STERLING HEIGHTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Commission Members for 2008

History @ the library: Michigan’s “Mighty Mac”

Did you know that prior to 1957, folks could face up to a 15 mile line to get from the lower to the upper peninsula of Michigan? The only way to cross the lake was by ferry. During peak season, those ferry boats would carry as many as 9,000 vehicles a day.

Mr. MacArthur’s participation is especially significant as his grandfather, John H. Nunneley, served as the original legal counsel for the Mackinac Bridge Authority back in the early 1950s. “I have some interesting anecdotes, courtesy of my grandfather,” John says.

According to MacArthur, the Bridge Authority is still busy these days. An expected rate increase will finance the upcoming repaving, stripping, and painting projects scheduled for the 26,372 foot bridge. He promises to share some more bridge trivia that most people don’t know about.

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News

History Book

The book contains more than 150 photographs from the library’s archives. Librarian Debra Vercellone chose the photographs used in the book and wrote the captions. Historical Commissioner Wallace Doebler helped authenticate the photos and wrote the book’s introduction.

Sterling Township, located about 18 miles northeast of Detroit, was first settled after the Erie Canal was opened. The rich soil, relatively flat land, and the vital Clinton River attracted pioneer and immigrant families who arrived to establish farmsteads. The first influx of immigrants came mainly from the British Isles, and by the 1870s, German families had flocked to the area, raising dairy cattle and establishing farms. Belgians, arriving in the early 1900s, developed truck farming - growing fruits and vegetables to sell every week at the farmers’ market in Detroit.

Farm culture prevailed until the 1950s, when large industrial plants began moving in, bringing with them workers and a need for housing and city services. Sterling Township became the city of Sterling Heights in 1968, and this collection of photographs showcases the families and the way of life in the early days of this community, a historic community that is now the fourth largest city in Michigan.

Collaborator Debra Vercellone is a librarian and local history authority for the Sterling Heights Public Library. A lifelong resident of the Sterling Heights area, she has had a keen interest in local history since childhood, when her father pointed out an abandoned one-room schoolhouse. She has degrees in history and in library science from the University of Michigan.

Civil War Veterans Buried in Edgerton Cemetery by Historical Commission Jason Channell

Rhubarb History by Commissioners Lois Krawczyk & Mary Pawlowski

Urban sprawl has replaced all of the hot-houses that were once prevalent in the Sterling Heights area. These hot-houses were heated by steam which was fired by coal. Rhubarb was a very profitable crop, but it required much time and extreme effort to get it to market.

Small nursery plants were grown for two years then transplanted to a larger space for two more years. In the fall after the first frost, the rows of rhubarb plants were plowed out and laid out on top of the furrows until they froze into hard clumps of dirt-covered rhubarb weighing fifty to sixty-five pounds each. These clumps were loaded onto wagons and taken to the hot-houses. After six weeks in the houses which were heated to sixty-three degrees, the "forced" rhubarb was ready to pick. The rhubarb was picked all at once so farm families often worked around the clock to get the job done.

Is rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable? It is a vegetable. The stalk or stem is the only edible part (the leaves contain poisonous levels of oxalic acid). Because the flavor is very strong, it is usually cooked with sugar or other types of sweetener. It can be made into pies, jam, or compote. If you have never eaten rhubarb, give it a try! Try the recipe below.

Rhubarb Kuchen
1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup margarine 1 Tbsp. milk
1 egg 3 cups cut rhubarb
1-3 oz. package strawberry jello

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in margarine, combine egg and milk. Add to flour mixture and press into greased 9” square pan. Cover dough with rhubarb. Sprinkle jello evenly over rhubarb and sprinkle the following topping over jello.

Tiling Farm Land in Sterling Township by Historical Commissioner Wally Doebler

When the fields were being fitted and planted, it became quite obvious that the fields with excess water from the rain were not being drained. The water was not being absorbed by the ground as the ground was already full of water and had no where to go. To seek temporary drainage, the farmer would plow furrows toward ditches, creeks, or streams to help drain the fields.

Macomb County also saw this problem of water filled farming land. They established a Macomb County Drain Commission. It was their job to keep streams, creeks, and ditches clean and clear so the water could flow freely to the Clinton River.

This would help drain the fields for earlier planting and eliminate the possible drowning of the seeds or plants that the farmer had planted. It would make for a longer growing season which would be more profitable for the farmer.

The county realized the ditches, streams, and creeks had to be cleared of grass, weeds, and brush so the water would flow and not back up. The county would hire farmers in the fall and spring to clean out the county ditches. Bill Malow and my dad, Herb Doebler, were buddies and lived across from each other on Canal Road. These two young guys went into business cleaning ditches. Bill would get the jobs from the county and together they would clean the ditches and their banks.

They would use a team of horses and a board scraper, one driving the horses and the other using the scraper. After about an hour, they would trade off driving horses and using the scraper. A board scraper was about four feet wide and about three feet high with a heavy piece of steel on the bottom and two handles on the top to guide the board. The piece of steel was sharpened on the bottom so it would cut into the earth. The horses pulled the scraper and the holder would force the scraper into the ditch bottom to scrape the debris, grass, weeds, sludge, etc. and pull it up onto the opposite bank They would repeat this procedure along the ditch until it was finished. With the bottom of the ditch clean and clear of debris, the water would flow freely to the Clinton River.

