Ferndale Farms

Ferndale Farms, owned by Nelson & Ada Gould, was located in Section 29, Brighton Township.  Nelson Gould’s parents came to Michigan in 1856, settling in Saline.  Sister, Maria L. (19), brother Solomon (17), joined Nelson (12) and his parents on their journey from Conesus, Livingston County, New York.

Michigan had been a state for 18 years.  Perhaps the elder Goulds hoped for a promising future for their children.  The children all became landowners, therefore, we can assume they farmed.  Therefore, can we assume the parents were farmers in New York?

Nelson came to Brighton c 1879, a few months after his marriage to Ada Meeks, of Pinckney.  From A.M. Nichols they bought 80 acres in E 1/2 NE ¼ Section ?  Nichols and other previous owners had purchased the land for speculative purpose only; land was not cleared, nor was any structure built.  Nelson and Ada must have spent many days trying to make a productive farm of land with such steep hills, deep gulleys and much wet ground.

By 1895 a structure is shown at the corner of Spencer Road and the southern-most end of what would later become US 23.  ( In the early 1930’s US 23 south of Spencer would connect with US 23 coming from Ann Arbor at Grand River.)

Marie married William Monroe, 1877, and come to Brighton soon after.  After only 16 years of marriage William died.  Her mother, Avis, lived with them at the time of her death in 1885.  Brother Solomon, who never married, followed Nelson to the area in 1881.  He owned 80 acres immediately west of Nelson’s.  He was living with sister, Maria and stayed there after her death (1914) until he died, 1918.

In 1906 Nelson and Ada moved to the Village, still on Spencer Road.  He died there January 21, 1921, Ada, August 17, 1928.  Nelson, mother Avis, Ada and Solomon are all at the Village Cemetery.

The 1935 Atlas shows Birney Smith as owner of Ferndale Farms; later Carter Smith is the owner.  Maps of this decade seem to place the Nelson’s old house under US 23 Expressway.  Much of Nelson and Solomon’’ farms are Paradise Farms Subdivision.  The land along Old 23 is zoned commercial. 

Prepared by Marieanna Bair. Compiled from Atlasses, Charboneau’s obits, First Landowners and Early Landowners of Livingston County.