| Cadillac Museum | |
|---|---|
| Native name French: musée Cadillac | |
 | |
| Reference no. | PA00095884 |
| Reference no. | S564C |
The Cadillac Museum is the purported[citation needed] birthplace of French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of the city of Detroit, and a museum dedicated to his life. Located in Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave, Tarn-et-Garonne, France, the museum opened in 1974, following interest from Detroit historians into the founder of their city. The museum is listed as a Monument historique by the Ministry of Culture, and also as a Michigan State Historic Site by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office. Its designation as a Michigan historic site is one of only 8 designated sites located outside the state of Michigan, and the only one located outside the United States.
Background edit
Antoine Laumet was likely born in this house on March 5, 1658. He fled France for North America at the age of 25, arriving in Port-Royal in 1683. He concealed his identity upon his arrival, presenting himself as "Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac," supposedly of the nobility. In 1701, he began construction on Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, the first European settlement in the area of the present-day city of Detroit.
Cadillac was periodically honored in the United States, including by the founders of the Cadillac automobile brand, and a United States postage stamp in 1951.