Charles Lindbergh was born in a home at 1120 W. Forest Drive in Detroit on February 4, 1902. I say “a home” because it didn't belong to his parents...it was in the home of Charles' mother's father, a dentist named Charles Land.

Charles' mother, Evangeline, lived in Michigan with her parents and attended Detroit Central High School. After graduation, she earned a degree in chemistry at the University of Michigan and moved to Minnesota to become a science professor. It was in Minnesota where she met her future husband, Charles Lindbergh (Sr.), an immigrant from Sweden.

During her ninth month of pregnancy, Evangeline traveled 800 miles from Minnesota to her parents' home in Michigan so her uncle, Doctor Edwin Lodge, could deliver her baby.

After Charles was born on February 4, 1902, Evangeline decided to stay in Michigan awhile and landed a job as science teacher at Detroit's Cass High School.

Charles' father, Charles Sr., and Evangeline split up when Charles Jr. was a toddler. From then on, Junior spent most of his childhood in Minnesota with his mother, Washington DC with his father, and Detroit with his grandfather.

Lindbergh's claim to fame was his non-stop airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean in May, 1927. Leaving from Long Island, he landed in Paris, France a little over 33 hours later. In that short time, he went from an unknown mail carrier to an international celebrity...from a nothing to a hero.

After his fame became worldwide, a commemorative plaque was installed at his birthplace at 1120 W. Forest Avenue.

In 1973, the house was unceremoniously torn down to make room for the Wayne Housing units.

But what happened to the plaque?
Where did it go?

CHARLES LINDBERGH

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