Misplaced Pages

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79-487: Since the late 1920s, Alclad has been produced as an aviation-grade material, being first used by the sector in the construction of the ZMC-2 airship . The material has significantly more resistance to corrosion than most aluminium-based alloys, for only a modest increase in weight, making Alclad attractive for building various elements of aircraft, such as the fuselage, structural members, skin, and cowling . Accordingly, it became

158-437: A day, seven days a week, once the hull was started. The riveting machine fed three small aluminum wires from large spools to make a seam about a quarter inch wide composed of three rivets, one above the other in a staggered pattern. In theory the machine could sew about 50 feet of seam in an hour, but in practice about 10 or more feet was the average. The sheets of Alclad used were eight to nine thousandths of an inch thick. As

237-457: A ferryboat on Stony Island (one of the islands near the east shoreline of Grosse Ile's "main island"). Once on the ferryboat, the train cars were taken to Ontario, Canada across the river, where they were put back on a rail track to travel to Buffalo, New York and other points east. Canada Southern operated trains on this route for about ten years before ceasing service due to financial difficulties. After Canada Southern ended its operations,

316-499: A flying school at the airport. The Aircraft Development Corporation built the world's first all-metal airship , the ZMC-2 , for the Navy in a large hangar. Amelia Earhart is rumored to have stopped at the airfield on occasion. Grosse Ile was the home of a U.S. Navy base for forty years. The U.S. Naval Air Station Grosse Ile opened in 1929 after three years of construction of seaplane and dirigible facilities. During World War II ,

395-472: A heavy gas that mixes less freely with helium and which is easier to separate from helium. Once filled with CO 2 the helium could be pumped in under pressure from valves at the top of the chamber, forcing the CO 2 out through valves located on the bottom, and then recovering any helium that did mix with it. Only a few weeks before this procedure was to begin a bright young engineer noted that once filled with CO 2

474-518: A key role in the Clive Cussler novel Cyclops (1986) in which it is fictionally saved from scrapping and renamed Prosperteer . Grosse Ile Township, Michigan Grosse Ile Township is a civil township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan . The population was 10,777 at the 2020 census . The township encompasses several islands in the Detroit River , of which the largest

553-489: A local industrialist. Chief of hull design was the young Czech-American designer Vladimir Pavlecka . The airship was constructed in a special hangar built in 1925 for the construction of the ZMC-2, and expandable for the construction of much larger metal-clad airships the company envisioned would be produced later. The hangar was 120 feet (37 m) tall, with a floor that measured 120 by 180 feet (37 by 55 m). It remained

632-617: A lower weight than Alclad, it is more prone to corrosion; the alternating use of the two materials is often defined by the specific components or elements that are composed of them. In aviation-grade Alclad, the thickness of the outer cladding layer typically varies between 1% and 15% of the total thickness. ZMC-2 The ZMC-2 (Zeppelin Metal Clad 200,000 cubic foot capacity) was the only successfully operated metal-skinned airship ever built. Constructed at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile by The Aircraft Development Corporation of Detroit,

711-407: A neutral pH value and finer abrasives are recommended for cleaning and polishing Alclad surfaces. It is common for waterproof wax and other inhibitive coverings to be applied to further reduce corrosion. In the twenty-first century, research and evaluation was underway into new coatings and application techniques. Alclad sheeting has become a widely used material within the aviation industry for

790-462: A relatively popular material for aircraft manufacturing. The material was described in NACA -TN-259 of August 1927, as "a new corrosion resistant aluminium product which is markedly superior to the present strong alloys. Its use should result in greatly increased life of a structural part. Alclad is a heat-treated aluminium, copper, manganese, magnesium alloy that has the corrosion resistance of pure metal at

869-588: A roadway that is now known as Grosse Ile Parkway. The Wayne County Bridge is commonly referred to as the "Free Bridge" by residents because of it does not charge a toll. Today, about three-quarters of the vehicle traffic going to and from Grosse Ile travels over the Wayne County Bridge, while one-quarter crosses the Toll Bridge. The Toll Bridge has been hit twice by lake freighters , causing it to close temporarily (in 1965 and in 1992). The Wayne County Bridge