With the development of motors and engines a new idea was formed to drain the fields - field tile. Field tiles were round clay-baked, usually reddish in color, cylinders about 4 ½” in diameter and about 8” long, and ¼” thick. A tile digger was invented to dig the trench about 3-4’ deep. The tile would be laid end to end on the bottom of the trench. The trench would be about 18-24” wide and would be the length or width of the field and would empty into a ditch, creek, or stream. After laid, the trench would be filled and leveled with the farm land.

During the summer when the crops were growing, it would drain the fields after heavy rains to stop any cooking or drowning. In the fall it would help the harvest as they could get on the fields with machinery and would not get stuck in the mud.

The farmers saw the advantages of tiling their fields. Soon many of the farmers were tiling their fields as money became available. After the war, beginning in the 50s, the entrepreneurs came in with their housing developments. There went the farm land and also the need for tile as sewers were laid.

Historical Markers in Sterling Heights by Historical Commissioner Jenni Ferro

Within the City of Sterling Heights, there are two Michigan Historic Sites, Holcombe Beach and the Upton House. Holcombe Beach is located on Dodge Park Road North of Metro Parkway near the site of Heritage Junior High. The location is recognized because archeologists uncovered evidence of an early Paleo-Indian settlement in 1961. About 11,000 years ago, the area near Heritage Junior High was a lakeshore. Bones and other artifacts from the settlement were found, revealing the Paleo-Indians’ likely food sources. As the marker indicates, the site is “a reminder of the basic changes in Michigan’s physical and biological environment over the ages.”

The Upton House, located at the corner of Dodge Park and Utica Roads, is also designated as a Michigan Historic Site. The home of William Upton was constructed between 1866-1867, and represents one of the oldest surviving nineteenth century brick dwellings in the City. The house reflects the Italianate style of architecture. William Upton farmed the land surrounding the house and sold fish caught in the nearby Clinton River. The use of brick as a building material, rather than wood, indicated the affluence of the homeowner.

By 1891, William Upton’s farm consisted of 138 acres, encompassing the area that is the present site of City Hall, the Police Department, 41-A District Court, Sterling Heights Public Library, Senior Citizen Center and Stevenson High School. The Upton House is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Numerous other historic sites can be found in neighboring communities. In Utica, St. Lawrence Parish and the Utica Cemetery are both recognized with Michigan Historical Markers. Likewise in Warren, the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant and Warren Township District No. 4 School, also known as the Bunert School, are commemorated with markers. Nearby Clinton Township and Shelby Township also have historic sites to offer.

History of Maple Lane Golf Course by Historical Commissioner Laura Szpont

Eventually, David purchased his brother’s interest and owned the property until turning it over to his son Levi. Not much is known about the Stickney farm; however, records for the community show sales of items from the farm such as apples and oak lumber.

No property records exist from 1895 to 1914 when the Stickney farm was transferred to the Wieg family, who were Sterling Township natives. The Wiegs operated the farm until it was sold. A portion was sold to Maple Lane Golf Course during 1926, when the original course was developed by Clarence Wolfrom.

There is no sales price on record for the purchase by the Stickney or Wieg families; however, the property had a value of $10,000 on the 1870 census which would equate to $62.50 per acre and less than one cent per square foot. Today, a property of that size would sell for development for about $1,760,000 or $11,000 an acre.

Windmill Use on the Farm by Historical Commissioner Wally Doebler

My dad, Herb Doebler, told me then his dad (John Doebler) purchasd a 14-foot Star windmill on March 31, 1989, from Star Windmill. It was mounted on the west end of the roof of his large barn. This windmill saved him a lot of work or "elbow grease" as he called it. He told me that it used to take him an hour in the morning and evening to pump water for the cattle and horses. With the widnill, all he had to do was shift a little lever and the windmill did the pumping.

He also said that in the spring and fall, many hours were saved plowing. By putting the mill on a belt driven grindstone he could sharpen the plow point very quickly and he could plow for four hours without resting their three horse team. If the point was dull, the horses had to work harder and they had to be rested more often. I asked how old he was and he said around 12-years-old. Dad said he was too small to harness the horses so his dad John would do it, then my dad would plow all day. Child labor? Sure, according to today's standard. In his time you worked the farm to eat and make a living. When there was no work on the farm, bad days and winter, you went to school.

No more using a cross cut saw to make cord wood. (No chain saws in those days.) Put the mill on the buzz saw platform and buzzed the buzz wood (buzz wood is what remains after small limbs have been removed) trees into cord wood for the stoves to heat the house. A cord is wood that has been cut 16" in length, and piled in a row 8' long and 4' high, 4 x 8 x 16.

About 20-25 years later, along came a guy named Tom. He made the mill obsolete. His name was Tom Edison.

Listed below is a copy of the memo John Doebler wrote to his Star dealer.

