Robert Nelson, May 4th, 2024
Title
Robert Nelson, May 4th, 2024
Description
In this interview, Robert Nelson shares how he has seen the Manistique Treehouse Center help his community.
In partnership with the Manistique Community Treehouse Center
In partnership with the Manistique Community Treehouse Center
Publisher
Detroit Historical Society
Date
5/4/24
Rights
Detroit Historical Society
Narrator/Interviewee's Name
Robert Nelson
Brief Biography
Robert Nelson is a longtime Jefferson Chalmers resident who's had a variety of careers, from working in casinos to helping in Detroit Public schools as a custodian
Interviewer's Name
Kevin Hawthorne
Date
5/4/2024
Interview Length
10:52
Transcription
Kevin Hawthorne: Hello, this is Kevin Hawthorne with the Detroit Historical Museum Oral history Project, and I'm here with today.
Robert Nelson: Robert Nelson.
KH: Robert Nelson, could you please spell your name for the record?
RN: All right. R o b e r t. N e l s o n.
KH: All right thank you so much, Robert. Do you live in the city of Detroit?
RN: I do.
KH: What neighborhood? What neighborhood do you live in?
RN: In Jefferson Chalmers area.
KH: The Jefferson Chalmers area. How long have you lived in that area of Detroit?
RN: Since 1970. So about 50, some 50 over 50 years.
KH: Over 50 years. Wow. Have you lived in any other areas of the city besides?
RN: Yes, I lived in Baldwin and I believe it was years ago.
KH: Baldwin Okay. Thank you. Do you work in the city of Detroit?
RN: Not anymore. I retired.
KH: How long have you been retired for?
RN: Oh, we've been retire about, I guess about 12 years, I guess 12, 13 years.
KH: 12 13 years. Yeah. Before you retired, did you work in the city of Detroit?
RN: Yes. My last job. Well, all of my job was in Detroit. I worked for. Dana Corporation and work for the, Detroit Public School and I worked for Detroit casino, Motor City.
KH: What were you doing at these jobs?
RN: Well, at Dana I worked in the heat treating and at Detroit Public School I was a custodian. And I worked in maintenance at Motor city casino.
KH: Oh, excellent. So you have a wide range of careers there. How did you get involved with the tree fort? The Tree fort. The tree house
RN: Oh, sorry.
KH: Sorry. My apologies.
RN: Well, we're all neighbors we live over in this same area there and, occasionally I'll kind of cut grass for them and and do whatever they're, you know, and and try to help them out as much as we can.
KH: How did you come to find out about the tree house? Is it just from being neighbors?
RN: We all, like I said, we all stay around in the same little, area there and matter of fact, she stays right behind us. There we are in Phillip and and she's on, Manistique. So.
KH: So there's been a lot of, with the Treehouse trying to prevent flooding. Could you tell me a little bit about that, of how the organization is trying to help with the flooding efforts?
RN: Repeat that again.
KH: All right. Could you please tell me about the, tree fort sorry don't know why I keep calling tree fort My apologies. The tree house, the tree house and their efforts for, flooding, to prevention.
RN: Well, you know, a lot of the tree house project, you know, it involves a lot of the neighbors there. So, you know, I think this is helpful in everybody you know enjoy
KH: Just trying to help each other out. Do you think is the primary goal of a tree house?
RN: Yes I think that that helps, you know, that, you know, everybody's, you know, has, not only in the neighborhood but also out of neighborhood talks about tree house. You know, they like to you know, come over and visit it and, you know, it just has a lot of activities for the neighborhood. Yeah.
KH: How long? So how long have you been working with the tree house?
RN: Oh I don't know I would say, at least for the last. I don't know, four years, I guess three, four years, I guess.
KH: Oh, 3 or 4 years. Have you seen the amount of people helping out with the tree house project? Have you seen it go up? The amount of people helping?
RN: Yes. You know, good and good and much help here today.
KH: And have, the people who have joined recently. Have they said, why they wanted to join up with the tree house?
RN: Why did they want to help with the tree house?
KH: Yeah. Did they say any specific reasons they wanted to help?
RN: Do they just say that they thought it was a good idea. Yeah. And they, you know, was glad to help out in the neighborhood. They, you know, see some, nice things here. Yeah, I think it's it's a good for the neighborhood.
KH: Have you seen any particular excitement about the solar efforts from the tree house?
RN: Had you seen any.
KH: Any, like, interest in the solar?
RN: Well, yeah, quite a few people in, I guess. Quite a few people have yu know, participated in it and, and, and, taken part in it.
KH: Have you considered getting solar?
RN: Well I couldn't— I'm still it's still out for me I'm still just looking into it and trying to you know, I get all the information I can about it.
KH: Yes. And, is the price a concern for you with the solar?
RN: Well, yeah. Right now it is.
KH: Yes.
RN: Yes. So I would, you know, like to see some better prices there anyway.
KH: So what do you think the main ways the tree house is able to engage with the community to help? How dothey engage?
