Today in 1817, President James Monroe visited Detroit as part of his tour inspecting US forts post-War of 1812, and also visited Monroe, Michigan, named in his honor. On the same day in 1988, The Palace at Auburn Hills opened with a Sting concert. The venue served various sports teams and events until its demolition in July 2020.
TRANSCRIPT
Today in 1817, not long post-election, the first sitting US President visited Michigan: James Monroe. He stayed in Detroit for five days, his Westernmost part of this three month long tour inspecting US forts after The War of 1812. He also visited a new place halfway between Detroit and Toledo which was recently named for him, Monroe, Michigan.
And today in 1988, The Palace at Auburn Hills opened up for the very first time. While it was home for the NBADetroit Pistons, WNBA’s Detroit Shock and a few other leagues, the first event at The Palace was a concert by the musician Sting. As a venue, The Palace remained actively used for nearly 20 years, but was finally demolished in July of 2020.