The Day Southfield Became A City

On April 28, 1958, Southfield became a City and Clarence A. Reid Jr. was elected as the first municipal judge. He held that position until January of 1969, when the Municipal Court was replaced by the District Court.

Municipal judges were elected for four-year terms. The Court also had an associate municipal judge. John O'Brien was the first associate judge elected in 1958. Alex Perinoff was associate judge from 1960 to 1961 and Thomas M. Costello was associate municipal judge from 1961 to 1968.

The Municipal Court started with one employee and by 1968 had nine full-time employees. Revenue for 1968 was approximately $150,000 annually and expenses were approximately $50,000 annually.

At the beginning, the Municipal Court was located on Southfield Road near Ten Mile Road and then moved into City Hall in 1965. District Court moved into its new location in at the municipal Complex in 1980.

The 46^th District Court started in January 1969 and had two full-time judges elected to six-year and four-year terms, respectively. Clarence A. Reid, Jr. was elected to a six-year term and S. James Clarkson to a four-year term.

Former Southfield Mayor Norman Feder was elected in 1972 and Jessica Cooper, the District Court's first female judge, took office in 1979. The Court also has a full-time magistrate, Michael Sobel, at that time. Today the court has 3 judges and two magistrates.

In 1971, the District Court hired Margaret Clixby as its first administrator. The second administrator was Jack Kellser, who served from 1973 to 1975. The third was Jack Hawthorne (1975-1979) and the forth, Jeffrey Amram (1980-1982).

Modern Southfield History

In the 1950's, a group of Southfield Township residents, including Emanuel Christensen, Clarence Durbin, Hugh Dohany, Eugene Swem and Fred Leonhard, formed the 'Save Our Southfield Committee' and lent their own cash to the group's treasury. This group promoted the incorporation of Southfield as a city and provided $500 (which was later reimbursed) to finance filing for incorporation.

On December 14, 1950, two petitions were filed at the Oakland County Courthouse in Pontiac. Mr. Kelly, of Lathrup Village, filed to incorporate his community and, minutes later, Emanuel Christensen filed to incorporate the entire township. By a margin of 85 votes, Lathrup Village voted to incorporate on May 12, 1953 and adopted a charter in December of 1953.

In September of that same year, Oak Park attempted to annex an area containing Northland. Southfield voters, however, defeated that proposal. Beverly Hills voted to become a village in 1957.

That year, Emanuel Christensen had petitions ready for circulation as soon as the most recent map could be attached. The incorporation vote came in August of 1957 and local voters approved a City Charter on April 21, 1958. At the time of incorporation, Southfield had approximately 29,000 residents.

The History of Southfield: Part 2

It is believed that most of the township's early settlers entered from Birmingham and Royal Oak. A recently discovered map from 1822 shows some of these settlers included families named Daniels, Thomas, Stoughtan, Boudens, McGaughtery, Sabins and Memlis.

Early records indicate some of the first settlers came from Fort Utica and Fort Dayton (today known as Utica and Herkimer) in the Mohawk Valley region of central New York State, as well as Newburg, New York and Rutland County, Vermont. Mostly of Irish, English, and German descent, they traveled west to Michigan by way of the Erie Canal.

John Daniels is generally acknowledged as the first settler of Southfield Township. He reportedly turned east in 1823 and brought back with him Martin and William Lee, Edmund Cook and George White. The Lees settled in Section 18, and the Cooks in the southwest quarter of Section 7 and the Whites in Section 18 near the Lees. In 1824, Rufus Hunter, the youngest son of Eliza Hunter, remembers planting three-fourths of an acre of Ohio corn.

The first child born in Southfield was the son of George White, in the fall of 1825. The first marriage was that of Benjamin Fuller, Jr. to Marietta Crawford, daughter of Abraham Crawford, in December of 1828. Not long after came the marriage of Milton Crawford, brother of the first bride, to Eliza Parker. Two other very early marriages were Thaddeus Griswold to Harriet Fuller, daughter of Benjamin Fuller Sr.; and Myrex Fuller to Miss Ives.

David Stewart, a covenanter from White Lake, Orange County, New York, came to Southfield in 1831 at the age of 65 and settled on land opposite the Caleb Jackson property a few miles southwest of Birmingham. He was the great-grandfather of Mary E. Thompson, who in 1960 sold the City 166 acres of property for the Southfield Civic Center complex. Southfield's first public library was named in his honor.