RN: Well, I think it it brings a lot of people together because every time they have an event, there— boy, you know, you have a good turnout and before that, you know, his, you know, didn't have a whole lot going on in the communities. So now you get that and the community is growing and I think that would add to it.
KH: So you think the community has been very accepting of a tree house rather than something like, do you see a lot of people being very accepting? Yeah.
RN: I think so. You know, I would say the majority of community is pretty accepting to it
KH: Excellent. So there's a lot of greening efforts to try and, you know, grow, you know, have garden communities and, you say you help mow the lawn with certain areas?
RN: Occasionally and, asked me to help them out, and then I'll go and help with my my wife, she helps them out a little more than I do. I just kind of go around, cut the grass a little bit and just. You know, things like that.
KH: And have you seen a lot more like, kind of gardens and greening communities start to pop up after the tree house?
RN: Well, it sure has there, you know I see a lot of gardens— there seemed like just A whole lot of people have started to you know, grow, some vegetables and whatever there are you know, flowers and I think it's good for the area as well.
KH: Excellent. Would you be able to tell me about, the Tree House's partnership with the National Weather Service?
RN: Well, I ain't too familiar with that one, but, I'm not too familiar with them. And the weather service said that to me.
KH: All right. That's all right. If you could have one piece of green infrastructure, that your organization could offer, what would you want it to be?
RN: If I had one piece to offer?
KH: Yeah. Of, green infrastructure, like, you know, solar panels, wind turbines.
RN: I don't know if I had to participate, like, a garden or something.
KH: Yeah, more community gardens would.
RN: Yeah, well, I would maybe and people. Yeah, maybe—maybe, you know, more flowers or whatever. You know, I like flowers, I like. And, you know, little gardens there, but you know and so I think that that would be good.
KH: And would you like to see the city of Detroit at large start to incorporate more things that the tree houses have been doing with, you know, like more environmentally friendly things? Would you like to see that implemented throughout the city?
RN: Yeah, I would like to see, at least more flowers and more people that, that would just kind of spread out over the city with people. Yeah. More flowers and then I think and then.. better, lawns, you know, cut the grass and stuff like that. I think that's really great. And I think the tree house kind of, you know, kind of helps that.
KH: And would you like to see the city implement things like more solar panels throughout the city? As an energy?
RN: Well, I'm still out on that one. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I just got to see more information on it. But it does seem like it's it's kind of picking up. You know speed there and seem like most people are looking into it, but, I'm not there.
KH: Yet. Not there yet? Understandable. Well, do you have any final things you'd like to say for the record about the tree house and their efforts or anything you'd just like to say personally?
RN: Well, I just think that that, you know, the tree house, per say is, is a good thing. I think it's good for the you know, to the community. I think it inspires people to want to do more greenery, space with flowers and flowers just kind of brings out the community and my perspective. I love flowers in this and so I would like to see people doing it and I think they are getting smart to do that.
KH: All right. Well, excellent. Thank you so much for your time today.
RN: All right. Thank you. Okay.
Robert Nelson: Robert Nelson.
KH: Robert Nelson, could you please spell your name for the record?
RN: All right. R o b e r t. N e l s o n.
KH: All right thank you so much, Robert. Do you live in the city of Detroit?
RN: I do.
KH: What neighborhood? What neighborhood do you live in?
RN: In Jefferson Chalmers area.
KH: The Jefferson Chalmers area. How long have you lived in that area of Detroit?
RN: Since 1970. So about 50, some 50 over 50 years.
KH: Over 50 years. Wow. Have you lived in any other areas of the city besides?
RN: Yes, I lived in Baldwin and I believe it was years ago.
KH: Baldwin Okay. Thank you. Do you work in the city of Detroit?
RN: Not anymore. I retired.
KH: How long have you been retired for?
RN: Oh, we've been retire about, I guess about 12 years, I guess 12, 13 years.
KH: 12 13 years. Yeah. Before you retired, did you work in the city of Detroit?
RN: Yes. My last job. Well, all of my job was in Detroit. I worked for. Dana Corporation and work for the, Detroit Public School and I worked for Detroit casino, Motor City.
KH: What were you doing at these jobs?
RN: Well, at Dana I worked in the heat treating and at Detroit Public School I was a custodian. And I worked in maintenance at Motor city casino.
KH: Oh, excellent. So you have a wide range of careers there. How did you get involved with the tree fort? The Tree fort. The tree house
RN: Oh, sorry.
KH: Sorry. My apologies.
RN: Well, we're all neighbors we live over in this same area there and, occasionally I'll kind of cut grass for them and and do whatever they're, you know, and and try to help them out as much as we can.
KH: How did you come to find out about the tree house? Is it just from being neighbors?
RN: We all, like I said, we all stay around in the same little, area there and matter of fact, she stays right behind us. There we are in Phillip and and she's on, Manistique. So.
KH: So there's been a lot of, with the Treehouse trying to prevent flooding. Could you tell me a little bit about that, of how the organization is trying to help with the flooding efforts?
RN: Repeat that again.
KH: All right. Could you please tell me about the, tree fort sorry don't know why I keep calling tree fort My apologies. The tree house, the tree house and their efforts for, flooding, to prevention.
