NORTHVILLIANS,
Fall is here with the trees changing to spectacular colors, football games being played, and the aroma of fires and sweet smell of cider in the air. In this week’s letter we will talk in more detail about our historic Cider Mills.
Let’s look at this fall season of spectacular color changes of the trees, football and cider mills through time.
1873 – Parmenter’s Northville Cider Mill was established in 1873 by a couple of Civil war vets and has been going strong ever since. It’s the oldest cider mill in the area, and its press was originally powered by a team of horses.
1898 – At the Northville train station, 12 railroad cars were filled with barrels of local apples paying from 75¢ – $1.50 per barrel. Some local orchards had 500 barrels each. It was also noted that some orchards began to spray for the 1st time to destroy insects, “producing good results”.
1909 – The apple crop in & around Northville proved to be one of the best. Hiram Holmes sold his crop for $1375, Ed Starkweather earned $1200 and Robert Thompson pulled in $1000.
1918 – The 2nd annual Wayne County Fair featured a canned fruit contest. The fair festivities brought people to Northville from all over Southeast Michigan who could taste the local preserves from our orchards. Other area papers noted that some of the most delicious local apples could be purchased at the Fair, with demonstrations of canning, pickling and preserving skills on display.
1919 – Northville’s Orchard Heights was the last of the original 4 historic areas in town to be developed. The other three were the Historic District, Cabbagetown and Bealtown (Globe Furniture Co. area). Orchard Heights ran from Rogers to Clement, and 7 Mile to Main, which was originally the old Eaton Orchards. Advertisements for the subdivision noted its thousands of apple, peach, plum & cherry trees. Every lot – costing $300 and up – gave a “grand view of the surrounding country, nothing more picturesque could be desired.” By 1920, a dozen new homes were built there … this is the Orchard Heights we know today.
1931 – There was a fire at Parmenter Cider Mill on Baseline Rd, which threatened to destroy 30,000 gallons of cider stored there. The Northville Fire Department was on the scene within minutes to fight the fire … similar to today’s stats!
1986 – A Northville Record story invited folks to enjoy the arrival of fall by visiting Parmenter’s Cider Mill (established in 1873) and Foreman’s Orchards on 7 Mile (dating back to 1932).
1998 – A piece of Northville history was being repurposed, where Foreman Orchards previously had their apple trees & cider mill (7 Mile/Ridge area) … the Maybury Crossing subdivision was shaping up.
Enjoy this fall season by stopping at Parmenter’s Northville Cider Mill to get cider and doughnuts. Then drive out on Baseline to Griswold to Northville Road and continue South down Hines Drive to see some spectacular fall colors. Upon your return, come see the skeletons on display in downtown Northville. Fall is upon us…experience its beauty in the Ville.
Keep that Northville Fall Faith!
Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
BTurnbull@ci.northville.mi.us / 248.505.6849
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