Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - 2:52 pm:

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From http://www.milfordhistory.org/ September_2004_newsletter.htm
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The Ghost Town of Kensington

Most of those traveling along Grand River Avenue and crossing the bridge over the Huron River are unaware that the town of Kensington once existed at this site. Paralleling Grand River today is I-96, bordered by Kensington Metropark on the north side, and Island Lake State Recreation Area to the south. The town was later known as Kent.

Why here? To begin with, Grand River, a former Indian trail, was a main east-west toll road. Stagecoaches once rumbled back and forth between Detroit and Lansing. Rivers were used as transportation routes and a source of water power. Thus, the junction of a river and a main road was a logical site for developing a town.

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 resulted in an enormous influx of immigrants from the east into the Great Lakes region. Rapid population growth in the 1830s gave rise to many aspiring communities, some of which were destined for success, some to failure. Kensington, unfortunately, was in the latter category.

Initially, there were high expectations. The first building erected was a sawmill operated by Joel Redway. Constructed in 1834, it served the community for many years, using waterpower from the Huron River. Before long, with an increase in population, other businesses became established. The town had two hotels, a large livery stable, three general stores, a doctor's office, a church, a post office, a tavern, a bank, and a blacksmith shop.

Besides serving as a tavern, the "Kensington Inn" also served as a doctor's office. The attending physician, however, was not a licensed practitioner. According to many long-time residents of the area, "Doctor" Tom Curtis was a patent medicine man who specialized in back plasters made from sawdust and red pepper. In addition to dabbling in the healing arts, Dr. Curtis also practiced "painless" dentistry, relying on whiskey from his tavern as the anesthetic.

As in most small towns, homes often served dual purposes. The home of Abe Wood, a one-armed Civil War veteran, served as the Kensington Post Office until 1900.

Thus, Kensington appeared to have a promising future due to the favorable location and rapid growth. Yet, it became a ghost town by 1890. What went wrong?

With its location on the Huron River, it was suggested that a dam be constructed to provide waterpower for the town. However, this proposal was not supported by landowners' up-river. Such a project, they felt, would flood their lands. Therefore, no dam was built.

During the 1830s a period of inflated and worthless currency came into being. It was during this period that the Kensington Bank was founded (late-1837). Founders of the bank included Alfred Dwight and Sherman Dix. The original stockholders sold stock to other residents, among them Neil Butterfield and Chauncey Crouse.

In 1838, the holders began to issue notes. When sales did not proceed as well as expected, Dwight and Dix left for Milwaukee, unbeknownst to the remaining holders. They disposed of several thousand bank notes, keeping the proceeds.

The Michigan Legislature passed laws requiring banking corporations to show real estate security. As the only two landholders, Butterfield and Crouse issued a reward for the return of Dwight and Dix. Shortly afterwards, the two were arrested in Milwaukee and returned to Kensington. We have no knowledge of the trial's outcome.

As with many "wildcat banks," the Kensington Bank collapsed due to a lack of assets. The building later became a Free Methodist Church, and then a storage shed.

Bank notes form the Kensington Bank became worthless, perhaps being relegated to use as wallpaper or tinder. Today, the surviving notes are collectibles, with a value far exceeding their original denominations.



Kensington Bank circa 1970



As the town's economy faltered, many residents moved away without notifying their creditors. After many months of non-payment, their eastern creditors came to check on their debtors and found empty stores. Thus, all unpaid bills became known as goods that had "gone to Kent."

A later factor was the lack of a railroad. At that time, a railroad was essential to the economic success of a community. Towns competed with each other to attract a railroad. In 1871, rail lines were built. Milford and South Lyon were on railroad routes, Kensington wasn't.

Today, remnants of the town are few. Two cemeteries exist, one along Grand River west of the town site, the other at the junction of Grand River and Kensington Road. At the latter is a bronze plaque marking the former site of the Kensington Baptist Church, a stone edifice erected in 1853, razed in 1952.

We have a tendency to equate the term "ghost town" with the mining towns of the far west or perhaps to the abandoned lumber, copper and iron mining communities of northern Michigan. However, the Detroit area has some of its' own. Kensington no longer exists as a town but the name survives as the first of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks that were established in the five-county region around Detroit.



Contributed by Bob Hataling, Supervisory Interpretive Naturalist, Kensington Nature Center

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Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 10:37 am:

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Well stated Lowell, although some on this Forum have the Myopic viewpoint that since there isn't one actually IN Detroit, why should Detroiter's help pay for them.

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Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 11:14 am:

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Because HCMA send no money to support anything in Detroit.

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Posted on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 - 9:10 pm:

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They used to have programming for the State Fairgrounds that they dropped

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