A note from from Mayor Brian Turnbull...


** NORTHVILLIANS,
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This week, in preparation for Black History Month, I will highlight some historic Northville touchpoints as well as the people that have made a difference surrounding this month-long commemoration.

Black History Month (in general) was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans in the United States. It honors Black people from all periods of U.S. history. This observance originated in the United States in 1969 (55 years ago) and shortly after, migrated to other countries (including Ireland, Canada, and the UK).

Along with recognizing some local individuals, I will point to our contributions surrounding the network known as the “Underground Railroad.” One estimate suggests that before 1850, a hundred thousand people escaped to freedom via this network and perhaps close to forty thousand passed through Northville on their way to Canada.

Before learning more about Black History month, let's see what's happening TODAY ...
* Save Mary Gilbert's Historic Northville Log Cabin! The Northville River Task Force needs your help to move this innovative cabin built on the river by a very remarkable woman. Link ([link removed])

* February Tea at Mill Race Village: Lincoln’s Visit to Michigan, Shocking New Findings (2/3, Saturday, 1PM) – Dr. Tom George will share his insights about Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Michigan in 1857. Tickets for sale at the Historical Society’s office at Mill Race or by calling 734.968.7338.

* Valentine Day Celebration at Maybury State Park (2/11, Sunday, 11AM - 3PM) – Visit your favorite farm animals and play special games. See link for info and tickets. Link ([link removed])

* Valentine Day Tunes with Harpist Chanah Ambuter (2/11, Sunday, 3PM, Mill Race Village) – Come feel the love with an afternoon of romantic tunes played on a gorgeous harp in Mill Race Village’s New School Church. See link for details and registration (sponsored by the Northville District Library). Link ([link removed])

* Senior Services Valentine’s Day Luncheon (2/14, Wednesday, 11:30AM, Community Center) – Celebrate love and friendship with a delicious lunch and entertainment. Link ([link removed])

* Underground Railroad in Northville presentation at the Library (2/21, Wednesday, 7PM) – I will highlight local locations associated with the Underground Railroad and related topics. Link ([link removed])

In honor of Black History Month, let's take a look at some notable contributions involving own Town ...
I would like to first recognize some individuals and events that have left an imprint on our local DNA …

John Lewis – Michigan’s Last Civil War Vet
* In the Northville area, John Lewis was a storied Civil War veteran. According to The Northville Record, the Lewis family fled the South before the Civil War and stayed at the Ambler Underground Railroad Station (one of 4 stations in Northville, including the Starkweather Farm, Meads Mill Area, and the Cady Inn).

* The Lewis Family took up residence in the Northville School District area closer to Salem.

* John Lewis felt compelled to enlist in Pontiac’s first African American Division during the Civil War. He ultimately fought at Gettysburg. At the Lewis Family home, they proudly displayed his battle-worn Civil War drum.

* John Lewis was reportedly Michigan’s last living Civil War veteran.

Joe Louis – World’s Heavyweight Boxing Champion
* Joe Louis (Joseph Louis Barrow) put our town on the map in the 1930’s when he trained in Northville. At the time, the town was a nucleus of boxing in the Detroit area, with a private full-time indoor ring on the third floor of a residence on Wing Street.

* The “Brown Bomber” (as he was called) was hosted by Northville Downs to prepare for a fight in 1939 when he was defending his championship crown for the eighth time (since first winning the title in 1937). An indoor boxing ring was built there complete with grandstands for observers to watch Joe Louis in action. Daily busloads showed up from all over the country to watch Joe for $1 per day. It was well-publicized that the Downs was Joe Louis’s official training center in preparation for that year’s World Heavy Weight Championship. The match was against Bob Pastor at Tiger Stadium (Briggs Field), where Joe won with a Knockout in the 11^th Round.

* It was acknowledged in The Record that Joe Louis stayed at a Northville estate on 8 Mile and also spent time in the same vicinity where our Living and Learning Mansion is today.

* The Record also mentioned that Northville residents embraced Joe and his Team. He was often seen running, walking, and socializing in town. He was considered a true Northvillian.

Stops on the Underground Railroad in Northville …
* One route of the Railroad came from the south, through Ohio to Ypsilanti and then down Seven Mile into Northville.

* Another came into Michigan from Indiana and Illinois, using the I-94 corridor from Battle Creek, Albion, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and finally into Northville. The journey then continued on to Detroit and eventually Canada.

The stations in Northville included:

THE AMBLER HOTEL
* During the 1800’s, the Ambler Hotel on the corner of Main Street and Center (today the site of the Great White Buffalo Brewing Company) was a bustling stop on the Underground Railroad as folks from the South journeyed toward freedom.

THE CADY INN (now in Mill Race Village)
* The Cady Inn, one of the oldest buildings in town, was built circa 1831 and moved from Cady Street to the Mill Race Village in 1987. The building functioned as both an Inn and a stagecoach stop. Prior to 1869, the southern entrance to town was by way of Cady Street. Early on, the Cady Inn was a major stop along the Underground Railroad.

THE STARKWEATHER FARM
* The Starkweather homestead on 7 Mile west of Beck (where the Stonewater subdivision sits today) was also a significant stop on the network. The weather-beaten barn in the center of their property stood for over 150 years and was a stopover on the journey to freedom.

* According to a 1963 article in The Record, Ruth Starkweather spoke about stories passed down generationally regarding how her family assisted folks trying to get to Canada. Mr. Starkweather Sr. strongly believed in equality for all and had fought in the Civil War. The farm’s original stone fence on the south side of 7 Mile, just west of Beck Road, still stands today.

MEADS MILL MIDDLE SCHOOL location
* In the area of 6 Mile & Northville Road, then called Waterford, a group of homes were part of the Underground Railroad system. The community rivaled Northville and even had a train station and a population similar to the Ville. Surprisingly, it didn’t have any churches. The Mead Brothers’ mill was the community’s stimulus economically, but without the faithful in the pews every Sunday and with the fires in the mill, Waterford virtually disappeared from our maps (a small cemetery remains).

I am extremely proud of all Northvillians, both today and throughout history, who have treated all in our society with equality, integrity, respect, and the highest degree of ethics. Northville is truly a special place, and these principles have been part of our DNA for nearly 200 years.

Keep that Northville Faith!

Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
[email protected] / 248.505.6849

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

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