Original state fairgrounds site of diverse Michigan history

A couple of months ago, Current State’s Scott Pohl visited the president of the Michigan Historical Commission Jack Dempsey in Detroit’s Capitol Park to discuss his book on the park’s historical significance. We liked the result so much that we’ve sent Scott back to Detroit, where Dempsey showed him a few more historical spots.For today’s conversation, they went to the site of Michigan’s original state fairgrounds. If you thought the Michigan State Fair was always at Woodward and Eight Mile, you’d be wrong. However, you wouldn’t know that by going to this part of Detroit today. In fact, you wouldn’t know the site’s important military history, or how it was known as a safe place for women to go horseback riding for a time.