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Story: East>Eastside>Manistique Group #0002

East>Eastside>Manistique Group #0002

The archive’s has many small notes and information on this group, much of it appeared to be inaccurate and confusing. We had to dissect the many notes and become forensic detectives.  The Group’s name went from East Group to Eastside Group to Manistique Group which added to the confusion.

East Group Meeting location

By late 1940, Archie Trowbridge had moved out of skid row and was renting a room from a young Grosse Pointe couple. Mike Eshleman and his wife were living at St. Jean and Jefferson Ave and were looking for a home near the Cadieux Road and Warren Ave area. Alcoholics Anonymous was growing in Detroit and most of the twelve step calls being made by these two men who were basically on the east side of Detroit.

Cadillac & Mack Ave

After much discussion they decided to open a second group and because of the logistics decided to call it the East Group (go figure). This group began on February 2, 1941 above a furniture store on the corner of Mack Ave and Cadillac Ave which had a Men’s Club upstairs which Mike was a member and played euchre weekly there.

In the next few months the group began to face a few issues, 1) the attendance began to swell immediately and 2) probably of more concern was that women alcoholics were very hesitant to go into a private Men’s Club to attend an alcoholic recovery program.

Grosse Pte Memorial Church

By October, 1941 the group made the decision to move to St. Columbia Episcopal Church, 1021 Manistique, Detroit. At this time the members decided to break up into two groups. Some would continue being the East Group and the others would start a new group called the Grosse Pointe (Memorial) Group. This group would hold meetings at the Memorial Church in Grosse Pointe.

On June 1, 1945 the Eastside Group had the honor of hosting the 10th anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous nationally. This type of event was celebrated all over the country. This was also the event the “Detroit Prayer” was created.

There was an anniversary celebration held on June 20th, 1975 for the Group’s 30th anniversary which was really their 39th anniversary. Charlie Quackenbush who chaired the anniversary was an early member who came into AA in 1945. Charlie sponsored Bill McDonald (from the Glenwood Group) who was the M.C. for the Anniversary.

 

Group Secretaries:

1941-46 Jim B. Open on Tuesday at 8:30pm 59 members
1947-48 Robert J.
1948-49 Clarence T. Added closed Fri at 8:30pm 78 members
1949-50 James N. 100 members

 

 

STATUS: Disbanded, 1993..

FootNotes:

  • References: Area 33 Archives; G.S.O. Archives; Detroit News; Detroit Free Press; Detroit Public Library.
  • © 2013 by Bill T, Archivist, General Service of Southeastern Michigan, Area 33
  • For further information:area33archivist@aa-semi.org
  • Updated: 2020-10-04