"Flint & Walling Mfg. Co.
Kendallville, Indiana

Dear Sirs:

Allow me to express my entire satisfaction with the 14-Star power mill purchased from your agents, Ameis, Gerlach & Houghton, last fall. I can do much more with my outfit than I expected, and certainly a good deal more than you advocate. The photograph above scarcely does the outfit justice. I have sawed more than one hundred cords of wood (photo shows about fifty cords), ground all my feed, cut my fodder, pumped water, shelled corn, sawed wood, and run a grindstone. One thousand dollars would not buy my outfit if I could not get another. Anybody wishing reference.

Yours truly,

Mission Statement

To foster an understanding and appreciation of local history and to identify and preserve the heritage of our city.

The Historical Commission strives to promote an awareness of the heritage of this community; to identify local preservation concerns; to attend workshops and seminars relating to preservation management; to study public policies designed to protect and preserve local history; to provide opportunities for residents to share and shape their historical legacy.

Through membership in the American Association of State and Local History, the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, and the Historical Society of Michigan, the Commission works to expand its perceptions and knowledge of current practices in the field of local history. It tries to keep abreast of state and federal legislation, as well as to identify sources of funding such as grants and endowments.

The Historical Commission has the responsibility to identify structures and sites of historic significance; to study the value of their preservation, and to make recommendations for future use. The Residential Date Plaque Award Program, established from 1992-1999, has recognized 33 homes of historic value in Sterling Heights as identified by age and architectural significance.

To encourage an appreciation of local history, the Sterling Heights Historical Commission is also responsible for the development of the Sterling Heights Historical Collection in the Upton House. The Commission collects and exhibits items reflecting life and times in our community since its inception as a township in 1835. The Commission, in partnership with the Friends of the Library also produced a book on local history entitled Seven Miles from Home: An Oral History of Sterling Township, a Michigan Farm Community.

As Sterling Heights continues to change, it is important to remember that learning about our history creates a bridge from the past to the present. What is happening here today will be tomorrow's history.

The seven-member Historical Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council. Members serve uncompensated terms of three years. The Commission, established May 1970, meets quarterly on the first Thursday of the month in the Upton House. The Public Library Director is the staff liaison, relating the activities of the Commission to City Administration.

Key Goals

Wanted: Display Items & Photos

Clinton Kalamazoo Canal

As you drive through Sterling Heights, you might notice two new signs stating “Clinton Kalamazoo Canal”. Thanks to the efforts of the Historical Commission, signs have been placed near the northwest corner of Schoenherr and Canal and near Canal and Clinton River Roads.

If you are wondering what was the Clinton Kalamazoo Canal, research done by local historian Don Green reveals that back in the 1830s, the state legislature of Michigan passed the Internal Improvement Act. This Act provided for three railroads and two canals.

The most ambitious of these improvements was a canal 216 miles long from Mt. Clemens to a now extinct village named Singapore at Lake Michigan. In 1838, Michigan’s first governor, Stevens T. Mason dedicated the beginning of the canal in what is now Clinton Township. The present Canal Road has been built over the old towpath and is our link to the Clinton Kalamazoo Canal.

Display photographs needed

Are you one of those organized souls who can drag out the family photo album with every picture in chronological order and labeled? Maybe you’re like most of us and just have boxes and boxes of photos waiting to be organized. Either way, the Historical Commission needs some help from you.

The Commission is looking for photos from the late 19th century to early 20th century that show schools in Sterling Township. In particular the Commission is looking for pictures of the following schools: Maple Grove School, located at Utica and Kleino; County Line School, located at 15-Mile and Dequindre; Monfort School, located at 14-Mile and Schoehnerr; Berz School, located at 15-Mile and Mound; Canal Road School located on Canal Road West of Saal; and Fox School, located on Clinton River Road east of Hayes.

The Commission is also seeking photos from the same time period showing what daily life was like in Sterling Township. Pictures of homes, churches, local businesses, and any kind of family gathering or event are all welcome.

Loaned photographs will be copied and returned to you within a few weeks. Identification of when the photo was taken and who and what is in the photo would be appreciated. Commission members may be able to assist you if you’re not sure of dates and places.

A rotating display of photographs is planned for the Upton House. Copies of the photographs will also be placed in the historical archive collection at the library.

If you have any questions, call Commission liaison Tammy Turgeon at 586-446-2640. If you would like to arrange to tour the Upton House, please contact Community Relations at 586-446-2470.

Sterling Heights Historical Collection

The Sterling Heights Historical Commission solicits and accepts items for the Sterling Historical Collection which depict the growth and change within this municipality since its inception as a township in 1835. Recognizing that today's events will be tomorrow's history, modern items judged to be of permanent value will be considered.

The Commission encourages and will consider items which fall into the following categories, although it will not be limited by these categories:

Items will be collected for preservation and display in special exhibits at the Upton House or the library, or elsewhere if display cases and security are provided.

If you have any of the items listed and would be willing to lend them to the Commission for a display, please contact Tammy Turgeon, Library Director, at 586-446-2640. If you would like to arrange to tour the Upton House, please contact Community Relations at 586-446-2470.

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