The White Ghost of Belle Isle

With just over five miles of shoreline land, Belle Isle has been a great place to step out of the city of Detroit. It holds the record for being the largest city owned island park, but it also holds a mysterious urban legend.

The White Ghost Lady of Belle Isle is a permanent part of Detroit folklore. While there isn't a lot of written information about the legend since the 1950's, she has quite a reputation among the old youngsters that used to visit the island.

History tells that a young bride was murdered on her wedding day by her newly wed husband. Her ghost now wanders the Island in dispair and sadness.

Rumor has it that she is drawn toward young couples who come and park on the island in the night. She sees the couples necking in the darkness and is pained by the sight of the love she cannot have. Her deep rooted pain draws her toward the car to scare the couples off the island to leave her in peace.

Next time you get a chance to park in a secluded spot on the Island with your sweetheart - keep one eye open for the Ghost Lady creeping up behind the car in her old wedding dress!

The Beaver is BACK

The Detroit River is notoriously known as a river of dirty waters. Over the last several years there has been an environmental push to clean things up. One of the newest signs that these efforts are paying off is the recent photo taken of a Beaver.

Why does this bode well for the river? Because an American Beaver hasn't been spotted in almost 75 years in the river!

There have also been many other reported species moving back into the area, but that's another story.

With all the excitement about this Beaver being spotted I can't help but wonder if an occassional one has always been there - but nobody has noticed them. Maybe there have been specialists actively looking for them and tracking them over the years . . . if so who are these poor suckers?

There is an entire underground bizarre world out there.

The Ghetto

More evidence that the problems in Detroit are too big for the city to bother cleaning up the Ghetto. It's hard to imagine the poor people who struggle in these neighborhoods every day.

Trassig

This is a concept sketch of a Dwarf character for my upcoming book. His name is Trassig and he loves to get in on any action. He is a master of small explosives, but has also been known to be very accurate with a pistol. His colony lives underground as they work to build their own civilization beneath the city of Detroit. They work toward the day when they are strong enough to come above ground and take control of the city.

Any Fan Art is encouraged!

Shak-Maj

This is a sketch I did this evening of a character from my upcoming book. His name is Shak (pronounced Shock). He doesn't associate himself typically with the others of the Orc clan, but instead chooses to survive the streets on his own. Forced to steal and rob for food he suffers discrimination and brutality at the hands of corrupt police . . . when he gets caught of course.
His heart is filled with good intentions, but how long can he hold back the animal instincts waiting to boil to the surface with rage.

Read up on a previous post about how to submit your own Fan Art to be published on this site. Keep the underground bizarre moving forward!

Fan Art Wanted!

Any aspiring artists or photographers who would like to submit your work to our website are fully supported by Detroit Underground!

Even amateur artwork is encouraged and welcome.

The focus of this project is to collect and present any artwork and/or photography that is focused on Detroit. Any imaginative artwork specifically done to promote my upcoming book project will get great exposure on this site!

The book is based in 2050's in Detroit. There are Orc, Elf, Dwarf, and human characters. Think of the Elf-type as the rich guys, the Orc as the mobsters, the Dwarf-types living in the underground tunnels and abandoned buildings, and the humans everywhere inbetween.

When the book get's published there is good potential to have your art get some exposure and recognition. You will get full credit for your work. Please no nudity or inappropriate submissions.

Send all submissions to olinselot@yahoo.com with the subject heading "Fan Art"

Keep the underground bizarre alive!

13th Precinct Building

It's hard to imagine that Detroit has so many abandoned buildings. It looks like a war has been fought in the city and everyone just grabbed what they could and fled town.

Most of us could simply drive by a place like this and never even think twice about them. They remain as harsh reminders to how poorly run the city is. We live in a society where everything is disposable.

These abandoned buildings are left hollow and wasted. Although they might be interesting to explore - they are really just sad reminders to everyone driving by of how run down their city is becoming.

According to http://www.statestats.com/cit07pop.htm Detroit is statistically the #1 most dangerous city (with a population over 500,000). The overall standings put Detroit as the #2 most dangerous falling second to St. Louis.

Places shown in the video below are more symbolic that we realize - an abandoned Police Department Building . . .

The Nain Rouge

Most people who live in the Detroit area have heard about the Nain Rouge urban legends. It goes without saying that it should be covered in this blog as well.

The Nain Rouge is French for "Red Dwarf" and essentially refers to a character that haunts certain people in the city.

It is said that if you see the Nain Rouge, or encounter him somehow, that it is a sign of tremendous bad luck or tragedy. He is reported as appearing to people of various prominence just before a major tragedy occurs.

"The creature is said to have been attacked in 1701 by the first white settler of Detroit, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who soon after lost his fortune. The creature is also said to have appeared on July 30, 1763 before the Battle of Bloody Run, where 58 British soldiers were killed by Native Americans from Chief Pontiac's tribe.The small tributary of the Detroit river,which still flows through what is now Elmwood Cemetery, turned red with blood for days after the battle.It is said he was seen dancing on the banks of the Detroit river."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nain_Rouge

Just before the Detroit fires in 1805 he supposedly attacked a prominent polititian named William Hull.

Just one day before the 1967 Detroit riots he was spotted by multiple witnesses.

Multiple accounts of "attacks" by the Red Dwarf have been reported over the years.

If anyone has a personal experience or story about the Nain Rouge - Any comments about this underground bizarre creature would be fun and appreciated!

Urban Sprelunking

I came across this video of Detroit Urban Sprelunking. While I don't know who made the video - it is a good example of the many locations around Detroit that most people will never see.


I don't condone or glorify illegal activities.

Welcome to Detroit Underground

Of all the cities in the U.S. there are few that hold as much mystery, history, and underground secrets as Detroit. From the industrial zones of Zug Island to the high rise towers of downtown - there is an unseen world that most people aren't aware of.

This blog is designed to not only present those amazing places, myths, facts, history, and entertaining information but to allow YOU the reader to present your own little nuggets of discovery.

I know there are explorers out there who have been places and seen underground bizarre things in the city of Detroit that most people will never see. It might be an old abandoned warehouse, an old underground tunnel, or even just an interesting even you want to share.

This is a place for all things fantasy and science fiction as well as the underground history and mystery! Hope you all participate and enjoy!