The FILTHIEST City In Michigan | River Rouge

River Rouge is surrounded by pollutants. Located just south of Detroit along the Detroit River, the suburb has had it's fair share of problems for its residents over the years. It's among the poorest cities in the country with an extremely high poverty rate. It's hard to see this suburb have a bright future in any regard.
0:00 - 5:59 Pollution
5:59 - 11:47 Zug Island and More Pollution
11:47 - 17:38 Jefferson Ave/Corruption
17:38 - 18:53 High School
18:53 - 21:30 History
21:30 - 26:29 Chris's Livability Score
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[@ChrisHarden]

Michigan Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkAKbwTlGHeJoyujmAhEMOusr2cLGm_jK Detroit Suburbs Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkAKbwTlGHeIe9OSmlhG2TK3Q207cHb2v Help me grow my other channels! Chris Harden's Travel Archives: www.youtube.com/@chrishardenarchives Nostalgia Tours Radio: www.youtube.com/@Nostalgiatoursradio ==================================================================== EVERYTHING THAT I USE IN THE FIELD: Main Camera: amzn.to/3iS4vvF Side Cameras: amzn.to/2WuCYIs Media Mod for Camera: amzn.to/3j7CMGF Lav Mic: amzn.to/3lsMkz9 Drone: amzn.to/3ITcKBV SD Cards: amzn.to/3C2co9O Camera Mounts: amzn.to/2UXVR6p Cables Required for Longer Recordings: amzn.to/3BYnr3Q Computer: amzn.to/3787b2j External Hard Drive: amzn.to/3lb23Tf WHAT I USE AT HOME: Computer: amzn.to/3rKIdiN Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3C15Ubx Microphone: amzn.to/2VaCjvo Microphone Accessories: amzn.to/3v7A35Z INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?hl=en&mid=1Lhzf04ocimPu-ROkg4cfXEYEvKMNnlI5&ll=34.29834970801405%2C-91.53765609999999&z=5 SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTACT INFO: Email: [e-mail] On Twitter: twitter.com/Chris_Harden55 On Instagram: instagram.com/c_harden7 On Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisHardenYT DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!

[@michaelmcelrath8536]

hey Chris it's been a while since I commented on one of your videos hope you're doing well man the power plant at the beginning of the video looks like a place where Freddy Krueger would work lol😂

[@bobmackay3414]

Growing up in Detroit, I always remember the smell in the downriver area. Chis mentioned salt in this video. A lot of people do not realize that there is a salt mine under the city of Detroit in the area that Chris is in. The mine entrance is in southwest Detroit near Fort Street not far from the Rouge River.

[@erocker78]

Under Lake Erie too. Morton has a plant in Mentor Headlands, OH.

[@bobmackay3414]

@@erocker78 Yes sir, you are correct about the Morton salt mine. I didn`t want to get too far off topic in his video. There are several salt mines in or near the Great Lakes. There is another large salt mine under the southern part of Lake Huron that is accessed from Goderich Ontario, Canada

[@erocker78]

@@bobmackay3414 I did not know that. 👍

[@bobmackay3414]

@@erocker78 No problem, there is an awful lot of things that I don`t know about . I try to learn something new every day . I comment on Chris`s videos to try to help him out with the algorithm.

[@nolans3026]

love your videos, Wayne county born and raised; I love the history, I love exploring - you tie those together beautifully. Keep doing what you do man!

[@JonathanButler-zd8qt]

Detroit historically has been a hard working, industrial place. About jobs and making money through the automobile industry and industrial sites.

[@jag92949]

I remembered seeing haze regularly driving through River Rouge and southwest Detroit.

[@jetsons101]

First comes to many liquor stores, then a overabundance of vape stores shortly follow When "Pawn" shops start popping up, start to worry. When pot stores move in, it's too late -- put the house up for sale.

[@HomenetAV]

I'd much rather have a pot / cannabis store than another abandoned building. It helps the tax base and brings an economy that was not there for decades.

[@SteveandSusiesHomestead]

Great video

[@kartierglory]

"all dressed in.... Black [RACIST]" is HILARIOUS 😂

[@erocker78]

Love that "RACIST" sound bite that he inserts in all his videos. 😆

[@charleykeenan6171]

I grew up in Weirton W. Va - former home of the largest "start to finish" Steel Mills in the nation. Home to several "coke" plants it was filth on a level this place will probably never see. Not a bad looking town, but without a new industrial investment it is surely doomed.. sad.. Thanks for documenting the Midwest as it exists today..

