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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 04

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Bloomfield Township (Mich.) -- History

GB01a004

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

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FOREWORD When the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees appointed the Bicentennial Commission in October of 1974, they noted that no history of the Township had ever been published, nor archives assembled, although its population was nearing 50,000. The board therefore instructed the newly-formed commission to place top priority on the research and publication of a Township history, a Bicentennial project to be completed by July 4, 1976. The work commenced immediately. The 150-year-old original records were removed from the safe as a starting point, and work on an oral history was begun with a group of our native-born residents, descendents of Founding or Centennial families, chatting informally. The tapes provided many delightful sidelights and comments used throughout the book. This same group gave us family histories, diaries and other documents for copying to supply our archives. In some cases, as many as forty pages of material back up just one page of the book. At the same time, county records were scrutinized and all area libraries combed for information. In December of 1975, the Bloomfield Hills City Commission moved to join us in our publication, and the City of Bloomfield Hills Historical Committee carefully researched the Hills area and chose the subjects they wanted depicted. Then, from across the barriers of time, shadowy hands plucked the pen from present-day historians, and wrote many pages from the viewpoint of an on-the-scene observer. The great French writer and statesman Alexis de Tocqueville wrote fully and beautifully of life in Bloomfield in 1831. Even before that, Captain Hervey C. Parke and Miss Fannie Fish gave us much material from the 1820s to light up the pages of history like the firelight of the pioneers' hearths. It became evident early on that there was not enough time to prepare an exhaustive, footnoted history, so this informal one was decided upon. A "proper" history will be completed soon. This little book would never have been published if it weren't for the cooperation and effort of more than fifty people. The thanks of the Board and the Commission go to each of them. They contributed to our Bicentennial celebration in what we hope the future will consider the most meaningful way possible-the preservation of our past. Bloomfield Township, Michigan Kay Smith July 4, 1976