Vic was born in another time of generational change. Detroit ranked as the 5th‑largest U.S. city at the 1950 census (population peak ~1.85 million). Before and after 1950 its rank changed (it was 4th in 1920, 3rd–4th earlier, and fell after 1950). And this morning? Now 26th, nestled between Boston and Louisville. It is the same thing as muttering that we are living at the peak of our species and wondering what is for the shift-change meal this afternoon.

Which is what leads us to the title of this episode of The Daily.

it started with Vic and his birthday, and the arrival of some of his extended family. That led to all sorts of other things, with tales twined across decades. That included family blood and civic virtue back across a time when Detroit, Michigan, was the fifth largest big town in America and residents did not feel a certain embarrassment about being on the west side of the Detroit River. It might have started a tradition about what side of the rivers we would live on the rest of our lives.
Which in turn grabbed Vic right in the vitals, since he has been working on a book about the Wild Rides of Detroit, Michigan. Vic is no slouch in that department, since Detroit General Hospital was not far away from the little homesteads in rental places in Detroit or out the Woodward Avenue corridor to Ferndale and ultimately the proper little home at 688 Chester Street in fashionable little Birmingham.

These were the men who ran Detroit when Vic was a kid. Al Cobo is remembered because the Pistons play basketball on a court named for him. Louie Miriani is remembered as the last GOP Mayor. And Jerry Cavanaugh. He was the last white guy. The Blind Pig hook is about what happened in the summer of 1967. It makes what is going on now seem pretty tame.

Of course, we have a long summer coming here right now, you know?

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com