A Gift From Beyond: A Welcome Gift From the Whittier

In the first days of taking over the security detail for the Whittier, Joyce, the caretaker stayed on through the transition. She gave us a guided tour of the property telling us stories as we went along. We patrolled every floor, checking all the doors and windows. It was clear that the first tower was the most elaborate and hosted the most prestigious guest. Joyce proudly the stories of the two penthouses. One was named the “Crow’s Nest”. There was a beautiful hand carved, solid oak door that proudly displayed the name. The interior was paneled in solid oak and boasted marble floors that lost their luster years ago. The penthouse belonged to the Dodge brothers. In the early days of automobiles, the roads weren’t built for them yet.

Detroit hosted a variety of paving methods. If you have the chance to visit the Detroit Historical Museum, make sure you go to the basement. The basement has been transformed into the “Streets of Old Detroit“. They took sections of street from the city and installed them in the basement along with store fronts and houses. It’s like stepping into the past. Some of the streets were paved with wood or, stones, but mostly bricks. No matter the paving method, it was a slow and rough ride. Most of the prominent businessmen of the time built their mansions just north of Detroit along the lake shores. Since traveling took so long, they would keep apartments in the city and travel home on the weekends.

When the Dodge brothers no longer needed the Crow’s Nest it became available to some very famous people. The Whittier was perfect for famous visitors. It was just far enough from downtown to provide privacy, but close enough to be convenient. Elanor Roosevelt stayed there when she visited. Probably the most famous guests were the fab four themselves. After the Beatles left the Whittier, the sheets from their room were cut into one-inch squares and mounted on certificates and sold.

Across the hall was the second penthouse. This was “The Mayor’s Room”. This was the most exclusive suite of the hotel. No expense was spared and the views were absolutely breathtaking. The suite was used for official functions and receptions as well as private meetings. If those walls could talk. We went down another floor and came to another corner suite. This was the home of Mae West when she was in Detroit. As we walked through the suite, I noticed a bird sitting on the window ledge staring at me. I was a little startled because I wasn’t expecting it. Joyce chuckled and explained that the Whittier is the home and well-known nesting site for peregrine falcons. The architecture and location of the building provided the perfect location for them. As we walked through the suite, the falcon moved from window to window watching every move we made. When we walked out into the hallway, there she was again, sitting at the hallway window. I took a few steps closer to try to get a better look at her. I had never seen a falcon before and she was stunning. After about 3 steps, she started attacking the window. We decided it would be best to move on. She showed up at the windows of several more floors that we patrolled. I can only assume that she must have had her nest near by the Mae West suite. No one had been in there for who knows how long. She must have gone into defense mode when she saw us enter her territory.

We eventually finished our rounds and made our way back to the main lobby. We decided to set up the security office in the front lobby area for better visibility. Now we were on the hunt. We needed to find furnishings. The building was full of furniture. We went to the old medical offices and found a desk and chair. Then we needed some lighting and anything else we could find that was useful. Jim, the officer on duty came back to the lobby with his hands behind his back and grinning from ear to ear. He said, “you are never going to believe what I just found.” He pulled a book out from behind his back. I couldn’t believe it. He held a volume of “The Thousand and One Nights”. I had recently been looking for an older publication of the classic Arabian Nights. While touring the library and game room earlier, we had a discussion about old books. I had mentioned that I had been looking for that particular novel. Joyce looked at me with a warm smile and said, Well, I guess that’s the old girls’ ways of saying she trusts you to look after her, a welcome gift.” I still have that book to this day. It is proudly displayed atop my old rolltop desk.

On an interesting note, the book from the Whittier is volume 2 of a 3 volume set. Over 20 years later, long after I had retired from the security industry, I moved to a small town approximately 100 miles away. Shortly after we moved, we decided to spend the afternoon exploring our cozy, little town. We stumbled upon an old used bookstore. We weren’t even sure if it was still open. To our delight it was. It felt like walking through a time machine. I immediately started my search. When the owner asked if I needed any help, I told her my story. She told me that she had recently inherited the store from her grandfather and there were more books upstairs. She said that it sounded familiar and she would be right back. The second floor was so full of stacks of books that it was too dangerous to let anyone up there. A short time later she emerged from a doorway holding two books in her hand. She apologized for not having the complete set, commenting how strange that was. I couldn’t believe it, she had volume 1 and 3. It was exactly what I needed. What are the chances? Coincidence, fate, or a gift from an old friend?