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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 82-83

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Bloomfield Township (Mich.) -- History

Bloomfield Township (Mich.) -- Genealogy

GB01a043

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

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FOUNDING FAMILIES AND CENTENNIAL FAMILIES While we have only one Centennial Farm candidate, we have many families in the Township who can qualify for the designation "Centennial Family." Last November the Michigan Genealogical Council inaugurated a program under which families whose forebears have lived in Michigan continuously for 100 years or more can apply for a Centennial certificate. Here in the Township we also have families which we categorize "Founding Families," present-day citizens who trace their origins back to pioneers or founders. The criteria is that the ancestor must have bought his land directly from the government, not from a previous owner, even a non-resident owner. In short, he must have bought his land, settled on it and remained here. Several families are eligible for this honor, with their ancestors going back in an unbroken line to pioneer families such as that of Polly and John Vaughan, who first bought land in 1824, and Wilkes Durkee and Nathaniel Case, who were also here in the early 1820s. We have one Founding Family who can trace their ancestry back not only to one pioneer but two. This is the Case family who go back in a direct line to both Cases and Durkees. It's interesting to note that all through these families there is a record of public service, with almost every generation active in Bloomfield Township government, school boards, and other matters of importance to a good community. From Wilkes Durkee, who was named to office in the very first Township board meeting May 25, 1827, we trace active participation of many Durkees, Cases and Vaughans, to Perry Vaughan, who was supervisor of the Township for twenty years from 1931 to 1950, and to the present supervisor Homer Case who's been active in the Township for twenty years.