From Detroit Riots to Apollo 11 - A Century of Luxury & Legacy - Doug Meadows - 07-19-2026

In Week 29 of *A Century of Luxury & Legacy*, I’m looking back at the late 1950s and 1960s—a remarkable period not only in American history, but in the story of our family and our jewelry business. At the end of 1959, my dad and uncle officially purchased the business from my grandfather. I was just a little boy at the time, but looking back now, I realize what a significant moment that was. My grandfather may have moved to Florida, but he never really stopped being a jeweler and some of the lessons passed down through those generations have stayed with me throughout my life. From there, I share memories of moving from Detroit to Northville in 1963, growing up at the end of a dirt road, exploring the woods, swimming in the gravel pit, and helping, or at least trying to help with our fixer-upper of a house. Then came some much more difficult moments. The Detroit riots of 1967 happened just as my dad and uncle were moving their jewelry business from downtown Detroit to Plymouth. Only months later, in the bitter cold of January 1968, a massive fire broke out right next door to their new location. Once again, they had to figure out how to keep the business going. Those stories remind me how much perseverance it takes to own a small business. Things rarely go exactly according to plan. Sometimes you simply have to adapt, keep moving, and do the best you can with what you have. But the 1960s weren't all hardship. I still remember the excitement of the Detroit Tigers winning the 1968 World Series. I saved my money for a little transistor radio so I could listen to the games during recess. And then, in 1969, my brother and I traveled to Florida with my Uncle Art and had the opportunity to watch Apollo 11 launch toward the moon. I was only 11 years old. I may have accidentally ruined the movie film I was supposed to be recording—but the memory has stayed with me for a lifetime. What an incredible decade to grow up in. Through fires, riots, baseball, moon launches, family moves, and a changing jewelry business, one thing remained constant: our family kept moving forward. Thanks for joining me for another chapter of A Century of Luxury & Legacy as we celebrate 100 years of a family of jewelers. - 029 - From Detroit Riots to Apollo 11 - A Century of Luxury & Legacy - 07-19-2026" We are Celebrating 100 Years of a Family of Jewelers - Learn More Here : https://www.daviddouglas.com/pages/10... Join Our Email List Here: https://Email.DavidDouglas.com For more information visit: David Douglas Diamonds & Jewelry https://www.daviddouglas.com CONTACT US : 3605 Sandy Plains Rd, Suite 260, Marietta, Georgia 30066 - https://google.com/maps/place/David+D... 770-578-0598 Call | Text Email Us At : 100Years@DavidDouglas.com Check out some of our other Playlists: Celebrating a Century of Legacy & Luxury :    • Celebrating Legacy & Luxury | 100 Years of...   Top 10 Jewelry Box Essentials :    • Top 10 Jewelry Box Essentials   The way we do Custom is different :    • The way WE do custom jewelry is different....   Week 29 of a 52 part series Shared by Doug Meadows at David Douglas Diamonds & Jewelry in Marietta, Georgia