In the early years of Oakland County, the two southern townships were considered one and referred to as Bloomfield Township. On July 12, 1830, Township 1N Range 10E was designated as Ossewa Township; seventeen days later, a group of citizens petitioned the state and changed the name to Southfield. It is believed the citizens chose this name because of the township's location in the 'south fields' of Bloomfield.

Early records show the first township government was formed in the home of Benjamin Fuller. H.S. Babcock was selected as the first township supervisor. Other first officers included A.H. Green, township clerk; Benjamin Fuller, Jr. and David Brownand James Hall, assessors; Mason James, William Lee and Morris Jenks, commissioners of highways; Ebenezer Raynale, director of the poor; Thaddeus Griswold, constable and collector; George Sage, constable; and Abraham Crawford, pound master.

A town hall was built at The Burgh in the Civil Center Drive / Berg Road area in 1873. Before its construction, township meetings were held in private houses and at John Thomas' tavern, then at the ballroom of Cornelius Lawrence's hotel. After the hotel closed, meetings were held at Murphy's wagon shop and several locations. In 1933, the Southfield Post Office was established and a mail route to Birmingham opened.

The History of Southfield: Part 1

Southfield Area Before 1700

In 1620, the site of Detroit was occupied by an Indian village, Teuch-so-Gion-die, and inhabited by a tribe which is today unknown. In the vicinity, however, were tribes of Hurons, Ottawas, Ojibwas, Pottawatomies, Ottagomies, Miscountins,and Twigtnees or Miamis. Here and there bands of Iroquois and other tribes also were scattered. Between 1649 and 1672, the Iroquois destroyed or sent into exile a number of tribes in the region.

 In 1694, Antoine de la Mo the Cadillac was placed in command of the French fort at Mackinac, then the most important post in the Northwest. In 1699, he visited France and proposed the establishment of a post at Detroit. Count Pontchartrain, the prime minister of French King Louis XIV, approved this plan and Cadillac landed in Detroit on July 24, 1701. The post he established there was first known as Fort Pontchartrain.

The first stable roads in the metropolitan area were Grand River and Woodward and the first road to pass through the area now known as Southfield was Shiawassee. In 1817, the area was surveyed according to the plan established by Governor Lewis Cass, dividing the state into counties, and counties into townships of 36 sections. Southfield was designated as Township 1N Range 10E, since it was the first township north of the base line (Eight Mile Road) and 10 ranges east of the meridian line.

Sections 8, 9, 30, and 31 were marked Indian Reservations. According to a treaty with Ottawa, etc., of 1807, these lands were given to two tribes of Pattawatmas. Each reservation was named for its Chief; the one in Sections 30 and 31 was called Tonquish; and the one in Sections 8 and 9 was called Segin Siwin. Early farmers found arrowheads in these areas, which coincides with the above information.

Tips People Use To Keep Their Homes Dust-Free

1. They put away their clothes every night.
When you’re changing into your pajamas, it might be tempting to just toss your clothes on a chair or even on the floor, but don’t fall prey to that lazy trap. It takes a couple of seconds to put them in your laundry hamper or return them to your closet. You’ll be thankful that you won’t have to spend extra time rounding up stray socks all over your room when it’s laundry day. Same could be said when you’re trying on an outfit or when you’ve just finished doing your laundry.

2. They don’t own extras.
What are you going to do with a dozen sets of sheets or five cheese graters? If you don’t need it: Edit, edit, edit. You’ll be saving much more space.

3. They keep a paper trail to a minimum.
It’s easy to leave stacks of junk mail, delivery menus, and old newspapers on every surface of your house. Create a good filing system to save the important documents and toss the rest.

4. They wipe down every surface after use.
Let’s be real, the less grime build-up, the easier it is to clean. Mildew, grease, and food stains are not a good look for your house.

5. They don’t have beds piled up with too much stuff.
Sure, it’s nice to have some decorative pillows and throw blankets to maintain a perfectly styled bed, but let’s keep it to a minimum. The fewer steps it takes to make your bed every morning, the more likely you’ll actually do it.

6. They put their shoes and coats away.
It’s common for an entryway to have a shoe pile-up or for coats to be haphazardly placed on the entry bench, but it sure doesn’t look tidy. Put your shoes in your closet or place a shoe rack near the door. Make sure to hang your coat as soon as you take it off.

7. They never let dishes pile up.
This one’s pretty much a no-brainer, but taking a few minutes to do three or five dishes is way better than doing 15 at the end of the week.