[@seniorbarb]

Want to add, while some commented " so what, it's just another rust belt." As the old saying goes, " Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." So thank you again for publishing this history that I hope isn't repeated. Your channel is more valuable than any script production on a news channel. Well done!

[@AlexanderWaylon]

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing the information. I was curious about the large brick ranches sometimes listed there for such low prices. Another KZbinr in Detroit real estate mentioned River Rouge has a rogue if not tyrannical building code enforcement department maybe that explains general lack of blight. I wish for nothing but good luck and love for Detroit, and all her suburbs. Again awesome video, enjoy your weekend!

[@kendalson7100]

Lots of industry. Jobs and money. Industry isn't supposed to be pretty. I don't think the area looks bad at all.

[@fewsaid]

yeah it looks awesome

[@avgjoeavglife]

If you like loud noise and bad smells, then River Rouge is for you.

[@CT-vm4gf]

It looks awful, money isn’t not everything.

[@jeromefym9548]

@@CT-vm4gfit kinda is

[@MichaelVLang]

Smelling Zug Island is not like going to a botanical garden.

[@jKLa]

Previous source of the infamous "Windsor Hum" that ended when the US Steel Mill blast furnaces on Zug Island shut down in 2020 (US steel still has noisy operations there but not like before).. You can hear the hum of large steel mills for miles away at night!

[@seniorbarb]

GREAT RESEARCH CHRIS. I grew up here many years ago. We were plagued with corruption of taxpayers stolen money, lots of it, even then. Great Lakes Steel paid a big portion of property tax and kept the schools going. I remember the sewage system always backing up in our neighborhood's basements. I remember taking baths and seeing a ring of dirty orange metallic flakes in the tub. I never noticed the air quality until we went up North in the thumb area and came home. It was hard to deal with. I will say that we had great sports teams and my High School teachers were great, but many of us were terrified to use the school bathroom. I minded my own business but witnessed too many violent crimes. The crime and poverty after all these years still remind me how blessed my family and I are to get out of there😮. I had no idea the taxes are that high, WOW. Good video, thank you for helping expose those officials stealing money meant for poor kids. River Rouge was swimming in huge tax revenue from Great Lakes steel and politicians were stealing a lot of it. Nothing has changed except now Jefferson is called " The Green Mile " for the numerous pot stores. 😅

[@shelbyz1974]

Thanks for the history lesson of River Rouge Chris! Shame about the corruption involving school children's meals. My grandfather used to work for US Steel in Illinois after returning from WW2 and the Korean War. I always remember the horrible smells of the plant. He died in the 80's of Emphysema.

[@nairb28100]

I stumbled across your channel about 3 or 4 years ago and loved your videos then. I remember commenting on how you should have WAY more followers than you did at the time. After watching this episode, I noticed all of the little(and big) things you've added to your videos since then, and it's great to see you're at 81K subs!( I think I remember 10,000 or less at the time, if I'm not mistaken). Keep kicking ass, Chris! Thank you for all the hard work and great content!

[@ChrisHarden]

Thank you! I’m always looking to improve on stuff 👍🏻

[@timr31908]

It's kind of what happens when you hijack free Enterprise

[@craignovy2090]

Masterfully done....as usual. Listening to the detailed thorough narration alone is worth the time. Chris has a really unique way of winding clever humorous thoughts into very serious topics but not at the expense of people who are struggling to just get by. I have said this before...corruption is disgusting and much more so in a poor struggling community. How do these perpetrators sleep at night? Between the outstanding drone work and street video I am surprised the residential area did not look worse than it did. Chris has performed a real public service shining a light on this area.

[@jamesfaber6959]

Have friends who were raised in 'The Rouge' as natives call it. They were raised there during the 50s and some still live there. Sad that things have deteriorated as they have. In spite of this have many warm memories of family gatherings years ago.

[@rickwitt5735]

I've always enjoyed your videos and this one is no exception. I'm glad to see your channel grow with subscribers. Keep up the great content!

[@ChrisHarden]

Thanks!

[@VinceDSalerno]

Love all your videos, you have exceptional talent in your style of presenting your content.

[@Thuase]

Worth noting, most crime in the area arent spur of the moment. It's usually people with prior conflicts. I used to work in the city installing internet/cable and didnt have any safety issues.

[@AlexanderWaylon]

Good information about the positive

[@tikajoubert2473]

I grew up in River Rouge. Thank God I don’t have any health issues 💙🙏🏽😢

[@ChrisHarden]

That’s great. My grandpa worked at the marathon refinery for several decades. Don’t think he had related health issues from it either… Amazingly.

