Further research will be necessary to determine who built the Western House Hotel, Livery and Carriage Barn in 1873. In 1879, P. D. Skillbeck owned the building and R.M. Filmore was the proprietor. Prior to the arrival of the railroad to Brighton in 1871, travelers had arrived by stage coach on the planked toll road […]
Upcoming planned changes to the built landscape of Nobles 1837 Plat of Brighton, which includes new construction on both sides of Grand River north of St. Paul Street, encourage a study of previous uses of lots 40-43 on the west side.
In 1871, Grant S. Burgess had been working for William McPherson & Sons in their general merchandise store in Howell. In partnership with McPherson he opened a dry goods, household, general store in Brighton, 1874. This was one of the very early businesses built west of Ore Creek at 334 W. Main. Originally the building […]
Occasionally, history is revealed by chance. In early 1983, I happened upon the Anderson family of Glen Echo, Maryland, walking along one of our nature trails. Mrs. Carlotta Anderson was searching for the former site of her grandfathers summer home, called Bulling Waters. Her grandfather was Jo Labadie (1850-1933).
According to available documents and letters from early immigrants, the nucleus of a Roman Catholic Church was in existence upon their arrival in 1832. Children were instructed and services held in private homes until completion of a log church, built in the center of Green Oak Township in 1838. Rev. Father Partrick OKelley for many […]
Michigan Territorys first Protestant congregation was the First Presbyterian Church of Detroit, organized in 1826. From that beginning developed many other Presbyterian churches in the Southeastern Michigan area, including Brighton. Rev. & Mrs. Chauncey Osborne arrived in 1852, to form a new congregation.
Serving as Acting Governor of Michigan before he was 21, Stevens T. Mason, in his address at the convening of the Territorial Council in 1832, encourage the members to consider legislation in support of education for the citizens of the Territory of Michigan. Laws passed almost a quarter century earlier had not been implemented. Even […]
Prior to the advent of sawmills in the area lumber, glass, sash, etc., was drawn by ox team from Ann Arbor or Detroit. A case in point being of Lewis B. Fonda who, in 1832, entered the W ¼ of the SW ¼ of Section 32. In 1834 he erected on it a frame house, […]
The advent of gristmills eliminated the tedious hand grinding of grain which had been necessary to have flour, or the labor and expenses of several days travel to bring it from Detroit or Ann Arbor. Today it is difficult to decide which cake mix or which of dozens of types of bread to select. Following […]
The first Schoolhouse in Brighton was built on the Grand River Trail in 1837. The building was used for about ten years and during that time the Brighton-Genoa Fractional District No. 5 was formed. The village grew, the citizens became dissatisfied with the old building and it was sold. A house on what is now […]
