West Bloomfield-Apple Island On April 22, 1833, Bloomfield Township was divided in two, and the western portion was called West Bloomfield. The area was spotted with apple orchards throughout much of the 1800s. In fact, the plentiful apple trees located on an island in one lake led to the naming of the body of water as Orchard Lake, and the aforementioned island as Apple Island. Orchard Lake is a 795-acre lake located in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, United States. It has a 110-foot (34 m) maximum depth. Orchard Lake is the second-largest lake, and third-deepest lake, in Oakland County. The lake has a 35-acre island in the middle of it, Apple Island. The island was frequently inhabited by local Native Americans before the coming of Western settlers, who later planted an apple orchard on the island, giving rise to the current name of the lake. Apple Island is now abandoned and has been designated a protected wildlife sanctuary. Another island, Cedar Island, is near the lake's western shore.
The campus of the old Michigan Military Academy is on the northeast shore of the lake. The campus is now home to SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary and St. Mary's Preparatory.
Apple Island is a 35 acre island in the middle of Orchard Lake. The island was formed under the region’s last Ice Age 10,000-12,000 years ago. 400 different species of plants inhabit Apple Island. Native Americans once inhabited the island too, but it was ceded to the Americans in November, 1807 as part of the Treaty of Detroit. Apple Island was under private ownership for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was a private estate owned by James Galloway of Palmyra, Wayne County, NY. Purchased on June 18, 1827 and left entirely unsettled through his dying day, Galloway’s last will and testament, dated November 19, 1838, states: “I give to my said daughter Julia Ann Galloway all that piece of land, called Apple Island in Orchard Lake. So called, situated in the state of Michigan, and not many miles from Pontiac”(Apple Island). Records show that her husband Joseph Allen paid $1.23 in taxes for the land in 1847. On August 19, 1847 William Dow purchased Apple Island from the Joseph Allen and Julia Ann Galloway for $1,050. Dow Immigrated from Fife, Scotland with his family and became the first white person to settle on Apple Island.
The island’s next owner was John Coates, he purchased the island on June 25, 1851 for $1,600. Mr. Coates was Born the youngest son of cotton thread innovator James Coats in Paisley, Scotland in 1819. He came to Michigan in the late-1840’s, in part to act as an agent for his brothers’ company J &P Coats Thread Co. (named after his brothers’ first names James and Peter). in 1849, Coats was one of the 35 founding members of
Detroit’s St. Andrew’s Society. He co-owned a dry-goods store on Jefferson Avenue called Jack & Coats until he decided to leave the business. upon leaving his company, Coates built a small Greek-revival home at the highest point of the island and lived their with his young family until his son was of school age and they traveled back to Scotland. On August 27, 1856 John Coats sold the island to Colin Campbell for $3,050. “Also a successful Scottish dry-goods merchant with a store on Jefferson and a founding member of the St. Andrew’s Society, Campbell viewed Apple Island as the ideal summer retreat”. Campbell shared the island with his extended family and friends for over 60 years. Campbell’s caretakers planted several sprawling gardens and orchards. many new structures were also built, but the island never received electricity, telephones or indoor plumbing.
“Apple Island was next acquired in 1915 by Willis C. Ward, a lifelong Orchard Lake resident. Ward, a close friend of the Campbell family, allowed Forrest and Caroline Campbell, two of Colin’s offspring, to occupy homes on the island for as long as they desired. In the early 1920’s, Ward built a large home, complete with electricity from a generating system installed on the island. He lived there only a few summers, and the vacant home eventually burned after being struck by lightning in 1946″(Apple Island). “After Willis Ward’s death in 1943, Apple Island was conveyed to his children, Marjorie Ward Strong and Harold Lee Ward. Upon Ward Strong’s death in 1970, and in accordance with her wish as expressed to her husband, Brigadier General Frederick
Strong, the island was deeded by members of her family to the West Bloomfield School District. It was the intent of this gift that the area be used as an educational nature center, which would bring to the students of the district an appreciation for both their natural environment and the conservation [of] natural resources”(Apple Island). General Frederick S. Strong and Michigan Governor William Millikin during the ceremony presenting Apple Island to the West Bloomfield School District (1970) General Frederick S. Strong and Michigan Governor William Millikin during the ceremony presenting Apple Island to the West Bloomfield School District (1970) The Sanctuary and its characteristic resources of soil groups, shore edges, oak forest stands, bogs and topography is unique because it contains examples of every type of ecological system identified in southeastern Michigan. It is a highly valuable resource to the West Bloomfield School District and is used for field trips and science classes to this day. Contact Details Platinum Wildlife Removal Phone (248) 667-7796 Website: https://prowildlifetrapping.com/locations/West Bloomfield-mi/ Google Folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_rXaRh79M-RM0xpalJGRnlEZGM?usp=sh aring Twitter: https://twitter.com/michiganremoval Recommended Content: Oakland County, MI Skunk Control Oakland County, Michigan Animal Control Removal Services West Bloomfield, MI Wildlife Relocation Service Oakland County, MI Wildlife Extermination Oakland County, Michigan Free Animal Removal Services West Bloomfield, MI Animal Control Company Oakland County, MI Professional Wildlife Removal Oakland County, Michigan Animal Wildlife Control West Bloomfield, MI Wildlife And Pest Control Oakland County, MI Wildlife Removal Oakland County, Michigan Wildlife Trapping Services
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