Chronology

A CHRONOLOGY OF GROSSE POINTE WOODS

 

 

1679    Lake Sainte Claire was christened by Father Louis Hennepin, chaplain to LaSalle, because their vessel, the Griffin, entered the waters of the lake on August 12, the feast day of Sainte Claire. (See 1879)

 

1701    Travelling by canoe, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, accompanied by soldiers and voyageurs, passed southward through Lake St. Claire on July 2. The following day he established Fort Pontchartrain on the future site of Detroit.

 

1740    Burton’s History of Detroit states that most of the riverfront had been taken up for farms, from which we may conclude that at least part of Grosse Pointe was settled that early.

 

1749    The French government offered farmers the incentive of free tools and stock to settle new territory surrounding Detroit.

 

1752    The manuscript maps of Chaussegros de Lery suggest little settlement at this time beyond the Grand Marais. The big swamp extended, along the river and the lake, from the present Waterworks Park in Detroit into Grosse Pointe.

 

1760    On November 29, Captain Francois de Bellestre formally surrendered Fort Pontchartrain to British forces led by Major Robert Rogers, thus ending French rule in Michigan.

 

1769    French farmers with names such as Marsac, Chovin, Reneau and Bonhomme owned “ribbon farms” which extended 40 arpents (c. 1 ½ miles) inland from the lake. The portion of their land which later became Grosse Pointe Woods remained wilderness known only the Indians and the “coureurs de bois.”

 

1796    On July 11, thirteen years after the Treaty of Paris was signed, Captain Moses Porter raised the Stars and Stripes over Detroit for the first time.

 

1796    Though Grosse Pointe Woods continued to be a wilderness, portions of it were already claimed as part of farms belonging to members of the Tremble, Reneau, Allard, Vernier, Griffard and Bonhomme families.

 

1796    A Land Board was instituted to determine the ownership of all private claims out to Gaukler Point.

 

1802    For a brief period, our area was part of the Indian Territory.

 

1805    A crucifix 20 feet high, carved by an Indian, stood on the bank of the lake just beyond Vernier Road. (See 1825)

 

1805    Individuals with land in our area traveled to the Land Office in Detroit to establish legal ownership of their tracts as required of all landowners by an 1804 Act of Congress. These private claims were numbered in the order that they were received. Aaron Greely was employed by the government to survey all Private Claims in the Detroit area.

 

1812    Detroit’s involvement in the War of 1812 led to General William Hull’s surrender of Fort Detroit to the British, under General Brock, on August 16. Occupying troops, hostile Indians and a lack of food made the next two years very difficult for the local population.

 

1813    Having driven away marauding Indians, the Americans under General MacArthur entered Detroit, from which the British had recently fled, on September 27.

 

1814    The Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, ended the War of 1812.

 

1818    The first Great Lakes steamer, Walk-in-the-Water, docked in Detroit on August 24, thus beginning an era of expansion and settlement.

 

1825    St. Paul Cathedral Church obtained title to part of P.C. 223, the site of the Indian Crucifix near Vernier Road and the lake. Father Francis Badin built a log structure in which to hold services. Serving all of Grosse Pointe, this church was the first parish in the region. It was the only parish until 1865. (see 1805)

 

1827    Our area was part of Hamtramck Township which was established on April 1. Col. John Hamtramck was the U.S. troop commander at Detroit when the British evacuated at the end of the Revolutionary War. (See 1848, 1927, 1931 and 1950)

 

1832    The first Asiatic cholera epidemic was brought to Detroit by soldiers on their way to the Black Hawk War in western Wisconsin. As other epidemics followed during the next twenty-two years, the impetus increased to settle some distance from the city.

 

1836    On May 18, thirteen civic-minded women founded the Ladies’ Orphan Association of Detroit following a cholera epidemic. That institution became the Children’s Home of Detroit on Cook Road. (See 1951, 1986 and 2000)

 

1837    Michigan became the 26th state on January 26. Stevens T. Mason was the first governor. (See 1927, 1929, 1941 and 1979)

 

1848    Grosse Pointe Township was created on April 1 from the southeast portion of Hamtramck Township. It stretched from approximately St. Jean in Detroit to the Macomb County line and from Lake St. Clair to beyond Gratiot Avenue. (See 1827, 1927, 1931 and 1950)

 

1850    Grosse Pointe was an established farming community. Between the Provencal Farm and Vernier Road were homesteads belonging to the Verniers, Allards, Tromblys and Thibaults. Beyond Vernier Road lived the Reneaus (Renauds), Allards, VanAntwerps and Robert-Johns. Because of the marshy character of the interior, most cultivation occurred near the lake. Nevertheless, property inland was being acquired by the Greiners, Salters and Joseph Campeau.

