Do you ever wonder how one event could change the course of history? I do this all the time. Like, what if my grandfather would have died in World War II? What if Michael Jordan would have never picked up a basketball? What if Henry Ford would have never worked on a farm in Redford? … Continue reading Gleason Farm & Henry Ford
Board Members
Meet Your RTHC Board Members Julie Atkinson-FountainChairperson/President Appointed: May 2018 Ashley JohnsonVice Chairperson/Vice President Appointed: August 2019 Kathy AndersonTreasurerAppointed: February 2018 Amanda FlesherAppointed: November 2018 Chris WilliamsAppointed: January 2020 Lou WysockiAppointed: Emeritus Board Members: Amanda "Mac" MacDermaidServed 2016 - 2022 Redford Township Designated Historians: Fred DesAutels Served 1969 - 1974 Sybil RaesideServed c.1970s - 2008 Volunteer/Associate Board … Continue reading Board Members
The Onofrey Family & Lola Valley Drugs (Part I)
In 1941, 2 entire blocks of houses were built (with the exception of 3 houses, built in 1926, 1944, and 1966) neighboring Glenhurst Golf Course to the west and 6 Mile Rd to the north. It was only a matter of time before the need for nearby shopping would arise. Just across 6 Mile, a small brick … Continue reading The Onofrey Family & Lola Valley Drugs (Part I)
Confessions of a Board Member: Mac MacDermaid
I hate history. There, I said it. Not exactly a great quality when you're a board member of a historical commission. In high school I was convinced that my history teacher was actually in the Revolutionary War. We're talking old - like, so old that he was probably attached to strings, Weekend at Bernie's style. … Continue reading Confessions of a Board Member: Mac MacDermaid
A Walk Through History
2016 Redford Cemetery Walk
The Smith Family Legacy & Volney Smith School
One afternoon, while on the hunt for some of our Centennial Homes, I drove past this house. I actually had to pull over to admire it. From amazing architectural detail to a lawn so well-manicured that it could be in a magazine, it reminded me of the homes in Detroit's Indian Village neighborhood (just scaled down in … Continue reading The Smith Family Legacy & Volney Smith School
An Early Redford Doctor and Holcomb Elementary
Holcomb students When construction began on Holcomb Elementary School in 1925, it sat within the boundaries of Redford Township. Before it opened in 1926, however, it became part of Detroit Schools. The school was named for Samuel Drayton Holcomb, who was born in North Pelham, Ontario in 1857. Samuel married Annie Winn Lackie in 1880, and … Continue reading An Early Redford Doctor and Holcomb Elementary
The Fisher Family and Fisher Elementary School
In the mid-1800s, Redford had 10 school districts. As rail construction attracted more and more residents to the area after the turn of the century, District 9 decided it was time to replace and improve upon its small wooden schoolhouse. Fisher family properties The District bought an acre of land from Eugenius and Abigail Hodge for … Continue reading The Fisher Family and Fisher Elementary School
Hubert B. Bulman & Bulman Elementary School
On display now - highlights from Bulman Elementary School. During the 1940s and 1950s, enrollment in Redford Union Schools increased significantly. In 1945, the school board purchased a lot from B. E. Taylor, and began construction on a four-room school house in 1948. At its June 1948 meeting, the school board voted to name the new … Continue reading Hubert B. Bulman & Bulman Elementary School
Redford Civil War Veteran George C. Gordon
George C. Gordon was born in Canada in 1832 to Samuel and Clarinda Lucas Gordon. He first appears in Redford in the 1860 census with his second wife Caroline (Carrie) Spencer. His first wife, whom he married in 1853, was Charlotte Ross. She died in 1855. Charlotte and George had one daughter named Lottie. Lottie … Continue reading Redford Civil War Veteran George C. Gordon
Redford Township Historical Commission 