Pontiac in Oakland County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Wessen & Bagley
A Town Within the City
Photographed By Joel Seewald, June 13, 2021
1. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker
"The Corner" was an intersection of people
who came for jobs offered by the explosive growth of Pontiac's automobile industry. In the early 1900s, large numbers of mostly-rural Southerners settled near factories on the southwest side of the city. They were primarily African Americans, but also included other minorities. The transient settlement of workers and their families became a community of merchants, churches and homes that endured into the 1960s, largely segregated from greater Pontiac. Musicians and advocates for social change were among its prominent residents.
You Auto Know
Every type of business in downtown Pontiac also could be found at "The Corner."
Erected by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area series list.
Location. 42° 37.973′ N, 83° 17.813′
Top: Oakland Pioneer and Historical Society. Bottom: Milton Henry Family Archive.
2. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker left images
Top: The corner of Wessen and Bagley, about 1960. Just beside the Woodward Bar-B-Q is the office of physician Ray Cooley Jr., credited with the passage of Pontiac's Fair Employment Ordinance.
Middle: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in 1958. King was good friends with the church's pastor, Reverend Richard Dixon.
Middle: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in 1958. King was good friends with the church's pastor, Reverend Richard Dixon.
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Great Migrations (a few steps from this marker); Versatile Vehicles (approx. 0.2 miles away); Automobile Financing (approx. 0.3 miles away); First Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rapid Transformation (approx. 0.3 miles away); Notable Neighbors (approx. 0.3 miles away); Pontiac's Coach Builders (approx. 0.3 miles away); Building Trucks In Pontiac (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pontiac.
Photo courtesy of Hubert Price.
3. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker bottom left image
The congregation of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church on Elizabeth Street, about 1918. The tall man holding the Bible at right is Ernest Noble, builder of the "future" church, his wife Clara to his right. Two men to the left of Noble is Reverend Ford B. Reed, founder of Trinity and later, other churches in Pontiac. Reed also went South and recruited workers for the Wilson Foundry.
Map courtesy of Blair McGowan.
4. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker center image
A 1939 map shows the extent of Pontiac's famed African American neighborhood with the intersection of Wessen and Bagley Streets circled.
Both courtesy of Ron Gay.
5. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker near right images
Top: Robert W. Bowens Senior Citizens Center at 52 Bagley Street. At its core is the former Carruthers & Davis Funeral Home, one of the few buildings to survive "urban renewal."
Bottom: Album cover of the New Bethel Baptist Church Youth Choir recording from 1971. Sax man "Dangerous" Dan Turner, trumpeter Quincy Stewart and bassist Ken Burch are some of the well-known musicians from "The Corner" after World War II.
Bottom: Album cover of the New Bethel Baptist Church Youth Choir recording from 1971. Sax man "Dangerous" Dan Turner, trumpeter Quincy Stewart and bassist Ken Burch are some of the well-known musicians from "The Corner" after World War II.
Photo courtesy of the Milton Henry Family Archive.
6. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker top right image
The Milton Henry family, 1960s. Mr. Henry (seated fifth from right, his wife Marilyn to the left) was an attorney and civil rights activist in Pontiac.
Top: Photo courtesy of the Milton Family Archive. Bottom: photo courtesy of Nathaniel Watkins.
7. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker far right images
Middle: Marie Johnson (with glasses), was a civil rights activist, bail bondswomen and organizer of African American youth in the 1960s.
Bottom: Groundbreaking for Church of God on Wessen Street.
Bottom: Groundbreaking for Church of God on Wessen Street.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, June 13, 2021
8. Wessen & Bagley: A Town Within the City Marker
This marker is the one on the right side.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 18, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 18, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 263 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on June 18, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