[@taters7359]

Man, this guy must have really gotten bullied in Indiana 😂

[@fredwickenheiser8750]

He’s a “journalist”, he drove through river rouge, Leave him alone… in a couple months he’ll post a video “ginger harassment in southwest Detroit” when he needs more attention and views.

[@ChrisHarden]

I was called a Mountain Dew drinking hilljack more than a few times in the Jr. High years

[@debbiethanksforvideo-veryi663]

I’m very impressed with how well kept up the homes & stores are. Even the closed up businesses are neatly boarded up & not showing disrepair. It’s obvious that the residents take pride in their neighborhoods. I did not see any blight, overgrown lawns, etc. I was expecting the worst from your title! So glad to see more positive things than negative ones!

[@SteveandSusiesHomestead]

22:29 What is going on with that building ? I see the front but no side walls.

[@smooch2955]

Yeah... that's what I'd like to know 😆

[@erocker78]

Love your techno music at 10:45

[@willruelle9799]

I visited my grandparents on henry st in river rouge 1963 to 1972. Played at Belanger park and us steel park. We were far enough away from marathon not to get sulfur smell. Great video and drone footage!

[@FixIt1975]

A boarded up pawn shop, wow. This may be poorer than Highland Park but it doesn't look nasty like Highland Park

[@ChrisHarden]

True that

[@2000det]

You forgot to tell everyone that River Rouge is a "Blue Collar" Rust Belt City....and the people who "choose" to remain here are happy...Yes we have a ton of environmental issues because the heads of industries refuse to do the right thing with home buyouts/relocation, "It is what it is".....Hopefully in my lifetime, My neighborhood will be transformed into a beautiful green zone for everyone to see & enjoy....

[@ChrisHarden]

You contradicted yourself

[@2000det]

Lmao & Smiling....Thanks for the great video Chris

[@the_inquisitive_inquisitor]

I love Michigan. I think it's the most beautiful place on Earth. I'm more loyal to my State than I am to the United States. That being said, we have our problems.

[@ChrisHarden]

Well said.

[@user-lo6cf3df1x]

ZUG island yeah, no kidding, it's dirty. That's what they've been producing steel for a 100 years. All industrial and like most cities it's on the crappy south side

[@billyjoejimbob56]

Justifiably critical of U.S. Steel, Zug Island, nearby Marathon refinery, and the former DTE power plant. But, virtually nothing said of Ford's enormous century old Rouge complex. Ford deserves credit for decades of cleanup efforts, new investment, and maintaining some jobs, but the property is hardly back to nature and sprouting green shoots everywhere. Any comments?

[@jays.4254]

Another fantastic Video Chris, It really was always an industrial city, it's just unfortunate that it was never regulated properly . It's too bad that the state of Michigan doesn't want to try to figure out how to get it cleaned up but I suppose with the industry that is still there, you have to wonder if they really want it cleaned up. Maybe with the Gordie Howe bridge being built and once start operating things might change but probably not.

[@ChrisHarden]

Marathon is still running strong and provides Detroit with exceptional tax revenue. The pollution from it only affects a very small portion of Detroit’s residents. It affects all of Rover Rouge though. As long as it process jobs it’ll probably always stay. Zug island looks like it’s on its last days of making steel so maybe that’ll turn into an environmental restoration project for the next 100 years.

[@jays.4254]

@@ChrisHarden I would imagine you are right about the jobs. Still very interesting video you put out.

[@user-oz2lw5sm9o]

Mill I think is hiring, drove by there a few weeks ago and pay started at $25 per hour. Used to be not that bad with the houses and businesses. except for the pollution. My Grandmother lived there and 60’s and 70’s , and I remember my dad’s car would have an orange film on it after a few hours. My family worked in many of those mills and plants.

[@peterdee2761]

Watch your videos while I ride the stationary bike. About a year ago you would show the map of your route at the start of the video and one could see where you had driven. Liked this feature. Thank you for your shows.

[@joannunemaker6332]

Another corrupt town. How sad. I enjoyed this video anyway. There is alot of information here.😊❤

[@eweezy734]

Great video I'm from Rouge and you got a lot right, but you left out other not as known facts. Very informative nonetheless.

[@ChrisHarden]

Fair enough

[@timr31908]

Do not bail out general motors again... Let them fail if they're going to fail.

[@michigan_joe]

Any chance of you going back to Illinois and doing a video of Streator? You did Ottawa! :)

[@tikajoubert2473]

A lot of people have died from cancer due to the pollution in rouge and the surrounding cities 💙

[@CommodoreCaravan1981]

fun fact: the Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot made a song named "the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" in 1976 to remember this tragedy.