RN: Well, you know, a lot of the tree house project, you know, it involves a lot of the neighbors there. So, you know, I think this is helpful in everybody you know enjoy
KH: Just trying to help each other out. Do you think is the primary goal of a tree house?
RN: Yes I think that that helps, you know, that, you know, everybody's, you know, has, not only in the neighborhood but also out of neighborhood talks about tree house. You know, they like to you know, come over and visit it and, you know, it just has a lot of activities for the neighborhood. Yeah.
KH: How long? So how long have you been working with the tree house?
RN: Oh I don't know I would say, at least for the last. I don't know, four years, I guess three, four years, I guess.
KH: Oh, 3 or 4 years. Have you seen the amount of people helping out with the tree house project? Have you seen it go up? The amount of people helping?
RN: Yes. You know, good and good and much help here today.
KH: And have, the people who have joined recently. Have they said, why they wanted to join up with the tree house?
RN: Why did they want to help with the tree house?
KH: Yeah. Did they say any specific reasons they wanted to help?
RN: Do they just say that they thought it was a good idea. Yeah. And they, you know, was glad to help out in the neighborhood. They, you know, see some, nice things here. Yeah, I think it's it's a good for the neighborhood.
KH: Have you seen any particular excitement about the solar efforts from the tree house?
RN: Had you seen any.
KH: Any, like, interest in the solar?
RN: Well, yeah, quite a few people in, I guess. Quite a few people have yu know, participated in it and, and, and, taken part in it.
KH: Have you considered getting solar?
RN: Well I couldn't— I'm still it's still out for me I'm still just looking into it and trying to you know, I get all the information I can about it.
KH: Yes. And, is the price a concern for you with the solar?
RN: Well, yeah. Right now it is.
KH: Yes.
RN: Yes. So I would, you know, like to see some better prices there anyway.
KH: So what do you think the main ways the tree house is able to engage with the community to help? How dothey engage?
RN: Well, I think it it brings a lot of people together because every time they have an event, there— boy, you know, you have a good turnout and before that, you know, his, you know, didn't have a whole lot going on in the communities. So now you get that and the community is growing and I think that would add to it.
KH: So you think the community has been very accepting of a tree house rather than something like, do you see a lot of people being very accepting? Yeah.
RN: I think so. You know, I would say the majority of community is pretty accepting to it
KH: Excellent. So there's a lot of greening efforts to try and, you know, grow, you know, have garden communities and, you say you help mow the lawn with certain areas?
RN: Occasionally and, asked me to help them out, and then I'll go and help with my my wife, she helps them out a little more than I do. I just kind of go around, cut the grass a little bit and just. You know, things like that.
KH: And have you seen a lot more like, kind of gardens and greening communities start to pop up after the tree house?
RN: Well, it sure has there, you know I see a lot of gardens— there seemed like just A whole lot of people have started to you know, grow, some vegetables and whatever there are you know, flowers and I think it's good for the area as well.
KH: Excellent. Would you be able to tell me about, the Tree House's partnership with the National Weather Service?
RN: Well, I ain't too familiar with that one, but, I'm not too familiar with them. And the weather service said that to me.
KH: All right. That's all right. If you could have one piece of green infrastructure, that your organization could offer, what would you want it to be?
RN: If I had one piece to offer?
KH: Yeah. Of, green infrastructure, like, you know, solar panels, wind turbines.
RN: I don't know if I had to participate, like, a garden or something.
KH: Yeah, more community gardens would.
RN: Yeah, well, I would maybe and people. Yeah, maybe—maybe, you know, more flowers or whatever. You know, I like flowers, I like. And, you know, little gardens there, but you know and so I think that that would be good.
KH: And would you like to see the city of Detroit at large start to incorporate more things that the tree houses have been doing with, you know, like more environmentally friendly things? Would you like to see that implemented throughout the city?
RN: Yeah, I would like to see, at least more flowers and more people that, that would just kind of spread out over the city with people. Yeah. More flowers and then I think and then.. better, lawns, you know, cut the grass and stuff like that. I think that's really great. And I think the tree house kind of, you know, kind of helps that.
KH: And would you like to see the city implement things like more solar panels throughout the city? As an energy?
RN: Well, I'm still out on that one. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I just got to see more information on it. But it does seem like it's it's kind of picking up. You know speed there and seem like most people are looking into it, but, I'm not there.
KH: Yet. Not there yet? Understandable. Well, do you have any final things you'd like to say for the record about the tree house and their efforts or anything you'd just like to say personally?
RN: Well, I just think that that, you know, the tree house, per say is, is a good thing. I think it's good for the you know, to the community. I think it inspires people to want to do more greenery, space with flowers and flowers just kind of brings out the community and my perspective. I love flowers in this and so I would like to see people doing it and I think they are getting smart to do that.
KH: All right. Well, excellent. Thank you so much for your time today.
RN: All right. Thank you. Okay.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Robert Nelson, May 4th, 2024,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed January 21, 2025, https://oralhistory.detroithistorical.org/items/show/1031.