 

1860    Before this year Vernier Road was the area’s major, and perhaps its first, road from Lake St. Clair. It is said to have been named for Jeremiah Vernier.

 

1860    Belgians such as the Michies, Brys, Vanderbushs and Verheydens settled in the future Grosse Pointe Woods. Initially many worked as tenant farmers especially on Private Claims north of Vernier Road.

 

1860    The Clinton Rd., later known as Mack Ave. (possible named after Col. Andrew Mack, 1782-1857), was a simple dirt road connecting inland farms with downtown Detroit.

 

1865    On August 4, Dudley Woodbridge, son of the former governor and senator William Woodbridge, purchased the western third of P.C. 577. He named the property Belle Meade and, for health reasons, settled here as a gentleman farmer.

 

1867    Louis L. Beaufait sold August Cook P.C. 619 farmland on October 8. This land later became the site of the Grosse Pointe Hunt Club. (See 1906 and 1911)

 

1875    To increase drainage in the marsh along the future Chalfonte Road, the Black Marsh Ditch was deepened in the hope of creating a continuous waterway between the Milk River and the Fox Creek. Neither this nor three future attempts ever fully achieved this objective. It has been said the Indians had been able to travel by water, to avoid a rough lake, up the Milk River (entrance at our Lakefront Park), through the Black Marsh and down Fox Creek. (See 1928, 1958, 1992 [2], 1995)

 

1879    A bicentennial celebration was held in Grosse Pointe to commemorate the christening of Lake St. Clair. The event included a sailboat regatta, speeches, poems, and songs. (See 1679)

 

1880    On April 13, Gusselmas Vanderbush (Vanderbussche) obtained a part of P.C. 156 from Cornelia Vernier. Daniel Vanderbush acquired another parcel of similar size from the estate of Isadore Vernier. In 1898, these neighboring plots were combined under the ownership of Daniel Vanderbush. Members of the family continued to provide Grosse Pointe with fresh corn and produce from this lad well into the 1950s. The farm was the site of the future Grosse Pointe North High School. (See 1964 and 1968) The farmhouse, which was on Morningside Drive, was demolished on March 12, 1970.

 

1881    Michael Van Antwerp purchased P.C. 156 farmland on both sides of Mack Ave. at Vernier Rd. at Vernier Rd. from his parents, Francis and Appoline (Pauline) Vernier VanAntwerp. This was the site of the future Parcells Middle School. (See 1951)

 

1886    George S. Davis, Park Davis & Co. Vice President, bought P.C. 621 from Edmund Kearsley on February 3. By 1890 he had expanded his holdings, which he called Clairview, to Include parts of P.C. 619, 620, and 393. (See 1892)

 

1890    One-third of land was purchased from the Louis and Matilda Cook farm on January 13 so that Fractional District 9 of Grosse Pointe and Gratiot townships could build the Cook School on Mack Ave. The cost of the property was $160,000. The one-room school, located at 20276 Mack Ave., was probably built and opened in 1890. (See 1922 and ????)

 

1892    The Clairview Jersey Stock Farm located in the rear of the George S. Davis property was an established Grosse Pointe showplace with 28 well-equipped buildings, prize winning livestock and advanced breeding methods. (See 1886)

 

1898    The Detroit, Lake Shore and Mt. Clemens Electric Railway began interurban rail service operations. The 26-mile route was from Detroit via Jefferson, Fisher, Grosse Pointe Blvd., Moross, Kercheval, Weir Lane, Lake Shore/Jefferson, and Crocker Blvd. into Mt. Clemens.

 

1900    While some areas of Grosse Pointe were becoming residential, the future Grosse Pointe Woods remained primarily farmland cultivated by longtime French, Dutch, and Belgian Families: Vernier, Beaufait, Allard, VanAntwerp, Vanderbush, and Brys. They were generally truck farmers producing carrots, tomatoes and beets.

 

1906    Frank Cook deeded over land for construction of the “highway” which is known today as Cook Rd.

 

1911    On November 17, the Grosse Pointe Riding and Hunting Club, now known as the Grosse Pointe Hunt Club acquired the August Cook farm for its activities. Though much modified, the original brick Cook home houses the present Clubhouse. (See 1867)

 

1911    Dr. Harry N. Torrey and his wife, Nell Ford Torrey, purchased P.C. 621. The back portion of this property came to be known as Torrey Woods.