[@sarahawkins1917]

Maybe I missed it, but I don't see any redeeming value in that city which is really sad. Probably within the next fifty years the city will be abandoned if not sooner

[@ChrisHarden]

I agree to an extent. What does it for me is the pollution. The more we learn about all of that, the more people will move away as they value their health. That outweighs the potential sentimental value there is in the community IMO.

[@PenelopePeppers]

My Dad grew up in Melvindale back in the 30's and 40's. And so did my Mom down on Bobien. Of course I was born and raised in Avon Twp which is now called Rochester Hills.

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

River Rouge is named by the French because Rouge is a French word meaning RED. Detroit is also a french word: De = Of and Troit = 3 so De-Troit is Of-Three Even Chris has red hair which is Rouge Hair

[@lexishannon3952]

détroit = strait / 3 is spelled "trois" , Detroit was actually part of Quebec and was its 3rd largest city after Montreal and Quebec City

[@ChrisHarden]

He knows that. He makes false French translation jokes in every other vid. Good to clear that up for the comment section on-lookers though 👍🏻

[@a.leemorrisjr.9255]

Pizza, Reefer, & 40oz to FREEDOM😅!

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

Well done

[@truckingisinmyblood]

These districts need to post how the district pays cabs to take kids back and forth to school. We are talking some students fares are $50-100 one way 5 days a week. 500-1000 a week. Some are special needs but most are low income parents that are to lazy to work

[@jenaccess4luv]

Kids with special needs can get transportation to school in almost all school districts throughout the U.S. It doesn't matter the parents income

[@HomenetAV]

I grew up in Brightmoor in the 60.s. 70's and half the 80's. You could smell the bile from Zug Island quite a few days in the summer. And that's quite a ways north of where you're at now. Can also tell you that Ford Mo. Co. did their fair share of helping to ruin the Rouge River. Along with those other nasty factories and companies, they truly were NOT for the environment. I can also tell you I wondered in the back of Fairlane Mansion in the early 70's long before it got walled off. I can show you the exact spot where Thomas Edison and Ford laid the cornerstone to the power plant for the mansion. Those companies killed that once beautiful river.

[@Mathias3710]

How hard is it to come to a complete stop at a stop sign?

[@markchirillo5083]

my hometown,is there anything on building of thr rouge plant ?

[@richierich398]

At least you’ll get a nice view of it from the Gordie Howe bridge

[@ztl2505]

If you have to post signs with detailed explanations of which fish have the least chemicals I think I’ll just pass on fishing there lol

[@ChrisHarden]

Exactly how I feel lol

[@warbirdwf]

To be honest, this was one of the better looking neighborhoods in Detroit. Some of your other Detroit videos showed neighborhoods that looked third world.

[@ChrisHarden]

River Rouge is a suburb, not apart of Detroit but yeah the community doesn’t look as bad as a lot of Detroit neighborhoods I agree

[@AustinWolfclaw]

i see a lot of metro detroit vids....are you from michigan?

[@phillipgarrow2297]

They have one of the best school basketball teams in the state when ever our team played them they got skunked

[@arodri313]

I grew up in River Rouge or the Rouge as we called it. It is no way the dirties city in Michigan. Go look right next door at Ecorse or southwest Detroit especially the Ray (Del Ray). Rouge has actually gotten better since I left there back in the 2000s. Rouge Rat 4ever and proud of it!

[@ChrisHarden]

River Rouge is absolutely the dirtiest city. The entire town has industrial pollutants hovering in the air above it. Im guessing that’s why you moved away despite being proud of being from there? River Rouge is closer to the marathon plant than Ecorse is. Southwest Detroit isn’t a city it’s a neighborhood. Already looked at Delray and the other neighborhood you’re thinking of is Boynton. Once again that’s only a small part of Detroit. You can live in Detroit and be far away from this area. Like, 7 Mile and Kelley. You would have an entirely different set of problems to deal with up there, but air quality wouldn’t be near as much of a concern as it is down by Zug Island and the Marathon plant.

[@IcyBird420]

We used to go get opium there in the 90s regularly it was the only place near us with the pull up houses for it.

[@L7cky11]

Our governor promised road fixs. Instead we have traffic jams for the over passes lmao.

[@dianayount2122]

how do the roads get fixed?

[@L7cky11]

@dianayount2122 recently on fox they explained why ohio is superior to us. I suggest you do your own homework .

