City history
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
1658–1730 · French officer, explorer and founder of Detroit
French officer who founded Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit on July 24, 1701, the settlement that grew into Detroit, and commanded it until 1710.
- Born
Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave, Gascony, France- Died
Castelsarrasin, France
aged 72- Birth name
- Antoine Laumet
- Also known as
- Sieur de Cadillac · Antoine Laumet
- Detroit years
- 1701–1710
- Field
- City history
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Born Antoine Laumet in Gascony in 1658, the future Sieur de Cadillac arrived in New France in 1683 and adopted a noble-sounding name along the way. While commanding the fur-trade post at St. Ignace, he argued that France should hold the narrow strait between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, and in 1701 he won royal backing. On July 24, 1701, his convoy of about 25 canoes landed on the high riverbank near today's West Jefferson Avenue and Shelby Street. There he built Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit and, two days later, founded the parish of Sainte-Anne. He invited Odawa, Huron-Wendat and other nations to settle nearby and spoke of building a Paris of New France. Feuds with the Jesuits and fur merchants led to investigations, and in 1710 he was reassigned as governor of Louisiana. He died in France in 1730, but the city, a famous car brand and many Detroit streets keep his name.
Highlights
- Founded Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit on July 24, 1701
- Founded Sainte-Anne parish, Detroit's first church, two days later
- Commanded Detroit 1701–1710, then named governor of Louisiana
- The Cadillac car brand and the city of Cadillac, Michigan, bear his name
- Honored on a 3-cent US stamp in 1951 for Detroit's 250th birthday
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Memorial · 2001–
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac Statue, Hart Plaza
Statue by William Kieffer and Ann Feeley unveiled on July 24, 2001, Detroit's 300th birthday, near the riverfront where Cadillac landed; a Cadillac Convoy marker stands beside it.
Founded · 1701–1710
Ste. Anne de Détroit
The parish Cadillac founded on July 26, 1701, one of the oldest continuously operating Catholic parishes in the US; today's Gothic Revival church dates from 1886–1887.
Memorial
Cadillac Square
Downtown square beside Campus Martius Park named after the founder; long a stage for rallies, markets and celebrations.