 

1917    The Lochmoor Club was founded on February 23. One hundred thirty-six acres were purchased for $150,000 and came mainly from the farms of Theodore Beaufait, Michael VanAntwerp, and Bellonie V. D’Hondt. The golf course opened on June 29, 1918. (See 1924, 1969)

 

1921    The Grosse Pointe Public School System was organized and the first meeting of the new Rural Agricultural School District 31 was held on February 6, 1922. Cook School on Mack Ave. (Fractional District 39) was one of the original five schools that were consolidated. After June of   

            1922, classes were not held in the one-room Cook School and the children were bussed to Old Kerby School on Kerby Road. (See 1890)

 

1922    The first bus line began operating in the area that would become Grosse Pointe Woods. It started in Detroit at the end of the Mack Ave. Streetcar Line and continued out Mack to 9 Mile Rd. (then Defer Rd.) and then to Jefferson. There, it probably made connections with the Shore Line Interurban Line that ran between Mt. Clemens and Detroit. (See 1895 and 1927)

 

1924    On February 26, the original Lochmoor Clubhouse, which was an abandoned farmhouse, was destroyed by fire early in the morning. A new Clubhouse opened in 1926. (See 1917 and 1969)

 

1927    On January 4, the Village of Lochmoor (now the City of Grosse Pointe Woods) was incorporated. The area was formerly a part of Grosse Pointe Township. The first President was Edmund C. Vernier and the initial meeting of the governing body was held in the Detroit Motion Picture Company studio on Vernier Rd. (See 1827, 1848, 1931 and 1950)

 

1927    The Deanhurst Bus Line connected the Village of Lochmoor with downtown Detroit. Originating in St. Clair Shores, it allowed passengers to transfer to Detroit-bound busses on Jefferson. It was also an important link with the new Grosse Pointe High School when it opened in 1928. (See 1895, 1922, and 1928)

 

1928    Grosse Pointe High School (now Grosse Pointe South High School, located at Fisher Rd. and Grosse Pointe Blvd.) was completed and occupied on February 1.

 

1928    A trunkline sewer and a Marter Road pumping station were constructed at a cost of 3,300,000.

 

1928    The Renmore Golf Course was built on land owned by Dr. George L. Renaud. The golf course was just south of the Lochmoor Club. (see 1947 – St. Michael’s Church)

 

1928    Joseph E. Beaufait was elected President of Lochmoor Village. He was the son of Theodore Beaufait. Joseph was a leader in the community and the Township. As a real estate developer, he named Lennon Street after his mother’s maiden name. Anita after one of his daughters, and Beaufait after his father. (See 1917 – Lochmoor Club)

 

1928    The Wayne County Library opened a station in the Goodrich Confectionary Store located at 20756 Mack Ave. in Lochmoor Village. The collection contained 260 books. (See 1929 and 1952)

 

1929    The Grosse Pointe Public Library was established in June by the Grosse Pointe Board of Education. (See 1928 and 1952)

 

1929    Detroit University School moved from Detroit to Cook Rd. and classes started in the fall. (See 1954 and 1969)

 

1929    Mason School opened in February with 99 students. Miss Ethel Tucker was Principal. The school cost $499,214. The students had been housed in Old Kerby and Vernier Schools. (See 1837, 1927, 1941, 1979 and 1996)

 

1929    7.2 acres of land on Roslyn Rd. between E and W Streets (later names Morningside and Wedgewood) were purchased for $142,623 by the Grosse Pointe Board of Education as the future site of an elementary school. (See 1954 – Dexter M. Ferry Elementary School – 1961 and 1963)

 

1930    A Lochmoor Village ordinance was passed to prohibit hunting.

 

1930    In September, the first contract for the collection of garbage and rubbish was approved at a cost of $1,680 a year. (See 1955?)

 

1931    The Lochmoor State Bank on the southeast corner of Anita and Mack was closed in June. It was a victim of the Depression. (See 1987)

 

1931    In November, the Village annexed 44 acres along the southwest boundary.

 

1931    The Detroit Motion Picture Company building on Vernier Rd. was destroyed by fire on January 31. It had become the Embassy Nightclub after production of movies stopped. (See 1927)

 

1933    Roy B. Crane was elected President of Lochmoor Village in March.

 

1933-   During these Depression years the Village of Lochmoor collected only 33% of local taxes.

1934

 

1934    Property was acquired and the Village of Lochmoor municipal building was completed on the northwest corner of Anita and Mack (demolished in 1966). Previously, a small garage-like structure, just off the northeast corner of Vernier and Mack, served as Village Hall. (See 1959, 1963 and 1991)

 

1934    Jules J. DePorre was elected President of Lochmoor Village, and served in this capacity until March 1939. (See 1995 and 1996)

 

1934    The first Fire Department of Lochmoor Village was organized. A truck was purchased and two full-time firemen were on duty. Previously, fire services had been purchased from the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores.

