City of David & Detroit: 1930

This circa 1930 silent reel, City of David Amusement Park, Benton Harbor, Mich. and Detroit, blends Benton Harbor’s quirky charm with Detroit’s urban pulse. In Benton Harbor, the City of David Amusement Park—tied to the House of David sect—showcases water slides plunging into Lake Michigan, logged amidst the park’s famed miniature trains and zoo. In Detroit, a family strolls a downtown street, possibly Woodward Avenue, while steamships churn along the waterfront, smoke billowing from stacks against the skyline. Aboard a ship, the camera catches the river’s bustle, framing a black-and-white tale of leisure and industry.