NORTHVILLIANS,
We continue our Fall Series as October progresses towards our renowned Halloween celebration in the Ville, which premiered last weekend with a spectacular event called “Skeletons Are Alive” (DDA). For this week, we turn our attention to our Historical Cemeteries and their history.
But first, let me recap all the Northville activity we just experienced:
- As you may know, downtown Northville was abuzz with Homecoming festivities and the parade Friday night.
- This was followed by the football game where Northville was victorious over Canton 63-0.
- It ended with the Homecoming dance Saturday night. Many of the High School folks could be seen in town at eateries and taking pictures.
- ADD TO THAT … the community celebrated our 14th annual “Skeletons Are Alive” event where 250 skeletons sponsored by local businesses came alive and the wall of spiders in Town Square was impressive.
- The group “Social Bones” performed Saturday night in front of close to 10,000 folks who also experienced the Ghost Busters crew, aerialists performing routines, dancers, and multiple activities for the kids including balloon art, face painting, and pictures amongst the skeletons in between the 11 food trucks and tables set up for visitors.
- All told, Saturday night was one of the largest gatherings in recent history in the community.
Special thanks go out to our DDA group headed by Kate Knight, with special recognition to Stacy Pearson who managed the entire event. It was truly outstanding… it was great to see Northvillians, visitors, and families experiencing all the decorated skeletons.
This week, as I present our historic final resting places, I wanted to make special mention of an upcoming event:
THE OAKWOOD CEMETERY AND HISTORY TOUR (FRIDAY, 5-8PM)
We will be hosting a tour of one of the oldest cemeteries in the state (Oakwood) which takes place this Friday, October 10th. LINK Oakwood Cemetery is being renovated by the Cemetery Restoration Task Force, and on Friday there will be tours where I will greet each of the groups as they enter the cemetery and share a little history.
The tour includes actors portraying our forefathers who shaped our storied history. DID YOU KNOW … we have veterans there from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and of course, the Civil War.
This event is supported by The Northville Art House and the Northville Historical Society. If interested in preservation of this historic final resting place, please attend the next Cemetery Restoration meeting … or reach out to me directly (see below).
Let’s look at the background of our Historic Cemeteries…
Historic Oakwood Cemetery – Dating back to the 1820’s
Mr. Cady (Cady St.), in the early 1800’s, owned a large plat which today is where Oakwood Cemetery is located, along with the Old Village School and the Community Center. Mr. Cady donated the land as the first free burial ground in the Northville area. The sign states the cemetery dates back to 1808, but truly it was incorporated as a Cemetery in the 1820’s with its first burials shortly after.
In this final resting place, there are veterans of the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and many others… the Daughters of the American Revolution had these hallowed grounds designated as a national historical site in 1987.
The Friday tours referenced earlier will feature actors portraying some of the earliest Northvillians. The names on the streets came from our forefathers (Randolph, Wing, Hutton, Dunlap, Beal, Horton, Cady and others) who are being shaded today by some of the oldest oaks in the state (200–250-year-old trees). This renovated site will be a trolley stop on our Bicentennial Tour in 2027.
Rural Hill Cemetery History – circa 1880
Rural Hill was designed in the 1880’s as a rural garden cemetery featuring a park-like setting which emphasized its natural beauty and topography. There were fountain and waterscapes within the grounds at one time. Early on, the Northville Record suggested that the grounds were a beautiful and peaceful place to have Sunday picnics.
Cemetery Restoration Task Force
The Cemetery Restoration Team is a group on a mission:
David Marold (Chair), Andrew Krenz (Council liaison), Chuck Murdock (Leader of the Headstone Gang), Anna Hay (Grounds Team Leader), Carl Giroux (Fences, Entries, Walkways Team Leader) and others are working to restore Oakwood and are now setting their sights on Rural Hill.
The community is truly appreciative for the work of this entire group for sharing their time and talents for the betterment of these two areas. Special thanks go out to Northville Lumber and others that have supported these efforts.
Enjoy your town and walk around and see the Skeletons, sign up for the history tour at Oakwood LINK, and get ready for the color canopy of our fall trees in The Ville, once known as the Hamlet in the Hills or Switzerland of Wayne County.
Again, we are very fortunate to have an annual Old Timers History gathering where generational citizens help keep Northville’s history alive in our hearts and our minds. As I’ve said often, the future of our town rests on the shoulders of those that have come before us.
Keep that Northville History Faith!
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
Northvillian 
Leave a comment