 

1934    Mail delivery from door to door began. Mail boxes had been at curb side.

 

1937    On Palm Sunday, March 21, 138 people gathered in the gymnasium of Mason School for the first service of the Lochmoor Protestant Sunday School. On October 2, 1939 this group was organized as the Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian Church with 121 members. Rev. O.W. Burdette Olson was the first minister. (See 1948 and 1987)

 

1939    The Village of Lochmoor became the Village of Grosse Pointe Woods in March. Alois A. Ghesquiere was elected President. He remained President until our community became a city in 1950. Ghesquiere Park was names after him. (See 1950 and 1953)

 

1939    The Grosse Pointe Business Men’s Association was formed with Dr. A.Z. Rogers, M.D. as President elect.

 

1940    The decision to build the Grosse Pointe Woods Community Club (southwest corner of Ridgemont and Mack) was made. Mrs. Harold Gregory headed the canvassing to raise funds. (See 1943 - Chene Trombly Park)

 

1940    The English District of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod opened a preaching station in the Grosse Pointe Woods community. (See 1941, 1953, and 1964)

 

1940    The first edition of the Grosse Pointe News was published on November 7. 12,000 copies were printed and sold for three cents each. The founder and publisher was Mr. Robert B. Edgar who died on August 1, 1979.

 

1940    On June 14, the Grosse Pointe Board of Education approved the purchase of land at the southeast corner of Vernier and Mack. The 16 acres cost $36,983.55.  It was the site for the future Charles A. Parcells Junior High School. (See 1881 and 1951)

 

1941    Christ the King Lutheran Church was organized on January 27 under the name of Calvary Lutheran Church. A store building on the northwest corner of Mack and Lancaster served as the church. (See, 1940, 1953 and 1964)

 

1941    An addition (East Wing) to Mason School was constructed and occupied. (See 1927, 1929, and 1979)

 

1943    The Police and Fire Departments were combined into a Department of Public Safety in November.

 

1943    Chene-Trombly Memorial Park at Mack and Ridgemont was deeded to the Village of Grosse Pointe Woods by Hattie Chene. (See 1940 – Grosse Pointe Woods Community Club)

 

1945    The names of 120 Grosse Pointers were placed on the Gold Star Roll of Honor. This was originally on the lawn of South High School and later bronze plaques were installed at the War Memorial. In all 33,600 Pointe men and women served during World War II.

 

1945    Grosse Pointe Woods residents who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II were listed on a billboard adjacent to the Village offices.

 

1945    The site for the present municipal building, community center, and Ghesquiere Park, located at 20023 Mack Plaza, was purchased from William, Ruth and Jesse Jacobs for $42,500. It originally consisted of 44.6 acres. It was once part of the farm owned by John and Casper Salter. (See 1948, 1959, 1963, 1987, and 1991)

 

1946    In a September special election voters approved bond issues to acquire a park site on the lake and to make improvements to the sewer system. (See 1986)

 

1946    The Woods Theater was built. (See 1997)

 

1946    A Village Planning Commission was appointed.

 

1946    Mrs. Edsel B. Ford offered to sell 43 acres of her estate to the Village of Grosse Pointe Woods, thus making is possible to have our Lakefront Park. The cost was $60,000. The sale was consummated in 1948.

 

1947    On October 26, the first service at St. Michael’s Mission (sponsored by Christ Church) was held in a converted caddy house of Renmore Golf Club. The property was donated by John Sweeney. The Rev. Edgar H. Yeoman was Vicar. (See 1928 and 1952)

 

1947    The first ambulance service provided by the Village of Grosse Pointe Woods began. (See 1981 and 1989)

 

1948    The Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian Church was erected and dedicated. (See 1937 and 1987)

 

1948    The first unit (East academic wing next to Lochmoor Golf Course) of Parcells Junior High School was occupied as an elementary school (4th through 6th grade) with Mr. Marshall Jameson as Principal. (See 1881, 1940, 1951 and 1957)

 

1948    In December, new bridges were built over the Milk River at Hampton, Roslyn, and Hawthorne Avenues to improve drainage.

 

1948    The voters of the Village of Grosse Pointe Woods approved bond issues to buy a new fire truck ($20,000), for drainage and cleaning of the Milk River ($41,000), and to build an addition to the municipal building ($20,000) at Mack Ave. and Anita. The part of Mack Park (now Ghesquiere Park) lying in Gratiot Township was sold (12.6 acres for $15,600).  (See 1934)

 

1949    On February 22, the Grosse Pointe Board of Education approved the purchase of 9.8 acres (at $2,500 per acre) of land lying south of Cook Road and immediately west of the Milk River. This was the future site of the John Montieth Elementary School. (See 1951)

 

1950    The Village of Grosse Pointe Woods became the City of Grosse Pointe Woods on December 11. Mr. Leon Ratcliffe became Mayor. (See 1827, 1848, 1927 and 1931). The first City Council met on December 13.

