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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 008-009

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Bloomfield Blossoms

Bloomfield Township (Mich.)

Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)

GB01a006

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

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BLOOMFIELD REDISCOVERED The census of 1830 showed about 30 families living within the Township's 36 square miles. In 1874, another census indicated a population of 1,912. In 1940, after Bloomfield Hills had incorporated as a separate city in 1932 and Birmingham in 1933, the resultant 25 square miles left in the Township boasted only 1,771 residents. Ten years later, in 1950, the population had doubled to 3,851. Six people ran the government, all of it. Then came the population explosion! Between 1950 and this Bicentennial Year of 1976, the population has increased to 48,425, twelve times its half century level. Today it takes more than 200 employees to run government operations. The major story of Bloomfield therefore is not in the shadowy past when the pioneers discovered its gentle hills and fair lakes, but in the rediscovery by bright young families of what it has to offer as a beautiful place to live. The natural setting provides a backdrop for its homes and its residents' activities, but only careful planning and a watchful eye have allowed Bloomfield to absorb this influx of new residents without destroying the way of life which attracted them in the first place. Step inside our boundaries and take a look at Beautiful Bloomfield.