A note from from Mayor Brian Turnbull...


** NORTHVILLIANS,
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Happy Summer! It was great to see many of you in town this past weekend … it was hopping with the fantastic weather we had. I counted 7 businesses supporting live music. It was quite an atmosphere. It doesn’t get much better than enjoying music and fellowship in the Ville, as folks strolled around our social district downtown.
Today, we continue our summer theme talking about where Northvillians cooled off in summers past. Some of these spots include the gravel pits in the Northville area, which harken back to the glaciers that carved out this topography. Over the years, many of us in the Ville swam in the heat of summer at these locations.

Additionally, many Northvillians take refuge by going “Up North” to enjoy all the lakes and rivers OR by jumping in at local swimming spots. Some of these local cooling zones include the Northville Swim Club (since the 1960’s), Meadowbrook (over the past 100 years) and other pools in the area. Early local history, dating back to the 1870’s, tells us that the Northville Fish Hatchery on 7 Mile provided a swimming spot for Northvillians in one of their 13+ ponds.

There was also a small pond that is still in the back of Rural Hill Cemetery where many of the local adventurous boys (including my father) swam in the early 1900’s. After WWII until the 1960’s, there was even a county splash park and wading area across from Custard Time.

Before we explore "Northvillians Cooling Off" further, let's first see what's happening in town today:

7/15 – Coffee with City Council members @ Mithai & Chai (345 E. Cady St.) 10:00 AM

7/15 – Shelter Pets in the Pawrk - The annual Library Teen Shelter Pet art contest, featuring adoptable pets in the park behind the City Hall. Link ([link removed])

8/5 – Mill Race Village Garden Party Fundraiser. Link ([link removed])

9/2 – Married by the Mayor at Mill Race Historical Village: there are some available times left. If you would like to be married by the Mayor or renew your vows at the beautiful Mill Race, see: [link removed]. The 9/2 event package includes Mayor Turnbull officiating, Shawn Riley music, Pamela McCormick Photography, and flowers by Clare Pravato Design. Email (mailto:[email protected]) or call 248.348.1845 for wedding info.

Mill Race Historical Village Sundays – Through the summer on Sundays, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. Docents in Victorian dress will be in Mill Race buildings sharing Northville’s history.

ALL SUMMER: SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR THURSDAY FARMERS’ MARKET DAYS – The Chamber of Commerce is seeking volunteers for a data gathering project at the Farmers’ Market. Each Thursday through October, we need 3 volunteers for two 3.5-hour shifts. This data will help us plan the future of Northville Farmers’ Market and assist the Chamber in obtaining grant funding to support an expanded market in the future.
TO VOLUNTEER, please go this link and scroll to the bottom: [link removed]

MUSIC IN TOWN
* MONDAY – Music at Maybury – Shawn Riley played last Monday. Calendar for 7PM, July 10^th through August 21^st. Link ([link removed])

* TUESDAY – Tunes on Tuesdays – Family Fun - 10:30 AM. Link ([link removed])

* WEDNESDAY – Genitti’s dueling pianos (Wednesday 7/19 at 7:00 PM). Link ([link removed])

* Also, on Wednesdays – Dancing in the Ville – @ Town Square, 6:30PM - 8:00PM. Arthur Murray teachers provide lessons in a variety of dance genres (all levels). Sponsored by MJ Diamonds. Link ([link removed])

* Northville Winery nightly music & food trucks (630 Baseline Rd). Link ([link removed])

* Summer Concerts, Friday & Saturday at 7:00 PM – Downtown Northville. Link ([link removed])
+ Additional live Music around town can be heard at Lava Grill, Great White Buffalo Brewing Company, Northville Gallery, & many other locations as witnessed last weekend.

Now let's take a look at some of the ways Northvillians have cooled down in the heat of summer...
Our town, as you know by now, is the headwaters of the Rouge River, with three tributaries converging in the Ville (Johnson Creek, Randolph Drain and the Rouge system). We also have the only natural lake in Wayne County, Curtis Lake (also once called Silver Springs Lake/Yerkes Lake). And we are the highest point in the county, so all the water runs down-river, dropping 266 feet to the Detroit River into the Great Lakes.

In the four historic sections of town, opportunities to cool down were as follows:

Orchard Heights
* Beginning in the 1870’s, as I alluded at the start, Northvillians in the Orchard Heights area would go to the Northville Fish Hatchery to swim in one of their many ponds.
* Also, there was another small pond behind Rural Hill Cemetery (still there) where many of the local boys swam until the WWII era.
* Finally, at the end of Eaton Drive at Seven Mile, there was an additional pond where Joe Denton Park is today. This spring-fed pond was connected to the City’s water supply.

Cabbagetown
* Locals would cool down in the Mill Pond created by the dammed-up Rouge River, which previously fed the waterworks of the area mills. (Northville was one of the first milling areas in Michigan, then became a center for the industrial revolution … today, we are reinventing ourselves with a network of Riverwalk pathways).
* Many folks had homes on the banks of the Rouge River that runs through Cabbagetown to keep cool in the summers and for the relaxation of the running water.
* Lake Success on Griswold (a remnant of the gravel pit days) was also a frequent stop for swimmers.

Bealtown
* The Rouge River also runs through the Bealtown area (named after Mr. Beal who owned the largest School and Church furniture business in the country in this area). I traversed this area last year with my waders on. Last century, the river running through the Northville Downs was entombed underground to provide more land for the Wayne County Fair and the Downs. Today, we are finalizing daylighting the river which will open up this underground section, which will include an adjacent pathway and greenspace on either side.
* Johnson Creek connects to the Rouge close to Custard Time. After WWII, Wayne County built what we would call today a “splash park” as you enter the parkway across from Custard Time. When I was a kid, there were still remnants of the concrete wading pools with large sprinklers.

Historic District
* The Randolph Drain winds its way from Oakland County through this historic area and becomes quite a creek when the rains are upon us. In the early 1960’s, at the edge of the District (8 Mile & Randolph), the Northville Swim Club took shape. Our family were charter members, and I have fond memories of cooling off there.
* Right next door to the Swim Club at the old High School (Hillside School grounds), a modern indoor pool was built in the late 1960’s which offered swim times for the public.

Glacier-made Pits
* As mentioned, Northvillians would also cool down at nearby gravel pit areas. Thousands of years ago, the glaciers “slowed down” ever so slightly, edging their way through Northville, leaving gravel deposits. Once dug out, these large craters would fill with spring water. I remember hearing stories from my father and grandparents about swimming in the Northville gravel pits. Today, we call one Blue Heron Pointe and the other is called Highland Lakes.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and cool off by walking close to our flowing waterways at the Fish Hatchery Park, Ford Field, Mill Race Village and Hines Drive.


Keep that Northville Summer Faith & Enjoy the Rivers that run through it!

Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
[email protected] / 248.505.6849

(Reach out to me anytime or forward this communication to others interested.)

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