 

1950    New paving was completed on Mack Ave. which made a divided highway for north and south bound traffic from Seven Mile to Bournemouth. (See 1951)

 

1950    568 residential building permits were issued in Grosse Pointe Woods.

 

1950    Ground was broken for the new St. Michael Episcopal Church on a five-acre tract which Mr. John Sweeney, Mr. Mervyn Gaskin, and the Women’s Auxiliary of Christ Church, Grosse Pointe, were instrumental in acquiring. (See 1947)

 

1951    On February 1 the Protestant Children’s Home (later Children’s Home of Detroit) moved to its new campus at 900 Cook Road from Detroit. The institution was founded on May 18, 1836 following a cholera epidemic. Mr. Herbert Shanks was Director in 1951. (See 1836, 1986 and 2000)

 

1851    John Montieth Elementary School on Cook road was completed and school opened on September 6 with Mr. Marshall Jameson as Principal. Opening enrollment was 688. (See 1949)

 

1951    Charles Parcells Junior High School (now Parcells Middle School) at Vernier and Mack was completed and opened in September with Mr. Vincent Peterson as Principal. (See 1881, 1940, 1948 and 1957)

 

1951    The paving of Mack Ave. as a divided highway continued from Bournemouth to Huntington and from Van Antwerp to the north city limits. (See 1950)

 

1952    St. Michael’s Episcopal Church became a parish with the Rev. Edgar H. Yeoman as the first rector. (See 1947 and 1950)

 

1952    A major storm resulted in the seawall on Lake St. Clair being strengthened and heightened. Paving blocks of concrete from old Mack Ave. in Grosse Pointe Woods were used to provide a hard surface just to the rear of the seawall. (See 1950 and 1951 – repaving of Mack Avenue)

 

1952    On March 16, the Woods Branch of the Grosse Pointe Public Library (a wing of Parcells Junior High School) was dedicated. The doors had opened on January 14, 1952. (See 1928 and 1929)

 

1953    Ghesquiere Park was dedicated. Mayor Paul Rowe presented Mrs. Emily Ghesquiere, widow of Mr. Alois Ghesquiere, former president of the Village of Grosse Pointe Woods, with a plaque at a ceremony in the Park. (See 1939)

 

1953    Christ the King Lutheran Church at Mack Ave. and Lochmoor Blvd. was dedicated. (See 1940, 1941, and 1964)

 

1954    The Dexter M. Ferry Elementary School was opened in September with Mr. Edwin Wendt as Principal. (See 1929, 1961, and 1963)

 

1954    Detroit University School and Grosse Pointe Country Day School merged their physical plants to become Grosse Pointe University School on Cook Rd. (See 1929, 1965 and 1969)

 

1954    The first mass of the newly organized Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church was celebrated in the auditorium of Parcells Junior High School on July 4 by Father Ralph V. Barton, Pastor. (See 1956, 1961, 1993 and 1999)

 

1955    City collection of garbage was discontinued. All homes were required to have disposal units.

 

1955    The Grosse Pointe Baptist Church, formerly the Burns Avenue Baptist Church in Detroit, was dedicated in September with 682 members and Dr. A. Dale Ihrie as the Pastor. (See 1987)

 

1955    On November 1, the Detroit Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission report labeled Grosse Pointe Woods the fastest growing Grosse Pointe community with a population of 16,000. (See 1959 and 1991)

 

1956    Voting machines were used for the first time in April at a regular city election. (See 1999)

 

1956    Mrs. Elsie Friedrich, a community leader in the Woods, was elected to the City Council. She was the first woman to serve on a city council in any of the Pointes.

 

1956    The Grosse Pointe Woods War Memorial Peace Garden was dedicated at the Lake Front Park on June 17. The plaque in the garden was topped by a sundial and read: “In commemoration of the men and women who served in the armed forces of the United States.” The garden was near the entrance to the original pool house. (See 1999)

 

1956    John R. Barnes Elementary School on Morningside Dr. was opened with Miss Florence Cumings as Principal. Opening enrollment was 397. John R. Barnes was Superintendent of Schools from 1947-1950. (See 1950, 1984 and 1999)

 

1956    Our Lady Star of the Sea Church was dedicated by Edward Cardinal Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit. (See 1954, 1961, 1993 and 1999)

 

1957    The Parcells Junior High School swimming pool was completed and put into operation. (See 1951)

 

1957    In October, services were held in the basement of the partially completed First English Evangelical Lutheran Church on Vernier Rd. Dedication of the church was held on December 15. Reverend Paul Keppler was the first pastor.