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948-597: A salt water environment, the exact sort of environment a Navy blimp operates in. The ZMC-2 was the first aircraft constructed from Alclad in the US, and no previous experience could be drawn upon for its handling. To assemble the ZMC-2 a skin-riveting machine was developed by the Aviation Tool Co. , a division of the Detroit Aircraft Corporation . The device was invented by Edward J. Hill, who had come to work on

1027-513: A symbol of Grosse Ile; its image is used on the masthead of the Ile Camera community newspaper and many other places. The lighthouse's beacon was turned off in the 1940s, and the structure is no longer an important navigation aid for lake freighters . Small boaters still refer to the lighthouse in their navigation of the area. In 1965, the Grosse Ile Township purchased the lighthouse from

1106-463: A voter-approved dedicated local property tax to buy undeveloped land. The township acquired large tracts of environmentally sensitive land to slow the pace of development, preserve the environment, and protect housing values. In 1993, a group of residents established a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization named the Grosse Ile Land & Nature Conservancy, to aid in the protection and stewardship of

1185-541: Is Downriver's oldest theatre club and one of the oldest civic theatre groups in the state of Michigan. The club has been active on Grosse Ile since 1925, when friends and neighbors developed a means of entertainment during the long Michigan winters. The first major play was produced on May 21, 1926, by a group of 40 founding members. Grosse Ile social clubs include the Grosse Ile Yacht Club, the Ford Yacht Club,

1264-602: Is its high corrosion resistance. However, considerable care must be taken while working on an Alclad-covered exterior surface, such as while cleaning the skin of an aircraft, to avoid scarring the surface to expose the vulnerable alloy underneath and prematurely age those elements. Due to its relatively shiny natural finish, it is often considered to be cosmetically pleasing when used for external elements, particularly during restoration efforts. It has been observed that some fabrication techniques, such as welding , are not suitable when used in conjunction with Alclad. Mild cleaners with

1343-582: Is named Hennepin Point in his honor. French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his convoy of 25 canoes sailed down the Detroit River and camped on the shore of Grosse Ile during the evening of July 23, 1701. On the morning of July 24, Cadillac returned upriver and landed ashore, where he claimed French possession of the territory under the authority of King Louis XIV . This site is in present-day Detroit, near

1422-609: Is named as Grosse Ile . Named by French explorers in 1679, Grosse Île means "Big Island". Later taken under British rule after 1763, the island was not settled by European Americans until after the United States achieved independence in the American Revolutionary War . Grosse Ile Township was organized in 1914 after it split away from Monguagon Township . According to the United States Census Bureau ,

1501-531: Is one of the oldest farms in Michigan still owned by the same family. Most of the original buildings at Westcroft Gardens are still standing and well preserved. Macomb Street of the central business district of Grosse Ile was named in honor of Alexander and William Macomb. A monument commemorating the day that the tribal chiefs and elders signed the deed to the Macomb brothers is located at the foot of Gray's Drive and near

1580-457: Is technically composed of two islands. Grosse Ile Township is one of only seven municipalities in the state of Michigan to consist entirely of islands, including St. James Township , Drummond Township , Bois Blanc Township (in northern Michigan, not to be confused with the nearby Bois Blanc Island , which is in Canada), Mackinac Island , Peaine Township , and Sugar Island Township . The tip of

1659-472: Is the Red Devil. In 2001, Grosse Ile was ranked the highest out of 88 school districts in Michigan by The Detroit News . The U.S. Census Bureau also defined Grosse Ile Township as a census-designated place (CDP) in the 2000 Census so that the community would appear on the list of places (like cities and villages) as well on the list of county subdivisions (like other townships). The final statistics for

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1738-537: The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) operated a train that provided service between the island and Trenton, Michigan . From Trenton, travelers could connect with trains or streetcars to Detroit and other cities in the region. In 1904, the Michigan Central Railroad built a small brick and stone depot along the tracks near East River Road on the east side of the island. Train service peaked during

