NORTHVILLIANS,

INNOVATIONS IN THE VILLE

As we mentioned over the past few weeks, Northville has been the center of innovative activities since our earliest days. Today, we will look at some of these events and distinguished individuals that truly “made history” in town over the years.
Let’s first see what’s coming up soon in the Ville ...

• Maybury Farm Maple Syrup Tours – March 5-27 (12:30-4:00 PM).  Learn all about making Maple Syrup.  The Batter Up Waffle Truck will be there serving up waffle treats.  Tours are $10/Person, kids 2 & under are FREE. For more info, go to: https://www.mayburyfarm.org/ or call 248 916 3033.
   
• Pi Day at Mill Race Village – March 11^th (3:00-6:00 PM), pick up a pie or a slice. For more info and presales, go to www.millracenorthville.org
   
• SENIORS … St. Patty’s Day Senior Extravaganza – March 16^th (11:30 – 1:00 PM). Everyone is Irish at this party. Register online at https://www.northvilleparksandrec.org/ or call 248 349 0203.                                     

Now let’s take a look at the latest COVID data:

COVID-19 CONFIRMED CASES: Northville has had 699 cases/6 fatalities, Township 5674/79, Michigan 2.4M/35K, Nation 79M/949K, Global 435M/6.0M (CDC) * Wayne County New Audited Data.

Transitioning to Innovative Activities in the Ville over time...

Motorsports Advancement Through Racing in the Ville

• As mentioned previously, Northville has sponsored stock car races dating back to the 1950’s on the half-mile banked track of Northville Downs. Additionally, Northville was one of the first to sponsor demolition derbies and stunt drivers at the Downs (back then, Wayne County Fair Grounds). As highlighted last week, multiple motorcycle & snowmobile races have been held here, too.

• Many of you may know that our sister city of Novi (whose youth graduated from our High School until 1968) has a famous Motorsports connection called the “Novi Special.” It’s an iconic race car which ran in the Indianapolis 500 from 1941 to 1966 (no wins, but still iconic).   
• The Novi Special has always been the City of Novi’s claim to fame because of its one-of-a-kind innovative supercharged engine and the beautiful sound it made flying around the track. The crowds at the Indy 500 loved its high-pitched shriek as it roared by.
• The legendary Novi Special stood out with 450+ Horsepower (more than other competitors).
• Novi businessman Lewis Welch (Novi Automotive Equipment) loved auto racing.  He sponsored this high-performance race car and named it the Novi Special.
• Go see the only remaining Novi Special race car which is on display at the Novi City Hall.

• Northville has always been an area for auto manufacturers to test their hill climbing abilities and the technologies used to get to the top of the grade.
• In 1915, The Northville Record mentioned that the hill behind the old High School (Buchner Hill) on 8 Mile and Center St (Hillside Middle School) was a mecca for manufacturers to test their machinery. This area attracted many auto companies in their quest to be “King of the Hill.” In this article, a Hudson Motor Car factory driver, in front of a cheering crowd, drove the first automobile on record to reach the top of Buchner Hill.
• The fact that we were the highest point in Wayne County (375 feet above Detroit) attracted other Manufacturers here, including Ford, Packard & Studebaker, to regularly test their vehicles’ climbing capabilities.

• Henry Ford not only produced all the valves for Ford engines in Northville (from the Model T to T-Birds) but also produced high-quality precision instruments, electronic voltage regulators along with other components from his local Village Workshops. He would often stop in to discuss speed, innovation & quality with Eddie Stinson of Stinson’s Aircraft.

• Eddie Stinson’s Aircraft Company revolutionized climate-controlled enclosed cockpits in a modern, comfortable personal-use plane that eventually became known as the Piper Cub.
• Completely assembled “Motor Trucks” were produced in our town on the Globe Furniture compound (largest Furniture factory in America) in the Beal Town area near Eddie Stinson’s Airplane facility.

• The Yerkes were early pioneer innovators, building the first milling business in the Michigan territory in 1827.  Today, they still run the Northville Lumber Company.
• Beal’s Globe Furniture Factory crafted the majority of this country’s church and school furniture with modern innovations (in addition to later building trucks there).
• The Langfield’s Northville Labs brought Vanilla beans into this country and patented the extract (7 Mile & Rogers) – Jogue Labs today.
• Other innovators include the Rogers Family who had patents on condensed milk, the Carlos (Northville Downs) who first developed night racing under the lights, Mr. Clark who built the first National Fish Hatchery known as Fish Hatchery Park today, Dr. Mary Lapham who innovated a treatment for Tuberculosis (TB), along with other businesses that originated in town who offered sparkling spring water, bells, scales, to name a few. 

I hope you can see that innovation has long been a part of Northville’s DNA, with industrial legends gathering in town to help advance achievements in technology and manufacturing that began here. In our next issue, I will write about Henry Ford’s Vagabonds group (Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs) who often frequented our Village.  
 
I challenge you to be innovative in your own life and do all you can for your community and your family. Make a difference in all you do like those who have come before us.  As I love to say, we are all on the shoulders of our forefathers, readying our community for the next generation.
 
Keep that Northville Faith in all you do each and every day!