The story of the Lions catching on in Detroit doubles as the story of professional football finding its place in American popular culture. Before the Portsmouth Spartans relocated to Detroit and donned the Honolulu Blue in 1934, several pro football teams tried and failed to gain a foothold in the city. What made the Lions different? This presentation examines the instability of the infant NFL, and how the Lions (and professional football) won the hearts of Detroiters to become the institution they are today tracking the team from its small town roots, through its golden age in the 1950’s, and into the present.

This program will be presented by Jeremy Dimick of the Detroit Historical Museum, Manager of Collections.  The Detroit Historical Museum is part of the Detroit Historical Society. 

About the Detroit Historical Society

Since its founding in 1921, the Detroit Historical Society has been dedicated to ensuring that the history of our region is preserved so that current and future generations of metro Detroiters can better understand the people, places and events that helped shape our lives.

In 1928, our leaders founded the Detroit Historical Museum, and for the next 20 years, we operated the Museum and preserved our region’s rich history through the collection and conservation of artifacts. In 1945, we transferred ownership of the Museum and the collections to the City of Detroit and changed our focus to fundraising and marketing activities for the Detroit Historical Museum and, later, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

Throughout the next five decades, we raised funds, recruited volunteers and ensured that the Detroit Historical Museum, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and Historic Fort Wayne (which opened as a City-owned and operated historical attraction in the 1970s) remained a vibrant presence in Detroit’s cultural landscape.

In 2006, our leaders reached a new agreement with the City of Detroit to once again become the day-to-day manager of the Detroit Historical Museum, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and the more than 250,000 artifacts held in the collections. Management of the historic re-enactments, special events and outdoor activities at Historic Fort Wayne was assumed by the City of Detroit’s Recreation Department.

Since that time, our Board of Trustees and staff have consistently reinforced their commitment to ensuring excellence in all of the organization’s activities.