1817-513: The Prohibition era , Grosse Ile became a crossing point for bootleggers illegally smuggling alcoholic beverages from Canada . They typically arrived at the island via small speed boats. During the winter months, some daring smugglers drove cars across the frozen river. During the 1920s and 1930s, a small airport on the southern end of Grosse Ile was the location of historic early aviation activities. The Curtiss-Wright Flying Service operated

1896-586: The U.S. Department of the Interior for $ 350, with funds provided by the Grosse Ile Historical Society (GIHS). The GIHS was given the responsibility to preserve and maintain the lighthouse. The GIHS annually holds a tour of the lighthouse during a weekend each fall, which is the only time of the year that it is open to the public. Island resident Cameron Waterman invented the outboard motor and successfully tested his invention during February 1905 in

1975-631: The "Top 100 Best Places to Live" in 2009. The annual "Islandfest" (formerly " Azalea Festival") takes place around Grosse Ile Municipal Airport. On the same site as Islandfest, the Grosse Ile Youth Recreational Association (GIYRA), a 501c3 charity, runs a haunted house every Halloween . GIYRA coordinates the youth sporting events for the island children. The sports offered by GIYRA are Football and Cheer, Flag Football, Basketball, Baseball and Softball. The island has an indoor tennis facility: six courts inside an old hangar at

2054-516: The 1840s to 1860s, that are outstanding examples of period architecture, particularly Gothic Revival and Jacobethan Revival. Grosse Ile has good views of commercial shipping and pleasure boat traffic on the Detroit River. Lake freighters and oceangoing ships traveling to destinations around the Great Lakes regularly pass near the east side of the island, where the main channel of the Detroit River separates Grosse Ile from Ontario, Canada. While

2133-404: The 1920 U.S. Census . The majority of houses were located around the perimeter of the island and main roads crossed the community chiefly in either a north–south or east–west direction. In 1894, the federal government funded and constructed a series of channel range lights to assist ships to avoid shallow areas in the Detroit River and its shoreline. The northernmost of the channel range lights

2212-791: The Elba-Mar Boat Club, the Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club, West Shore Golf Course, Water's Edge Golf Course, the Kiwanis Club of Grosse Ile, and the Grosse Ile Rotary Club (founded in 1947). Grosse Ile Township Schools serves the township. On the island, there are two elementary schools: Parke Lane Elementary which serves grades K-2nd, and Meridian Elementary which serves grades 3rd-5th. The Grosse Ile Middle School enrolls students in 6–8, and Grosse Ile High School provides college preparatory education for grades 9–12. Their mascot

2291-566: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Calf Island is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge . The other islands are privately owned. The low-lying Mamajuda Island is off the northeastern tip of Grosse Ile and is visible only during times of low water level. Two bridges connect the main island to the mainland of Michigan. The bridge on

2370-496: The Michigan side of the Detroit River to Sugar Island. During this era and into the early 20th century, a number of wealthy residents from Detroit and other nearby towns built summer homes along the shoreline (mainly on the southern end) of Grosse Ile in order to enjoy views of the Detroit River or Lake Erie . The interior section of the island was sparsely populated, as most of the land was undeveloped woodlands or part of farms. The residential population of Grosse Ile totaled 802 at

2449-529: The Navy's requirement of a 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) top speed. Later, after the ZMC-2 had attained this speed with ease, the ball was replaced with a conventional swivelling soft tire. The crew consisted of a pilot, copilot and flight engineer-navigator, with space for one or two additional passengers. The ZMC-2 was constructed out of Alclad , corrosion resistant aluminium sheet formed from high-purity aluminium surface layers metallurgically bonded to high strength aluminium alloy core material. The result

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2528-463: The U.S. Navy had for future dirigibles. The $ 4.5 million need for construction was never approved by Congress. The ZMC-2 was operated with a zero internal pressure at speeds up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h), sufficient for it to be considered a 'rigid' airship. With its low fineness ratio of 2.83, the ZMC-2 was difficult to fly. By 1936, the airship had travelled over 80,000 miles (130,000 km) with little sign of corrosion. In its lifetime

2607-614: The ZMC-2 after leaving the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. The machine consisted of an aluminum casting, weighing about 100 pounds, and was supported on springs from a framework that ran on concentric circular rails set into the floor of the hangar. There were two sets of circular rails, one at each end of the building. Three riveting machines were made, one for each set of tracks, and one for reserve when repairs might be needed. The reason for two sets of tracks

