Bloomer Park is Steeped in History

Bloomer Park, located at the north end of John R Road in Rochester Hills, is the city’s oldest park. The centennial of its founding will occur in 2022. Long before anyone thought of dedicating the land for recreational purposes, the location was part of a pioneer-era transportation project called the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal. The Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal was begun under Michigan’s first governor, Stevens T. Mason, who broke ground for the waterway near Mount Clemens in 1838. State leaders … [Read more...]

Milo Prentice Newberry House Listed on National Register

Rochester House is Listed on National Register of Historic Places Michigan’s newest listing in the prestigious National Register of Historic Places is the Milo Prentice Newberry House in Rochester. The 1863 Italianate-Victorian farmhouse on Bloomer Road was listed in the National Register on October 9, after a yearlong process of application and review by state and federal officials.  Milo Prentice Newberry was part of one of the Rochester area’s pioneer families. He was born in New York … [Read more...]

Olympic Ski Jumping in Rochester

The History and Connection of Olympic Ski Jumping in the Rochester Area As unlikely as it may seem, ski jumping was a big attraction in the Rochester area during the Roaring Twenties. The sport had grown in popularity in America as it spread from the mountainous western states to the Midwest. Here in Michigan, the Upper Peninsula town of Ishpeming had a famous ski jump and hosted many high-profile tournaments. Six brothers from Ishpeming with a keen interest in the sport brought ski … [Read more...]