Celebration 2001 Committee

GROSSE ILE CELEBRATED THREE MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES ON JULY 22, 2001

Celebrating the landing of Cadillac on Grosse Ile 300 years ago, a waterfront pageant was staged at 2 p.m., Sunday, July 22, one day prior to the actual landing. After overnighting on the Island, Cadillac and his entourage headed up the river to found Detroit on July 24, 1701. Grosse Ile was a partner to the Detroit 300 Festival Committee which carried off many major events for Detroit’s tri-centennial.

The pageant, staged on the waterfront in front of St. Anne’s Chapel at East River and Church roads, also celebrated the 225th anniversary of the signing of the deed between the Potowatomi Indians and William and Alexander Macomb. The original deed, signed on July 6,1776, was on display at the pageant. It is preserved in the Burton Historical Society at the Detroit Public Library. On hand to welcome the deed back to Grosse IIe were two descendants of the Macomb brothers, Connie deBeausset and Col. Richard White, Island residents. 2001 is also the 75th anniversary of the Islanders, the second oldest community theatre group in Michigan. An excerpt of their first play, The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife, was presented by several members.

Although it was impossible to re-enact the actual landing of Cadillac in voyageur canoes, Cadillac and Mme. Cadillac, played by members of the Mme. Cadillac Dance, walked down East River Road with their son Antoine, played by middle school student Jon Ebel, carrying the French flag. They were welcomed back to Grosse Ile by pageant M.C. Jack Frucci. His barbershop quartet “My 3 Friends,” sang both the American and Canadian national anthems and did a medley of songs. Another Island resident Michael Foran sang an original song he had written called “Kitche-minishen,” the Indian name for the Island. The Mme. Cadillac Dance Theatre demonstrated dancing popular in the 1700’s. Honoring the Indian heritage on the Island, anthropologist Dr. Kay McGowan, Island resident, narrated the portion of the program in which the Native American Pettitbone family of Livonia did authentic Indian dancing in colorful costumes.

Other aspects of Grosse Ile history were celebrated. There was a brief history of the schools, government, Grosse Ile Naval Air Station, the police and fire departments, and the churches. Mark McPherson presented the story of Lisette, a former slave who gave her life’s savings to build the historic Island church St. James Chapel in 1867. Since December 2002 will be the next production of the acclaimed Boar’s Head Festival, Jill Ryan, executive producer and director, appeared as the partridge in a pear tree, a part she created in the first Boar’s Head in 1980. She gave a brief preview of the production involving hundreds of Island residents.

Prior to the pageant, the Drs. Belamaric hosted a picnic on their lawn for the participants. The weather cooperated beautifully. It was a sunny hot day compared to heavy rainfall the day before and the day after the pageant.

The Celebration 2001 Committee appreciated the help of the Recreation Department for handling the staging and many other duties, the Reserve Police for directing traffic, and the Questers for serving hot gingerbread and cold applesauce, a treat enjoyed by the community over 100 years ago at St. Anne’s Chapel.

Submitted by Pamela A. Frucci, 2001 Celebration Committee chair, a sub-committee of the Festival Commission

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