2686-415: The ZMC-2 logged 752 flights and 2265 hours of flight time. In its final years its use had dropped significantly. Between December 1938 and April 1941 it only logged five hours of flight time. Considered by the Navy as too small for anti-submarine patrols, the aging ZMC-2 was decommissioned and scrapped in 1941 after nearly 12 years of service. General characteristics Performance The ZMC-2 plays

2765-539: The ZMC-2 was operated by the U.S. Navy at Lakehurst, New Jersey from 1929 until its scrapping in 1941. While at Lakehurst it completed 752 flights, and logged 2265 hours of flight time. The ZMC-2 was built in Grosse Ile, Michigan by the Aircraft Development Corporation, a division of Detroit Aircraft Corporation , on a site shared with, and later acquired by Naval Air Station Grosse Ile . The ZMC-2

2844-471: The ZMC-2 would be many thousands of pounds heavier than when filled with air. The rest of the airship's assembly had to be postponed for several weeks while additional reinforcing panels and stronger connectors were attached in order to support the increased weight of the CO 2 filled airship. The airship was first flown on August 19, 1929, and transferred to Lakehurst, New Jersey in October 1929. The airship

2923-416: The city's municipal airport. The Grosse Ile Soccer Association coordinates the township's soccer league. The rapidly expanding soccer association, which started by hosting a recreational league, has expanded into a larger association. The Grosse Ile Soccer Association has more than 15 select travel / premier level teams on top of the in-house recreational program. Grosse Ile's community theatre, The Islanders,

3002-489: The construction of aircraft due to its favourable qualities, such as a high fatigue resistance and its strength. During the first half of the twentieth century, substantial studies were conducted into the corrosion qualities of various lightweight aluminium alloys for aviation purposes. The first aircraft to be constructed from Alclad was the all-metal US Navy airship ZMC-2 , which was constructed in 1927 at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile . Prior to this, aluminium had been used on

3081-572: The current site in 1980 from Macomb Street. The GIHS also owns the Custom House, and these are the only structures in the National Historic District along East River Road that are regularly open to the public. The district features Saint James Episcopal Church , the oldest church building on the island, constructed during 1867 in part with funds provided by a freed slave named Elizabeth Denison . The district includes six homes, built from

3160-556: The diverse natural resources on the island. A number of private owners donated environmentally important woodland and wetland areas to the Conservancy to protect them (and to get a tax write-off.) The U.S. EPA granted stewardship responsibilities to the Conservancy for a 40.5-acre (16.4 ha) marsh and upland area on the federally owned section of the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport. This tract of land, which at one time

3239-401: The each section of the hull grew internal annular rings were added at appropriate distances to give stiffness and reinforcement to the hull skin. In addition, lightweight longitudinal channels were added between the circular rings, giving the internal structure the appearance of a huge bird cage. The helium gas was contained by the hull only, no fabric was used to contain the helium. Inside

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3318-476: The early 20th century, but rapidly declined after Edward W. Voigt 's Grosse Ile Bridge Company opened the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge for automobile traffic on November 27, 1913 (Thanksgiving Day). The bridge, which is privately owned, is on the west side of the island and connects to the city of Riverview . After automobile traffic crossing the bridge became the most popular means of traveling to and from

3397-407: The expense of increased weight when compared to sheet aluminium. As pure aluminium possesses a relatively greater resistance to corrosion over the majority of aluminium alloys, it was soon recognised that a thin coating of pure aluminium over the exterior surface of those alloys would take advantage of the superior qualities of both materials. Thus, a key advantage of Alclad over most aluminium alloys

3476-502: The founders of the European-American community on the island. Settlement started in the 19th century. At least three homes still standing on the island were built during this period by a descendant or relative of the Macomb brothers. The Rucker Homestead, the oldest structure in use on Grosse Ile, has portions that date to 1816. The front structure was added by John Anthony Rucker in 1835. The Rucker-Stanton House on West River Road

