Greenspaces

NORTHVILLIANS,

Enjoy your summer in the peaceful parks and greenspaces around Northville! Today, we continue our seasonal theme talking about where Northvillians relax around town. Many walk through our various parks, taking in the summer breezes, wildlife, and splendor of the topography of our beloved village. As I’ve recounted before, our hilly scenic vistas around the Northville area harken back to the time when glaciers carved out our geography. This topography is why we are known as the “Hamlet in the Hills” or the “Switzerland of Wayne County.” The land of Up North is right here in your own backyard.

Let’s look at some of the ways Northvillians can relax by strolling through different greenways in town and nearby…

Hines Drive / Cass Benton Park
The Bennett Arboretum (oldest in the State) is located in Edward Hines Park between Six & Seven Mile. It was established in the 1930’s and is the State’s oldest arboretum (originally 470 specimen trees). Today, Bennett Arboretum is still a gem in our own backyard, perfect for a summer walk.

Cass Benton Park has been a favorite spot to enjoy nature since it opened close to 100 years ago. It has always been a beautiful area for picnics, sports events, walking and recreation.

Maybury State Park
Another great recreation site in our community is Maybury State Park. It is truly an oasis of lush green forest, and a place for visitors to connect with nature by experiencing miles of trails. Before 1971, this area served the community for over 50 years (since 1917) as the Maybury Medical TB Sanatorium, comprised of 45 buildings on 944 acres.

Maybury has gently rolling terrain, open meadows, ponds and mature forests. The park offers a variety of outdoor opportunities, including extensive trails for walking and biking, horseback riding, youth organizational camping, fishing and a working visitor farm.

Notably, for those with walking disabilities, guided-assisted trail walks offer all-terrain motorized chairs, so all can explore its topography and stroll past the historical markers along the way.

Legacy Park
Legacy Park in Northville Township is in the midst of creating an important piece of our community’s future… over 350 acres of green space oasis, all undergoing a beautiful transformation.

This land also represents our local heritage. Since 1952, it’s been a space of healing for many. It once housed the former Northville Psychiatric Hospital. When originally built, it was touted as Michigan’s first attempt at scientific treatment of mental illness. Its innovative art and music therapy program captured the attention of many, along with outdoor activities of walking, gardening, and discovering nature at the high point in Wayne County.

In similar fashion, our “Way Forward Plan” includes the development around our City of new park trails, nature areas and other amenities.

Ford Field/Mill Race Village
The Mill Race Village is an outstanding area to walk, providing visitors a chance to absorb local history and see the topography of the area. It was the site of the Yerkes Northville Grist Mill (oldest business in State) and then later owned by Henry Ford who strolled this area on his honeymoon.

The Village consists of an inn, a blacksmith shop, school, church, gazebo, wooden bridge, general store, an interurban trolley station and several Victorian homes. The Village preserves a slice of what Northville was like before 1900. I invite every one of you to imagine the times of yesteryear, walking under the canopy of trees and envisioning life in the Ville many years ago.

Next to the Mill Race, Ford Field has a colorful and eventful history, too. Activities here date back to the early 1800’s, when the milling business was in the area, and people gathered to grind their crops. Around 1919, Henry Ford purchased these properties for the first of his Village Industry factories and eventually built an Albert Kahn state-of-the-art plant across the street.

In the 1940’s, Henry Ford gifted the use of the land to the Northville community. In 1946 the Exchange Club took the lead in sponsoring and launching a project called the “Ford Recreation Field,” which would be used by the School District and the Recreation Department. The founding vision was to use the greenspace for sports of all kinds, including community activities. The football & baseball fields were laid out, and a natural amphitheater with seating for events was added.

Fish Hatchery Park
Another area to walk about is Fish Hatchery Park (oldest & first National Fish hatchery) where all the Brown Trout originated in North America. The community, through the use of grants, invested close to a million dollars naturalizing its riverbanks with native plantings next to its pathway system which runs through the compound and includes the pond and forest area.

As you can see, enjoying our open green spaces has always been an attraction for those near our “Hamlet in the Hills.” Henry and Clara Ford relaxed here starting in the 1880’s, Joe Louis jogged the trails of Hines Drive, Mr. Maybury plotted the pathways around what is now a State Park, and Mr. Clark (of Clarkston) planned the Fish Hatchery layout back in the 1800’s. Northville indeed has the open spaces and waterways to enjoy the greenery of life. I encourage you to go out and experience these beautiful places in the Ville today.

Keep that Northville Summer Faith & Enjoy the pathways that pass through it!

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

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

Click the following link to subscribe to this weekly newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/5a31f2ec1a6e/turnbullformayor