Cooling Off

NORTHVILLIANS,

Over the past few weeks, we’ve touched on activities around our Bennett Arboretum (oldest in Michigan) and wrote about Henry Ford’s Hydro-electric “Village Industry” plants on our waterways. Northville grew to be the number two economic power in the state behind Detroit during the late 1800’s & early 1900’s because of industrialists like Ford, Rogers, Stinson, Beal, Yerkes, and others. Today as we near the end of summer, we will look at how our hard-working community cooled down historically when the weather got hot.   

Let’s look at some of the ways Northvillians have cooled down in the heat of summer. 

Our town 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 (Silver Springs Lake/Yerkes Lake). And we are the highest point in the county, so all the water runs down-river.

In the four historic sections of town, opportunities to cool down were available in each:

Orchard Heights

• Early on (1870’s-1880’s), Northvillians in the Orchard Heights area would go to the Northville Fish Hatchery (the first National Hatchery) which provided a spot for swimming in one of their 13 ponds. 
• Additionally, there was a small pond behind Rural Hill Cemetery (still there) where many of the local adventurous boys swam until the WWII era. Johnson Creek ran through this area. Notably, its cold, fresh, clean water is populated with trout.  
• Finally, at the end of Eaton Drive at Seven Mile, there was a 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 water works of the mills in that area. Many folks had homes on the banks of the Rouge River to keep cool in the summers and for the relaxation of the running water. Additionally, Lake Success on Griswold (a remnant of the gravel pit days) was a frequent stop for swimmers.

Bealtown
The Rouge River, after the Randolph Drain connects to it, runs through the entire Bealtown area, coming in by the Wagon Wheel Bar and Grill. Last century, the river through Northville Downs was detoured underground to provide more land for the Wayne County Fair and the Downs (we’re investigating daylighting this portion once again).
The Johnson Creek connects to the Rouge close to Custard Time & the Good Time Party Store. After WWII, Wayne County built what we would call today a “splash park” as you enter the parkway on the bike trails close to Custard Time. When I was a kid, there were still remnants of the concrete wading pools with large sprinklers.

Historic District
The Randolph Drain snakes its way 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 Historic District (8 Mile & Randolph), the Northville Swim Club took shape. My parents were charter members, and I have fond memories of cooling off there.
Right next door, at the old High School (Hillside School grounds), a modern indoor pool was built in the late 1960’s which offered open times to the public.
Locals early on 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, and creating large craters that would fill with spring water. I remember hearing stories from my father & grandfathers about swimming in what is called Blue Huron Pointe and Highland Lakes.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and consider slowing down and cooling off by some of our waterways, including the Fish Hatchery Park, Ford Field, Mill Race Village or Hines Drive. August is turning into a hot one, so cool down in “The Ville” as summer winds down.

Keep that Northville Historic Faith!

Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
BTurnbull@ci.northville.mi.us / 248.505.6849

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