The Detroit times., 1910-11-26
1RRIs VILLAGE
IN FOR A BOOM
.dustrial Expansion in Hamtramck
District Reviyes Interest in
Visionary Metropolis.

Industrial development OF Ham
(gamck In the last two years holds a
1romise to investors In the somewhat
Missionary village OF Norris that they
my get back part OF the money they
Md for city lots in 1874.
The village of Norris appears on
The map as q close network OF streets.
but, In reality, is collection of mar
<ko< gardens. IL is one OF the results
{ofsa boom In 1873, when all Detroit
vent land mad. and several villages
Wore plotted around the outskirts
mich never have been heard OF since.
Norris has claim on history. be-
oause IL was founded by Col. Philetus
Norris, the man who secured for the
government, the land for Yellowstone
park and had il made into a govern
ment reservation. In appreciation OF
his work, he was made the first over
seer of the park, and has geyser
named for him.
Col Norris purchased several thou
and acres of land in Hamtramck
township, about 1865. The land had
Just one high spot in II. known as
Prairie Mound, and here Col. Norris
K built a large residence. He spent
\ 20 the city of Detroit, and had big
Latch constructed to carry off the wa
|tof of the swamp lands to Connors
<fbek. Then he plated the property
into village lots and advertised II
bEoadcast.
sOne of the advertisements is TO b.
found In a plat-book in c. NJ. Burtons
once. II describes the congestion OF
nj hn
I ~. big metropolis. The drawback or
Ili1e In Detroit, says the prospectus. Is
that one cannot see any highlands,
while, In Norris, one can gaze at the
4 majestic profile OF Prairie mound. The
advertisement was printed in the form
OF q newspaper, like the mining al
vortisements OF today, and was circu-
1ated all over the United States and
even In Europe. Some OF the pur-
chasers were English people, who ex-
pected to reap great harvest. Inc
Village of Norris never materialized
btyOnd a few houses. Scarcely any
K II the streets were opened, and re-
Gently many OF the lots have been
6Dld for market gardening purposes.
A Detroit man not long ago re-
oelved letter from a widow in Eng
laAd, asking him to negotiate sale
Tor some city lots, which she said her
husband had purchased 80 years ago,
and which she thought must be valu'
a6le by this time. The man followed
rp her description and found that the
lots were located in the village OF
Norris, with a ditch 10 feet deep be-
tween them and the highway: that
man was running a chicken farm on
G1em, his chicken house being located
on the line OF one of the avenues that
had been described in the circulars,
md his horse grazing over three or
four blocks
The strange part OF 1t Is that the
village has chance to come back TO
1ts own. The outer belt line, along
which the manufacturing develop
ment OF Detroit's suburbs Is expected
to follow. runs squarely through the
village. The oil dWagner tool plant.
The villages one manufacturing plant,
which has been through receiver
chip. was purchased a short time ago
~ Walter Russell, Of the Russell Wheel
~ Foundry Co.. and is operated by the
Russel Axle Co. On the southern edge
~ Hamtramck township, not more
than two miles away, Is large plants
have been established within com |
Daratively few months, calling, SO the J
pfomoters declare, for city OF 10000 |
Inhabitants outside of Detroit. AS the
city Is on one side, the expansion |
must all be northward; and those who
have been willing TO sell their lands
Al Norris for a song are hanging to-
them now.