The Countryside Improvement Association, as reported in the Summer newsletter (Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society), is celebrating 75 years of philanthropic activity in West Bloomfield. One of their 1920 projects, as reported by Gail Smith, occurred when…” it was brought to our notice that the (Detroit) Free Press Fresh Air Camp very much needed a suitable place for the children to eat. The first reaction to this was an appropriation of one hundred dollars, but just prior to paying this amount, our president made a personal visit to the damp and realized that wind and rain and clouds of flies just isn’t an added comfort when one is eating, and resolved that if the organization was assuming this responsibility, it must be done worthily. So we rallied to the challenge and began planning ways and means of raising the money. Dancing parties at the club, card parties everywhere, bake sales, etc. This went on until we had a sufficient sum to make a start toward an attractive, screened, and convenient mess hall, the plans having been donated by Albert Kahn. Mrs. Kahn was a member of the association. On July 10, 1920, we dedicated the building and named it Humphrey Hall, (now Sylvan Lake Community Center) after Miss Humphrey, who had given much of her time and thought to the carrying on of the work begun by Mr. Arthur Mosely at an earlier date.” And coincidently, the Kahn’s daughter, Rosalie Butzel, has just donated to the society, Albert’s street and name sign for his famed “Summer Cottage”. (1917-1968, located on the north side of Walnut Lake) along with a 3 story hand-carved bird house constructed by Mr. Hamlin, a conductor on the Farmington-Orchard Lake Interurban line, caretaker of the Campbell complex on Apple Island (1902-1905), and father of Winford Hamlin, Albert Kahn’s caretaker for forty years, who is himself quite a crafty woodworker. It was Winford, you may recall, 93 years young, that gave us a working model of the water-barrel cart and Apple Island ferry at the last annual meeting of the Society.
Albert Kahn Helps Countryside Improvement Association
Object ID: 2013-001-026
Date: 1920
Collection: BiographySubjects: Article
Whitfield Cornerstone laid newspaper article
Object ID: 2013-001-025
Date: 1929
Collection: Sylvan LakeSubjects: Whitfield School
Notice to taxable inhabitant December 1, 1851 Sir you are herby notified that the school inspectors of the townships of Waterford, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield and Pontiac have formed a fractional school district in said townships, numbered and bounded as follows: Numbered “Six”, Bounded as follows, containing the following described lands, “to wit,” The whole of section 31 of Pontiac. The whole of section 6. Ah1/4, and W ½, of LW1/6, of section 5, of the town of Bloomfield. The whole section one, and the E ½ of 4E 1/6, of section 2. Of West Bloomfield and the LE1/6 of section 36 of Waterford. The first meeting of said district will be held at the house of Henry Windiate in said district on Monday the 15th day of December A. D. 1851, at 6 o’clock P.M. and you are herby instructed, in pursuance of the law relating to primary schools, to notify every qualified voter of said district, either personally or by leaving a written notice at his place of residence, of the time and place of said meeting for the election of officers and the transaction of such other business as may be necessary. Dated at Pontiac this 1st. day of December 1851. E. H. Whitney Clerk of the boards of school inspectors I do hereby certify that I notified all the qualified voters of the within named district on or before the 8th day of December 1851. Hiram H. Hunter Filed & Recorded December 18th A. D. 1851 A. G. Smith Director
Whitfield Cornerstone laid
Object ID: 2013-001-024
Date: 1929
Collection: Sylvan LakeSubjects: Whitfield School
Notice to taxable inhabitant December 1, 1851 Sir you are herby notified that the school inspectors of the townships of Waterford, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield and Pontiac have formed a fractional school district in said townships, numbered and bounded as follows: Numbered “Six”, Bounded as follows, containing the following described lands, “to wit,” The whole of section 31 of Pontiac. The whole of section 6. Ah1/4, and W ½, of LW1/6, of section 5, of the town of Bloomfield. The whole section one, and the E ½ of 4E 1/6, of section 2. Of West Bloomfield and the LE1/6 of section 36 of Waterford. The first meeting of said district will be held at the house of Henry Windiate in said district on Monday the 15th day of December A. D. 1851, at 6 o’clock P.M. and you are herby instructed, in pursuance of the law relating to primary schools, to notify every qualified voter of said district, either personally or by leaving a written notice at his place of residence, of the time and place of said meeting for the election of officers and the transaction of such other business as may be necessary. Dated at Pontiac this 1st. day of December 1851. E. H. Whitney Clerk of the boards of school inspectors I do hereby certify that I notified all the qualified voters of the within named district on or before the 8th day of December 1851. Hiram H. Hunter Filed & Recorded December 18th A. D. 1851 A. G. Smith Director