3555-545: The height of the Cold War , in 1954 the U.S. Army installed an Ajax-Nike missile base at the airfield; it was functional until being decommissioned in 1963. The Navy closed the base during November 1969. The federal government transferred it in 1971 to the township government for civilian use as a municipal airport. Today, the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport is used primarily for general aviation. It has also been

3634-421: The hull were two large airbag cells, called ballonets , made of rubberized fabric and containing air. These cells could be expanded or contracted to control pressure as the helium expanded or contracted with the heating or cooling of the atmosphere or to adapt to changes of atmospheric pressure with altitude, and to control fore and aft trim. In operation the ZMC-2 was susceptible to heating and cooling effects of

3713-640: The ice-filled Detroit River off the shore of Grosse Ile. He established the Waterman Marine Motor Company in Detroit. The company eventually manufactured and sold up to 1,000 outboard motors per year until Waterman sold the business in 1917. During the fall of 2005, the GIHS celebrated the 100th anniversary of Waterman's invention by hosting a public exhibition featuring fully restored Waterman outboard motors. These are highly collectible and very rare. During

3792-518: The island, the Michigan Central Railroad ceased daily passenger service in early 1924; in 1929 it ended its occasional freight service. During 1931, the county government converted the Michigan Central Railroad's defunct rail bridge crossing the Trenton Channel into the Wayne County Bridge for use by vehicular, bike and pedestrian traffic. The rail tracks across the island were replaced by

3871-472: The islands. By the late 19th century, Grosse Ile was known as a popular destination for recreational boaters. It was also served by steamboats operating from Detroit and small towns along the river and lakes. During this time period, Sugar Island, which is one of the twelve islands commonly considered to comprise Grosse Ile, featured an amusement park, dance pavilion, and bathing beach. Paddle steamers regularly carried people from Detroit and other points along

3950-523: The largest structure on the Naval Air Station property until 1960, when it was dismantled and the roof reused in the construction of a bowling alley in nearby Trenton, Michigan . The ZMC-2 was nicknamed the " Tin Bubble" and was also sometimes called a "tinship". The skin was not tin but Alclad . The airship was roughly teardrop shaped and had eight small stabilizer fins, four of which had rudders . It

4029-536: The main channel of the Detroit River with the Trenton Channel of the river. The southern section of the main island is connected by bridges to Elba Island, Meso Island (also known as Upper Hickory Island), Hickory Island, and Swan Island, which are all inhabited. Not far from the shoreline of the main island in the river lie Calf Island, Celeron Island (charted as Tawas Island), Dynamite (also known as Powder House Island), Fox Island, Stony Island, and Sugar Island , which are all uninhabited. Stony and Celeron are owned by

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4108-489: The main island's northern section is named Hennepin Point in honor of the 17th-century French explorer Father Louis Hennepin . It is uninhabited and separated from the remainder of the northern section by an unnamed canal that cannot be navigated in a power boat. The southern section of the main island is separated from the northern section by the Thorofare Canal, which runs on a diagonal course from east to west connecting

4187-400: The naval base developed into an important center for military flight training . The base was expanded considerably to accommodate large numbers of American and British fliers who trained on the island. As a young man during WWII, George H. W. Bush was stationed at the base for training during 1945 for about two months. He later became a politician and President of the United States. During

4266-400: The north end of the island is called the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge (off-white color). The bridge on the south end of the island is officially named the Wayne County Bridge (light green in color), but is commonly called the "Free Bridge" by locals. The Potawatomi occupied areas of the island, which they called Kitcheminishen , for a long period prior to European encounter. They were one of

4345-417: The pioneering zeppelins constructed by Ferdinand Zeppelin . Alclad has been most commonly present in certain elements of an aircraft, including the fuselage, structural members, skin, and cowls . The aluminium alloy that Alclad is derived from has become one of the most commonly used of all aluminium-based alloys. While unclad aluminium has also continued to be extensively used on modern aircraft, which has

4424-503: The present intersection of West Jefferson and Shelby streets. Grosse Ile maintained its own name and identity as a community through the 18th century. The British established control of the island and present-day Michigan in 1763 after their victory in the French and Indian War . They anglicized the spelling to "Grosse Isle". Although the Potawatomi, like most Native Americans , did not have

