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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 006-007

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Bloomfield Blossoms

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GB01a005

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

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BLOOMFIELD IS ONE OF THE OLDEST TOWNSHIPS IN MICHIGAN A certificate was received by the board of trustees this Bicentennial year noting that Bloomfield is one the oldest remaining townships in the whole state of Michigan. Originally it was part of a much larger piece of land known as Oakland, but on June 28, 1820, Territorial Governor Lewis Cass designated the southern part of Oakland as Bloomfield. It continued to embrace West Bloomfield, Royal Oak and Southfield Townships until April 12, 1827, when it received its new designation as a 36 square mile area by act of the legistlative council. On May 25, 1827, therefore, the first Township meeting was held at the house of John Hamilton on the Saginaw Trail, a board of inspectors and clerk of the day were named, and the first Township officers were elected. They were Lemuel Castle, Supervisor, Ezra S. Parke, clerk, John Todd, Joseph Park and Abraham Crawford, assessors. Other residents were named commissioners of highways, poor masters, tax collector and constables. Fifteen road overseers, nine fence-viewers and three pound-masters were elected, and a bounty of $5.00 was offered for each wolf killed within the Township. Another $50 was raised for the poor. This was the beginning of a long line of public servants who in the early days included almost every resident of the Township. At first, there were not enough people here to appoint one road overseer to each section, so as new families settled, the first job a man held in public life was that of road overseer. It can be sesen that almost overy original family contributed time to local government.