartrain du De Troit. Soon, the settlement’s name was shortened to Detroit.

Thank you Michigan History Magazine for this glimpse into our past.  See more at www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.