4503-417: The rate of residential development, given its advantageous location and other amenities. By the 1980 census, the population of Grosse Ile had increased to approximately 9,300— about 106% over its population in the 1960 census. Fearing the destruction of the natural character and small-town charm of the community, during the early 1990s the Grosse Ile Township established an "Open Space Program", to be funded by

4582-522: The same sense of property ownership as did Europeans and Americans, they considered the island to be part of their ancestral lands. On July 6, 1776, they deeded the island to brothers Alexander and William Macomb , brothers from Albany who had become leading fur traders and merchants in Detroit , partly from selling supplies to the British at Fort Detroit and the local Indian Department. They are considered to be

4661-487: The ship Le Griffon in exploring the Great Lakes . The Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church on Grosse Ile says that Father Hennepin came ashore and said mass at a location on the east shore of the island near the present site of St. Anne's Chapel. No record exists of this event, but Father Hennepin wrote in his journals about the fruit orchards and wild animals on Grosse Ile, showing he was here. The north end of Grosse Ile

4740-524: The shoreline areas of Grosse Ile feature the majority of historically significant places and structures, approximately a dozen 1920s-era homes in the Jewell Colony subdivision, located in the middle of the island, are listed on the Michigan Register of Historic Places. Jewell Colony was the first planned subdivision on the island. During the later 20th century, Grosse Ile had a significant increase in

4819-614: The shoreline of the Detroit River . The original deed, which was written on parchment , is stored in the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library . Boating has been both a means of transportation and recreation since the first residents lived on the island. Native Americans used canoes to travel between Grosse Ile's islands and the mainland in Michigan and Canada. Early European settlers primarily used sail-powered vessels to travel to and from

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4898-480: The site of public airshows. Occasionally it serves as a temporary docking area for blimps that visit southeastern Michigan to fly over major sporting events. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) operated the Large Lakes Research Station in one of the buildings on the airport grounds, until its closure in 2019. The airport campus is also the site of Grosse Ile Township Hall, which

4977-405: The sun causing it to pop and buckle in the evenings if pressure from blowers was not applied. During its service life the ZMC-2 was found to have a gas diffusion rate much lower than that of fabric-hulled blimps, meaning that a much longer time would pass before additional helium needed to be added. As the airship neared completion a decision had to be made on how best to fill it with helium. Once

5056-495: The surface and the strength of the strong alloy underneath. Of particular importance is the thorough character of the union between the alloy and the pure aluminium. Preliminary results of salt spray tests (24 weeks of exposure) show changes in tensile strength and elongation of Alclad 17ST, when any occurred, to be so small as to be well within the limits of experimental error." In applications involving aircraft construction, Alclad has proven to have increased resistance to corrosion at

5135-547: The time a successor might have been built, there was little interest in pursuing it. In the year before the Depression, the U.S. Army was seeking funding for an airship based on the ZMC-2, that would have been larger than the German Graf Zeppelin , and powered by eight engines of 600–800  hp (450–600  kW ; 610–810  PS )}. The U.S. Army planned to use it as a tender for air-launched aircraft, similar to plans

5214-442: The township has a total area of 18.67 square miles (48.36 km ), of which 9.20 square miles (23.83 km ) is land and 9.47 square miles (24.53 km ) (50.72%) is water. Grosse Ile is the largest island on the Detroit River . The township of Grosse Ile is composed of twelve islands, although the community is most often identified with the main island (which residents simply refer to as "The Island"). Grosse Ile's main island

5293-629: The tribes in the Council of Three Fires. The flags of three nations—France, England, and the United States—have flown over Detroit and Grosse Ile since the first French explorers visited the island during the late 17th century. The early French explorers named the island as la grosse île —the "big island" in French. Father Louis Hennepin , a Catholic priest and missionary, accompanied fellow French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679 on

5372-410: The two halves were completed they were suspended horizontally from cables attached to the hangar ceiling, and the two halves were joined with a final array of rivets. Since helium mixes freely with air and is hard to separate from it, it was impractical to pump helium directly into the airship until the air was removed. It was decided that the airship would first be filled with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ),

