West Bloomfield Schools Alumni Needed for Historical Society Project

The West Bloomfield School District is getting schooled in local history, thanks to a unique partnership it has with the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society (GWBHS) and the school district’s Parent Teacher Organizations.

"Called by the Peal of the Bell", a nod to the days of the one room schoolhouse, will capture the community’s commitment to public education through a series of permanent exhibits of each of the district’s 10 schools. GWBHS and a team of volunteers have been working for a year assembling the photographs, artifacts and stories. As the project moves into its final phase, the organization is seeking additional input from alumni – both staff and students.

“We hope by getting the word out now, before the holidays, families with a history in the West Bloomfield Schools will share their memories over dinner and then with our project team,” said Christy Forhan, co-chair of this phase of the project .

“People may not necessarily think of West Bloomfield as an historic area, but we have found wonderful photos and old stories that help us better understand how the schools and community evolved,” she added. 

One gem discovered is an old scrapbook that recounts how the West Bloomfield School District was formed in 1949 when voters in those communities agreed to consolidate the Green, Hosner, Roosevelt, and Scotch schools into one organization.   

As part of the project, Dorinda McMullen, retired building secretary at Scotch Elementary School, organized an alumni gathering of Scotch staff in early November. The former colleagues rallied around the original school bell from the wood-frame school of the 1890s and shared stories of their days at Scotch.  

The project team is seeking help in restoring the bell, which has been in storage for nearly 90 years. It’s expected to be unveiled at Scotch’s 25th anniversary celebration in late February.

“Our goal is to have the finished historical panels installed in each school in early May, to coincide with West Bloomfield’s Michigan Week celebration. We also hope to create a traveling exhibit that we can share with the community at large,” said Forhan.

Forhan and the GWBHS say no nugget of information from the general public will be turned away.

“We know we’ll have far more material than can fit on one panel for each school, so the rest will be made available through the historical society’s website, www.gwbhs.org and our vertical files,”  said Gina Gregory, President of the historical society. 

To share a story or artifact, log on to the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society’s Facebook page or call 248-757-2451.