8. They put things back where they came from.
If you do this, you won’t have a precarious stack of DVDs, magazines, books, and toys on your coffee table. This habit makes the panic-filled, 5-minute clean-up before guests arrive a little better.

9. They dust and vacuum on the regular.
A few minutes of dusting or vacuuming at least 2-3 times a week will save you from doing a deep clean on the weekend when you could be relaxing.

Tips To Help You Remove Different Types of Stains

Oops! Whether it be grape juice, a little present from Fido, or finger-paint artwork from your 3-year-old, it seems whatever is not supposed to get on the carpet always does. Here are a few tips from carpet manufacturer Shaw and rug maker and importer Nourison on how to clean your carpets using products you can find around your house.

What You Should Know Before You Start
To remove a stain, simply blot the spot and dry working from the outside in, rinse thoroughly with clean water, then blot again. Never scrub the carpet, or you risk ruining the carpet fibers or letting the spill soak through to the carpet pad.
For more specific advice, find your type of stain below. In addition to these methods, there are several spot removers on the market; before you try one, test it out in an inconspicuous spot to make sure it doesn’t discolor your carpet.

Water-Soluble Stains

alcoholic beverages, berries, colas, excrement, food dyes, gravy, ice cream, jelly, milk, mud, washable ink, wet or latex paint
Use a simple cleaning solution made up of 1/4 teaspoon of non-bleach detergent (or white vinegar) mixed with 32 ounces of water.

Special Water-Soluble Stains

blood, chocolate, coffee, mustard, tea, vomit, wine
Try 1 tablespoon of ammonia mixed with 1 cup of water (but not on wool or wool-blend carpet; instead use mild detergent and water). If that doesn’t work, you can try one part chlorine bleach to five parts water, but only on solution-dyed carpets, such as polypropylene. Bleach will harm other types of carpets; check with the manufacturer if you are unsure what type of carpet you have.

Fat, Oil, and Wax

Place a paper towel over the carpet and iron on warm setting. The wax, fat, or oil should come up off the carpet and stick to the paper towel.Cigarette Burns
These can be removed by gently rubbing the pile with the edge of a hard and flat surface, such as a dull knife. Glue
Moisten a cotton ball or soft cloth with rubbing alcohol and press it on the affected area. Once the glue residue is thoroughly moistened, gently wipe it off and repeat until the carpet is clean.
Wax and Gum
Use ice to freeze the wax or gum, then shatter it with a blunt object, such as a spoon. Vacuum before the pieces soften, and blot the carpet with a white towel.
Nail Polish
Blot the area with a rag dipped in nail polish remover.
Urine
Absorb as much as possible with white towels, then blot with a damp, cool cloth. Next, spray or blot with a solution of one part white vinegar to one part water. Finally, apply a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of clear, mild, non-bleach detergent mixed with 32 ounces of water, rinse, and blot dry. If the urine was the result of a dog’s accident, you may also want to try a housebreaking aid such as No-Go.

Ongoing Maintenance

Even if you don’t have any mishaps, you should always have your carpet thoroughly cleaned every 12 to 18 months. There are many professional carpet cleaning services, or you can rent a steam carpet cleaner. They are usually available at your supermarket.
If you decide to do it yourself rather than hire a pro, you need to keep a few things in mind.
• Make sure the cleaning equipment you choose has enough vacuum power to allow the carpet to dry in 6 to 12 hours or you may risk damage from getting it too wet.
• Use fans or a dehumidifier to expedite drying time after cleaning. Be aware that if your carpet is wet for more than 24 hours, you risk mildew and bacteria growth.
• Choose a cleaning solution that has a pH of 10 or less, and make sure you remove all detergent after cleaning.
• Double-check your warranty. Carpets with stain resistance must be cleaned with products formulated for them or you risk impairing their effectiveness and voiding your warranty.

Advertisements

The Importance of Exercise

If you don’t exercise, your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won’t function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!

Helps Prevent Diseases

Our bodies were meant to move — they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.

Improves Stamina

When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.

Strengthens and Tones

Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!

Enhances Flexibility

Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help “loosen” those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.

Controls Weight

Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It’s as simple as that.

Improves Quality of Life

Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.

How Often Should I Exercise?

The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it’s disrupted too frequently. A “stop-start” routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.
People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.

Cardio

If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.

Lifting Weights

Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.

Stretching

Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don’t have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.