Flint Artifacts: Buick Lubriplate

 

Flint Postcards: Downtown Flint with Orange Accents

 

Flint Photos: VW Experimentation at Flint Central High School in 1960

Charting Decline on a Flint Street with Google Street View

It's easy to explore my old Civic Park neighborhood in Flint via Google Street View. Twenty years ago, the experience was more nostalgic than distressing. A digital trip down memory lane. 2402 Bassett Place and the neighboring house at 2406, once owned by the Bowden family, looked pretty much the same, even though the surrounding blocks were already in serious decline. But it was only a matter of time before Bassett Place caught up with the rest of Civic Park. 

AUGUST 2008

The crack down the middle of my old driveway has widened, reminding me of Andy Goldsworthy's Drawn Stone installation at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, though it obviously draws far less attention and adoration. Otherwise, the two houses look much like they did when I lived on Bassett Place in the 1970s and '80s. The low-resolution image helps hide the fading paint and less-than-pristine yards, but there would be no real cause for alarm if I drove down the old street in 2008.

JUNE 2011

A sunny day and higher resolution make the two houses look even better almost three years later. The pine and the chestnut trees provide some welcoming shade.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Just four years later, and it's all over. Both houses are boarded up. The screened-in front porch where my family gathered in the summer to watch baseball games across the street in Bassett Park is open-air now. The siding has been stripped from my childhood home, reverting back to the original minty green. 

JANUARY 2022

Almost seven years later, and the boards on the windows and doors of the two houses appear to be doing their job. The two structures look more or less the same in this winter scene. A closer look reveals that our old garage is a shell — the door is gone and there are large holes opening in the back. And the small white house to the south — once owned by the Procuniers and then the Kildees — hasn't survived. It's gone.

JUNE 2025

The houses are slowly returning to nature by summer 2025. The tall grass and encroaching shrubbery make it seem less bad and more of a natural progression. At least things are growing instead of rotting away. (Of course, the Google car may have cruised by between mowings by the city or the land bank, but if the decline is inevitable, at least it appears green and vibrant in what could be the last google images before these two abandoned houses disappear forever.)

Put a Water Bottle on It

 

A cutesy sticker profiting off a human catastrophe? Or am I misinterpreting?

The Art of Deception

 

Flint, as you've never seen it before, perhaps as imagined in a drug-induced haze, on Etsy. 

Consider Donating to Flint Expatriates

This little experiment in writing about Flint has been unexpectedly fun. I no longer annoy non-Flint people with stories about The Vehicle City because I funnel all my lame recollections about the Dupont Street bus or Sam Isaac's motivational techniques into Flint Expatriates; I've connected with hundreds of Flintoids; and I've discovered the identity of a shadowy figure from my past known as Gypsy Jack.

Even better, a surprising number of readers have discovered the site.  I'd like to write and report more, but in order to do that I need to free myself from my less enjoyable — but marginally more profitable — freelance work. 

I'm taking the bold step of asking for donations from readers. (I resisted using the term "begging" because I have my pride.) I'm obviously not in this for the money. I just happen to love the town where I grew up, despite all its flaws, and I really enjoy attacking GM executives. But I would welcome the chance to spend more time on Flint Expatriates and do more actual reporting — like my recent story on the death of the student newspaper at UM-Flint — instead of simply aggregating material on Flint and making occasionally witty/stupid/annoying comments. After all, I am a journalist, even if many of my editors don't always think so.

So if you'd like to help out, just click on the "Donation" tab in the top right corner of the blog. You can donate via credit card or your Paypal account, if you have one. It's all safe and secure. Any amount is welcome, however small. Consider it a voluntary subscription to a free online publication dedicated to keeping the memory of Flint alive.

And if you choose not to donate, don't worry! It's okay. I'll survive. Just keep reading and sending your ideas.

If you'd like to help offset the operating costs of Flint Expatriates, feel free to donate any amount, however small. (We're talking $1-$5 here.) The goal is extremely modest — more profits than AutoWorld!

If Paypal isn't an option for you, simply email me at the Flint Expatriates World Headquarters, also known as my living room, and I'll provide a mailing address: gyoung(at)flintexpats(dot)com.

R.I.P. Michael Rawley

Artist, musician, poet, performer, Renaissance man Michael Rawley died peacefully at his home in Swartz Creek, Michigan on July 2, 2025. Born on December 23, 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, Michael was 83 years old.

Michael occupied his last few weeks with a representative display of his amazing oil paintings at the Greater Flint Arts Council Gallery in downtown Flint. It was his last exhibit and he put his heart and soul into it. Examples of his work can be seen on his Instagram profile showcasing various styles including portraiture, abstract and fantasy. Or do an Internet search for "Michael Rawley Flint paintings" and click on "Images" to see some of his paintings. His art is inspiring and visually stunning. One of his performances involved creating a painting inspired by live jazz music at the Flint Institute of Music (FIM). That painting, titled "Painted Music," is now on permanent display at the FIM. 

Michael published his book of poetry titled "Book" in 1982. It was a collaboration with friend and illustrator Gerry Papineau. "Book" was published by Michael s own "Please Press."

But Michael was much more than the sum of his arts. He was a private person and lived a simple and modest life. At the same time he was well-known throughout the community and respected for his talent and intellect. As an activist, he was instrumental in forming a small food co-op in Holly, Michigan. As an ordained minister with a certificate from the Universal Life church, he performed weddings for people whose marriages have stood the test of time.

With his keen sense of curiosity he studied the sciences, religious traditions, visual arts and music. His calm presence and clarity would draw you into deep conversations on various topics. His counsel was sincere, kind and helpful. His vision was profound and he had a deep love of life. Though he s no longer physically present, his art and talent lives on and reminds us of a remarkable man.

Michael was predeceased by his mother Georgia Herrlich, a founding member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Flint and stepfather Jack Herrlich. Together they owned and operated Herrlich s Drugstores in Flint.

Michael is survived by a sister Gael, daughters Natasha, Nova, Maria, a granddaughter Nadia and two grandsons Ty and Bentley.

There will be a celebration of Michael s life at 1 pm, Sunday, August 10 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, 2474 S. Ballenger Hwy, Flint, Michigan.

Please consider making a donation in memory of Michael to organizations supporting the arts such as the Flint Institute of Music.

Flint Artifacts: Holy Redeemer Flyers Football Jersey

 

Flint Artifacts: Ruth's WDZZ 92.7 FM Puffed Sleeve Blouse