[@richierich398]

Yes, it’s dirty and the air quality stinks. But to me, the saddest part is the loss of those good paying industrial jobs. And that could be traced back to those corrupt politicians, not just in the city, but in the whole country.

[@johnmcque4813]

Lake Superior, is to cold and bacteria that makes gas can't do it so it doesn't give up her dead.

[@brianalex8883]

So otherwise, River Rouge is the New jersey of Michigan. I always thought that 😅 the smell was terrible every time I got. in the car past there

[@PenelopePeppers]

I remember it always smelled awful traveling through there out of state when I was a kid !!!

[@larryspiller6633]

Ah, the smell of coke ovens at work. Was a regular smell here too on the southern tip of Lake Michigan near Gary Indiana. That along with other industrial stink. Used to smell the farm smells here as well. Still some corn and beans, but the cattle and pigs are far and few.

[@erictorow250]

Yo Chris harden what’s happening bro 😮😮😮🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱

[@PenelopePeppers]

May I suggest Mount Clemens ---The County Seat for Macomb County 🤔

[@ChrisHarden]

One day

[@fredc.o.4495]

Always knew we were getting close to Allen Park when we could smell the outrageous pollution from RR. 😮 That was the 70s, and nobody gave a chit like today. 😢

[@PenelopePeppers]

Southfield is a far cry from River Rouge----It's like comparing Pontiac to Bloomfield Hills 😵‍💫

[@joekowalski182]

Great video 👍 residents there need to file class action lawsuit!

[@themancmt]

Actually looks way better now then it did b4 the weed stores

[@michaelsteele4587]

One other way you can see how nasty this area truly is would be taking a look at Google Maps satellite view...zoom in on the Rouge River and take a good look at how dirty that water is compared to the water in the Detroit River. Same case with ALL rivers in lower Michigan where there is a higher population of people and development which is evident looking at the places where these rivers dump into the Great Lakes. When you look at the map and rivers in Northern MI...all the rivers are clean and not poop brown.

[@edwardzamorski3711]

It's not dirty today you should have seen it in the 70s when steel industries were booming

[@DAKOTANSHELBY]

Great effort calling these towns and communities as they are. Be careful driving through the "hood"s of Michigan. And there are plenty.

[@lancewardlaw4880]

Why do ppl like this try to only report the negative ijs

[@therealerictatkinson8311]

My whole family from the Rouge

[@PenelopePeppers]

I always thought my Dad said it was Ecourse that smelled bad while going out of state 🤔

[@therealerictatkinson8311]

I ate fish out of the Detroit river my whole life

[@rikinaboyd3440]

Yes my husband got murdered out there 😢

[@GT47179]

Zug island Indian burial ground 😮

[@ChrisHarden]

That is something that I knew and should’ve mentioned. If I recall I didn’t put that in there 🥴

[@GT47179]

Lots of history buried in La Rouge 😮

[@therealerictatkinson8311]

Have to Ecorse was worse. Especially back in the 90s

[@jbmoney357]

Used to drive down there to drinki 40s as a kid and smoke weed. 😂

[@Fideen]

What about the skatepark in the nice beautiful Park, the memorial one with the helicopters. That's bullshit

[@pubuapubua]

Did you just say Velveeta Reese? Like the cheese?

[@ChrisHarden]

Yup. That would be her name. Spelled just like that.

[@peterjaniceforan3080]

😱

[@DETSRC313]

The cannabis industry solely saved River Rouge hands down.

[@Stitchlii]

Zug island

[@EricDahlstrom-k7k]

My graduating hs

[@korodski]

Coke manufacturing 😈

[@ChrisHarden]

Plenty of that too

[@joekowalski182]

Scum town I know numerous people that lived in homes in river rouge that have died of cancer ! I lived there for 15 years

[@twwap294]

You need to go to another state. Badmouth there. You're in a vacuous bubble that doesn't take into account the jobs heavy industry brings with it.

[@buckhorncortez]

Zug Island...no doubt, named after the Zug Indian Tribe....

[@jKLa]

Um, NO, it isn't...

[@MrFullService]

It was named after Conchita Zug, wife of Joe Zug, sone of Papa Zug and Zwagoora Zelensky...really.

[@majami_a]

Zombiland :)

[@reynard2ki]

You can indeed smell Zug island when near. Back when the coal power plant was in operation, if you drove down Jefferson Ave you would see dead birds on the road sidewalk, and whatever surface. It's better now, but still not great. I'm thinking that 1 Quality Drive may reference the old Ford slogan, "quality is job 1" and I know that they had a stake in Great Lakes Steel

[@zelloToiletTalks]

Judge Richard E Valois