These are just a few of the thousands of messages that have been painted on The Flint Block, a concrete structure at 12th Street and Hammerburg Road – messages of hope, memorials to lost loved ones, birthday and anniversary messages. For years, community members and graffiti artists have been painting the iconic Flint landmark.
Here is a fun look at MCM’s July cover photoshoot. Our photographer caught the action over several hours as graffiti artist (lawyer by day), Charles Boike, turned The Block into an awesome work of art!
For many years, the Buick Open PGA Golf Tournament, sponsored by General Motors, was Genesee County’s premiere summer happening. The week-long tournament not only provided a significant annual boost to the local economy, but also raised hundreds and thousands of dollars for local charities. The tournament ended in 2009, the same year GM went bankrupt.
For thousands and thousands of Flint area residents, their first experience “behind the wheel” of a car was at IMA Safetyville, which opened at Kearsley Park Playland in 1963. And it was one of those special experiences that evoked many fond childhood memories. My City Magazine dug into the Sloan Museum archives to find out why it was so popular. Much of the information found was from articles published in the Flint Journal.
With over 3,000 “likes” and momentum continuing to build, the “Sherwood Forest, Davison, MI” Facebook page brings this unique venue far closer than anything I might convey. Keep this in mind for an immediate supplemental link as soon as you finish reading this issue of My City.
“The theater was a big player in Flint. It was a big deal! People would be lined up all the way up Saginaw Street waiting to get in.”
Walking into The Whiting on the rich, red carpet evokes a sense of anticipation – the feeling that something very special is about to happen when the curtain finally opens. The building at the heart of Flint’s Cultural Center holds very special memories for many people – for many different reasons. Perhaps your high school graduation ceremony was there, you danced in your first recital, listened to the Flint Symphony Orchestra perform, saw your first Broadway show, a musical or a rock concert.
Bishop International Airport has evolved considerably over the years – from just a dirt road and a dream into a state-of-the-art facility that has flown more than 1.9 million passengers in a nine-year period.
Yes, the late, great IMA Auditorium as it is referred to by Flint Expatriates holds a lot of memories for many people – from Jimi Hendrix concerts to the Shrine Circus, and everything in between. According to author Gary Flinn’s book Remembering Flint, the auditorium had seating for 6,000 people and was the premier venue for concerts, stage shows, dances, lectures, sporting events, exhibitions, and the Shrine Circus for many decades. The six-story structure was built by the Industrial Mutual Association in 1929 for $1.2 million on the former site of the Randall Lumber and Coal Company, and the previous site of the Crapo Sawmill.
Sweet memories from the past. When looking back at downtown Flint, Smith Bridgman’s Department Store evokes fond memories for many people – special lunches in the restaurant, people-watching from the mezzanine, buying a wedding gown and riding an escalator for the first time. It evokes memories of magical Christmas window displays and sitting on Santa’s lap.
It was a place where rival high school football teams fought for victory in front of thousands of screaming fans, where high-profile boxing matches and concerts were held, and where presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered powerful speeches. Yes, Atwood Stadium is a place where memories were made and champions were born.