 

1958    The Grosse-Gratiot Drain was approved which involved the Black Marsh Drain, Girard Drain, and the Milk River. The cost was $11,000,000. After completion of this major project, the Milk river, which flowed through Grosse Pointe woods, could be seen where it emptied into the lake at our Lakefront Park. (See 1875)

 

1959    The New City Hall was built at 20025 Mack Ave. The population of our city was 19,120. In 1927 the population was 650; in 1948 the population was 8,145; in 1958 the population was 18,734. (see 1934 and 1991)

 

 

1959    On August 10, the Grosse Pointe Woods Boat Club held its first meeting. Founders Walter Dushane and William Baur were elected Commodore and Vice-Commodore respectively.

 

1961    A Six-room addition to Ferry School was completed in October. (See 1929, 1954, and 1963)

 

1961    Our Lady Star of the Sea High School opened. Mother M. Immaculee was the first principal. During the two previous years classes had been held in the elementary school. (See 1954, 1956, 1993 and 1999)

 

1963    An eight room addition to Ferry was completed in November. (See 1929, 1954 and 1961)

 

1963    The Public Safety addition to the City Hall at 20025 Mack Ave. was completed. (See 1959 and 1991)

 

1964    Christ the King Lutheran Church, corner of Mack and Lochmoor, dedicated an addition on March 15. (See 1940, 1941 and 1953)

 

1964    The Grosse Pointe Board of Education began negotiations to purchase the 32 acre Vanderbush Farm as the site for the future Grosse Pointe North High School. The cost was nearly one million dollars. (See 1880 and 1968)

 

1965    Liggett School moved from Burns Ave. in Detroit to its new campus in Grosse Pointe Woods on Briarcliff Rd. (See 1954)

 

1968    Grosse Pointe North High School opened in September with Dr. William Craig as Principal. Grades 9, 10, 11 provided an enrollment of 1,951. The Senior Class remained at South High School where they had attended up to this time. (see 1880 and 1964)

 

1969    On Thanksgiving Day, Lochmoor Club opened its new Clubhouse. There had been two previous clubhouses. (See 1917 and 1924)

 

1969    Liggett School and Grosse Pointe University School merged, with two campuses, to become University Liggett School on May 19. (See 1929, 1954 and 1965)

 

1975    The Beautification Commission was established by the City Council. (See 1977, 1981 and 1983)

 

1975    Irene Sutton was the Chairman of the new Senior Citizens Commission. They held their first meeting at North High School.

 

1975    The Pointer newspaper was founded by Grosse Pointe resident Paul D. McCarthy in November to serve the businesses and residents of Grosse Pointe.

 

1977    On October 2, the west end of the Veterans’ Memorial Parkway on Vernier Rd. was dedicated. It was a project of the Beautification Commission with Dr. Albert Howe as Chairman. (See 1975, 1981 and 1983)

 

1979    Mason School celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 8. (See 1837, 1927, 1929 and 1941)

 

1980    The Historical Commission held its first meeting in the Conference Room at City Hall on February 14. (See 1980, 1983 and 1996 [DePorre Park])

 

1980    The celebrated its thirtieth anniversary as a city with a parade plus a ceremony and festivities in Ghesquiere Park on September 7. The Historical Commission planned the events of the day.

 

1981    The Veterans’ Memorial Parkway was completed and dedicated on May 24. As before, the project was sponsored by the Beautification Commission. The Circle of Honor and Memorial Plaque were a donation to the city by City Administrator Chester E. Petersen and his wife Roberta. (See 1977, 1983 [Annual Memorial Day] and 1997)

 

1981    In November, Woods voters approved a ½ mill for upgrading emergency services from Basic to Advanced. (See 1947 and 1989)

 

1982    The new AAA building at the southwest corner of Bournemouth and Mack Ave. opened.

 

1982    The Memorial Tree Program was established by the Beautification Commission. This successful program allowed people to place a granite marker with the name of a person or family being honored in front of a tree planted on public property.

 

1983    The first annual Memorial Day celebration in Grosse Pointe Woods was held at the Circle of Honor, Veterans’ Memorial Parkway at Vernier and Mack. The ceremony was sponsored by the Beautification Commission and the Historical Commission. (See 1977 and 1981 – Veterans’ Memorial Parkway)

 

1984    The July Fourth annual fireworks display returned to Grosse Pointe Woods. Mason School and then Parcells Junior High School had been the site for these well attended displays which had been discontinued. A concert preceded the display which attracted thousands of people. The sponsor for this event was the Grosse Pointe Business and Professional Association of Mack Avenue.