5451-436: Was about as strong as carbon or mild steel. The downside was that Alclad was thicker than sheet aluminum, making the ship several hundred pounds heavier than originally envisioned. The aircraft was already under construction, and over 20 feet of the nose completed using duraluminum when the decision was made to switch to Alclad. The reason for the switch was that duraluminum is highly susceptible to corrosion, particularly in

5530-500: Was built in 1848 by the great-grandson of William Macomb. The Wendell House on East River Road was built in the late 1860s by John Wendell, who married a granddaughter of William Macomb. Westcroft Gardens, a Michigan Centennial Farm located on West River Road, is operated by descendants of the Macombs. Westcroft, which is open to the public, features a nursery well known for growing and selling hybrid azaleas and rhododendrons . Westcroft

5609-457: Was closed to vehicle traffic for major renovations between May 2, 2007, and December 21, 2007. During the 2007 county bridge closure period, the Toll Bridge provided the only route for vehicles to travel to and from the island. Today, the MCR train depot is owned and operated as a community museum by the Grosse Ile Historical Society (GIHS). Nearby is the old U.S. Customs House , which was relocated to

5688-424: Was held together with over 3.5 million rivets , which were applied by an innovative sewing machine-like device which produced airtight seams. The ZMC-2 was 52 feet (16 m) in diameter and 150 feet (46 m) feet long. The control car was 24 feet (7.3 m) feet long by 6 feet (1.8 m) feet wide. It contained three fuel tanks to give a maximum cruising range of about 600 miles (970 km). The ZMC-2

5767-567: Was moved to this location in 2000 from Macomb Street, and a number of private businesses. In 1873 the Canada Southern Bridge Company, a subsidiary of the Canada Southern Railroad Company , established a railroad from the Michigan mainland to the island that carried both passengers and freight. The company laid tracks across Grosse Ile and built bridges over the Detroit River to enable trains to be transferred to

5846-509: Was nicknamed "the Tin Blimp". Its first Navy skipper was Red Dugan, who expressed reluctance at operating the airship, believing it unsafe. Dugan's concerns were proven wrong, though he later lost his life in the crash of another airship, Akron . It was considered very successful as a sub-scale test vehicle, but the company that built it did not weather the Great Depression well, and by

5925-425: Was powered by two Wright Whirlwind J5 engines of 200 horsepower (150 kW) each, carried on outriggers and mounted in a tractor arrangement, rather than the pusher position usually employed on blimps. At first the landing gear was an unusual hollow steel ball about the size and shape of an American football, mounted on a tripod attached to the car. This was done to create a shape with less drag in order to guarantee

6004-432: Was that the hull was built in two sections, front and rear. Each end started from a circular plate suspended from the hangar roof by a cable and free to rotate as each 18-inch (46 cm) wide strip Alclad was added. In this manner, each end of the ship slowly grew as succeeding rows were added, looking like a bulls eye at first and later like a huge inverted teacup. Both sections were under construction continuously 24 hours

6083-470: Was the Grosse Ile Light, which is now the only lighthouse remaining on the island. The original 1894 Grosse Ile lighthouse resembled a water tower on stilts, as it was constructed on wooden pilings along with a 170-foot (52 m) walkway to shore. It was rebuilt in 1906 and designed as the classic white structure that has become one of the iconic landmarks on the island. The lighthouse is considered

6162-661: Was the brainchild of Ralph Hazlett Upson , a balloonist and engineer who had previously won the Gordon Bennett Cup for balloon racing in Europe, bringing the cup to the United States for the first time. Upson teamed up with Carl B. Fritsche of Detroit and together they formed the Detroit Aircraft Corporation, with backing from Henry Ford and Edsel Ford , as well as Charles Kettering of General Motors , Alex Dow, president of Detroit Edison , and William B. Stout ,

6241-567: Was the location of the Navy's seaplane base and later the Army's Nike missile base, has been restored to its natural state; it features rich biodiversity and rare coastal wetlands. Named the Nature Area by the Conservancy, this land is periodically used by local teachers and Boy Scout groups to teach children about nature and the importance of conservation. Grosse Ile is a community of about 10,371 residents. Money magazine ranked Grosse Ile as one of

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