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July 25, 1901. "Cadillac Memorial Parade -- Detroit bicentenary celebration. Floats in civic & industrial parade." Looming over the Campus Martius, the Majestic Building and one of the city's celebrated "moonlight towers." Detroit Photographic Co. glass negative. View full size.
I found out the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument was repositioned during a reworking of the Campus Martius plaza and rededicated at the end of that project in 2005. I'm guessing this was part of Detroit's 300 year celebration in 2001. Detroit has had a few different opera house buildings. The one in the photo now has the address of One Campus Martius, and was replaced by the building in the Google Street View with the Meridian (health insurance) name over the entrance. But Woodward Avenue still has streetcar rails.
The only structure that still exists might be the oldest in the photo - the Michigan Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Its cornerstone was laid in 1867, and most of the buildings around the square were from the 1890s.
If I'm not mistaken, that is a "moon tower," in the background.
[Just like it says in the photo caption! - Dave]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonlight_tower
Sorry, Dave! I was so excited to see the moon tower, I didn't read your caption. My mistake!
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