 

1984    John R. Barnes Elementary School closed because of low enrollment. It became the center for the Department of Community Education. (See 1950, 1956 and 1999)

 

1985    The City celebrated its thirty-fifth anniversary as a city with a parade down Mack Ave. and a ceremony followed by festivities in Ghesquiere Park on September 8. (See 1980)

 

1986    The Children’s Home of Detroit on Cook Rd. celebrated its 150th anniversary on May 18. (See 1836, 1951 and 2000)

 

1986    The City adopted a master plan for improvement of Lakefront and Ghesquiere Parks. Voters approved a three and a half million dollar bond issue on November 2 to finance the long range plan. (See 1945 and 1946)

 

1987    On April 6, the City Council voted to spend $7,000 for professional planning services for the development of a community center in Ghesquiere Park. Gerald Ludeke and Associates, Inc., an urban planning firm, aided the park redevelopment committee with decisions concerning location and functions. (See 1991)

 

1987    On July 10, 11, and 12 the Grosse Pointe Baptist Church observed its 90th anniversary. The Rev. David H. Wick was Senior Pastor. (See 1955)

 

1987    The Lochmoor State Bank Building at Anita and Mack, which had not been used as a bank since the Depression, was demolished in July. (See 1931)

 

1987    Demolition of the old bridge in Lakefront Park began on April 10. The old bridge was too low to permit boats to pass under it. It was replaced by a new two-way vehicular bridge, and a pedestrian bridge was planned. (See 1996)

 

1987    In March, the City Council established the Community Enhancement Fund to which gifts and donations could be made.

 

1987    The Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian Church celebrated its 50th anniversary. Rev. Jack T. Zieglar was the fifth Senior Pastor. The church building was dedicated in May 1948 and additions were made in 1949, 1951, 1953, 1956 and 1960. (See 197 and 1948)

 

1988    The demolition of the 1950s vintage Pointe Plaza shopping center on the northwest corner of Mack and Moross was begun on January 6 to make way for a new Pointe Plaza of multi-storied buildings and a large parking structure.

 

1989    On June 28, Mayor George Freeman broke ground for the Community Center and Court, which were additions to the City Hall at 20025 Mack Plaza. (See 1987 and 1991)

 

1989    On July 13, a pilot curbside recycling program, sponsored by the Grosse Pointe Citizens for Recycling, began with a press conference at City Hall. (See 1990)

 

1989    On August 3, it was announced that Grosse Pointe Woods had the highest level of all the Pointes in emergency medical services. (See 1947 and 1981)

 

1989    In the summer of this year, the 78 year-old Grosse Pointe Hunt Club on Cook Rd. completed renovations of the Clubhouse, Tennis House and swimming pool. Totaling 1.4 million dollars. (See 1911)

 

1989    On November 30, the Historical Commission published a history of our parks entitled “A Walk in the Woods.”

 

1989    An ordinance limiting the type of trees that can be planted on city property was adopted. The ordinance also listed trees completely banned from public and private property.

 

1990    The City Council approved a citywide curbside recycling program on May 7 and turned over the trash pickup and marketable recycled material to a commercial contractor. (See 1989)

 

1990    On October 15, Mayor George Freeman resigned. He was first elected mayor in 1979 and served six consecutive terms. Robert Novitke, Mayor Pro Tem, was elected mayor by the City Council on November 5.

 

1990    A public hearing was held in the long process of cleaning up the polluted Milk River. A list of options and recommendations was presented by the Milk River Inter-Council Drain Board. (See 1875, 1992 [downspout disconnection] and 1995 [retention basin])

 

1991    On January 14, the new Community Center (part of City Hall complex at 20025 Mack Plaza) was dedicated by Mayor Novitke and City Administrator Chester E. Petersen.  Sally Martin was appointed as Supervisor (See 1934, 1959 and 1989)

 

1991    Chester E. Petersen, City Administrator, informed the City Council on October 28 that he would retire on December 31. He began his service to Grosse Pointe Woods in 1961. Am open house honoring him was held on Sunday, January 5, 1992. (See 1981 [Veterans’ Memorial Parkway] and 1997)

 

1992    As soon as school was out, work began in June on a new sewer line under Cook road between Mack and Chalfonte. The sewer was part of the Milk River cleanup. (See 1875)

 

1992    The city adopted a downspout disconnection ordinance to prevent overburdening holding tanks. The City Council had been working with the Milk River Drain Board and Department of Natural Resources to improve water quality in Lake St. Clair.

 

1993    Our Lady Star of the Sea all-girls Catholic high school closed on June 30. The structure housed their middle school in September. (See 1954, 1956, 1961 and 1999)

 

1993    On October 18, the City Council approved the construction of an off-street parking lot on the west side of Mack and south of the Department of Public Safety wing of City Hall. Commercial property owners would share in the cost of construction.

 

1993    Peter Thomas was promoted to City Administrator on November 1 from his position as Deputy Chief of the Department of Public Safety since 1964. (See 1998)

 

1993    In November, two new ordinances toughened the war on smoking. One made it illegal for minors to smoke on school property and the other made it illegal for minors to purchase tobacco products.

 

1995    Mayor Robert Novitke joined other city and county officials at the June dedication of the new 18.8 gallon retention basin on the DPW grounds at Parkway and Marter. (See 1875, 1990 and 1992 [2])

 

1995    On November 6, the City Council voted to name the newly completed little park at Goethe and Anita after Jules J. DePorre, former Commissioner and President of Lochmoor Village. (See 1927, 1934 and 1996)

 

1996    In November, the City Council approved spending $165,000 to build a retractable pedestrian bridge across the Milk River. A playscape and boardwalk had already been completed at the Lakefront Park. (See 1987)

 

1996    On June 4 the new Jules J. DePorre “pocket park” was dedicated at a ceremony held in the gym of Mason School and on the grounds of the park. It was co-sponsored by Mason School and the Historical Commission. (See 1934 and 1995)

 

1997    In January, for the second time, Grosse Pointe Woods was honored by Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc. for its efforts in beautification, litter prevention, recycling and landscaping.

 

1997    On August 2, the city celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Lake Front Park with music, games, dedication of the two water slides, pony rides, a pictorial display and food (see 1946 and 1947)

 

1997    The Woods Theater, which opened in 1946, was closed in October and demolished on June 15, 1998.

 

1998    Major improvements in our Lake Front Park were begun with plans for a new gatehouse, remodeling of the concession stand and maintenance garage, a pedestrian path and improvements to the tennis courts. A 3.9 millage, approved in 1996, made these changes possible. The Kiwanis Club provided funds for a twenty-five foot gazebo. (See 1951)

 

1998    The old wooden cupola on our city hall, a landmark in Grosse Pointe Woods, was replaced by an aluminum and glass structure of similar design. (See 1959)

 

1998    Grosse Pointe Woods agreed to renew its contract with a Lansing lobbying firm for another year. In 1997, our community joined with the Shores, Park, City and Harper woods to hire a lobbyist to protect our municipal court system.

 

1998    State of the art computer hardware and software were purchased to enable our city to communicate with its residents via Cable Channel 22.

 

1998    The new Farmer Jack Super Market opened on Mack Ave. It is known as the “Farmer Jack Emporium.” The original Farmer Jack was demolished earlier in the year. 

 

1998    Peter Thomas, Grosse Pointe Woods City Administrator, retired after serving the city in various posts since 1964. (See 1993)

 

1998    Director of Public Safety, Jack Patterson, retired after 42 years. He began as a safety officer in 1956.

 

1999    Lt. Michael J. Makowski was named Public Safety Director. He joined the Department in 1975.

 

1999    After serving as a multi-use community center since 1984, Barnes School reopened its doors as an early education center. (See 1950, 1956 and 1984)

 

1999    Ted L. Bidigare was appointed City Administrator. He formerly served as a council member from 1987 to 1993.

 

1999    Our Lady Star of the Sea dedicated its new church building. The original church building, demolished after construction of the new building, was considered temporary when it was dedicated in 1956. (See 1954, 1956, 1961 and 1993)

 

1999    The original Grosse Pointe Woods Peace Rose Garden at the Lake Front Park was reestablished at a new location in the park. Emblems representing the five divisions of our armed forces were added to the plaque. (See 1956)

 

1999    “Accu-Vot,” a new electronic voting machine, was used for the first time by the city in the November election. It used an optical scanner, eliminating ballot handling. (See 1956)

 

2000    The city council moved to continue its portion of the funding of the Grosse Pointe Woods/Harper Woods Youth Assistance Program. YAP was operated by the Children’s Home of Detroit, providing local control over juveniles involved in criminal activities.

 

2000    The Children’s Home of Detroit began its campus residency in Grosse Pointe Woods on Cook Rd. on March 1, 1950 with a ground breaking ceremony and a cornerstone laying on June 8, 1950. The year 2000 marks the 50th anniversary of their move to this site in Grosse Pointe Woods. (See 1836, 1951 and 1986)

 

2000    The Department of Public Safety received $5,000 from the Grosse Pointe Rotary Foundation toward the purchase of a hand-held thermal imaging camera. The unit is used to detect heat, such as fire inside walls and ceilings.

 

2000    The new activities building at the Lake Front Park opened. The original bath house was renovated to create a building that can be used year-round. The 8,400 sq. ft. structure is centered around a half-court basketball and full-size racquetball courts. It is designed for everything from sporting events to card games, from aerobic workouts to wedding receptions.

 

2000    The community celebrated its 50th anniversary as a city on September 17. A committee under the direction of Councilman Allen Dickenson planned the events of the day. (See 1927, 1950, 1980 and 1985)