Draft:Edward N. Hines Park
| Hines Park | |
|---|---|
 Fall colors at Nankin Lake, near the park's midpoint | |
 | |
| Type | Linear park |
| Location | Western Wayne County, Michigan |
| Area | 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) |
| Managed by | Wayne County Parks |
| Length | 17.5 miles (28.2 kilometers) |
Edward N. Hines Park is a linear park in western Wayne County, Michigan, following the course of the Middle River Rouge. Hines Park serves as a flood control mechanism for the Middle Rouge, which experiences frequent floods due to its heavily urbanized drainage basin. Hines Park consists of 25 recreation areas linked by Edward N. Hines Drive, a 17.5-mile (28.2 km) scenic drive.
Hines Park is named after Edward N. Hines, a member of the Wayne County Road Commission who advocated for the park's creation. The park was created in the 1920s as the Middle Rouge Parkway, and incorporates multiple structures donated by Wayne County Road Commissioner Henry Ford from his village industries project. Hines Park begins at 7 Mile Road in Northville and runs downstream to Ford Road in Dearborn, connecting to multiple regional recreation facilities and trails including the I-275 Metro Trail and Rouge Park.
Description
[edit]Hines Park is a linear park, following the entire course of the Middle River Rouge from Northville to Dearborn. The Middle Rouge is one of three major tributaries of the River Rouge, a river in Southeast Michigan that drains much of the western suburbs of Detroit. The Middle Rouge forms in Northville at the confluence of the Walled Lake Branch and the Johnson Drain, and flows through Plymouth, Westland, and Livonia to its confluence with the main stem of the Rouge at Ford Road on the Dearborn–Dearborn Heights border.[1]
The entire park is a floodplain, and portions of Hines Park are regularly closed to the public during heavy rains. This flooding is by design, and Hines Park helps protect the rest of the Middle Rouge watershed from severe flooding.
Hines Park connects with multiple regional parks and trails. In Plymouth Township, the I-275 Metro Trail runs within Hines Park, routing bicyclists and pedestrians around I-275's interchange with M-14. At the downstream end, Hines Park connects to Detroit's Rouge Park, a similar linear park on the main stem of the Rouge.
Amenities
[edit]The 25 recreation areas of Hines Park feature a variety of amenities.
History
[edit]Industry on the Middle Rouge
[edit]The present-day Hines Park is located on the Middle River Rouge, whose landscape changed dramatically in the 19th century.[2] The Plymouth Mill (later the Wilcox Mill) opened in 1820, the Nankin Mill in 1842, and the Gunsolly Carding Mill in 1851, altering the landscape and serving as the center of local economies. Henry Ford contributed to the creation of Hines Park, and in his childhood he was a frequent visitor to the mills along the Middle Rouge. Ford was born in 1863, and he and his parents made the 20-mile (32 km) trip from Springwells Township to the Gunsolly Mill to have the wool from their sheep carded.[3]
The Rouge River watershed has flooded regularly, even before the introduction of industry and later urban development. The Rouge watershed is defined by its clay-rich soil, which functions as a natural impervious surface.[4]
In the early 20th century, Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company drastically changed the landscape of the River Rouge, building the massive Rouge complex downstream in the 1910s and 20s. In parallel with his massive developments downstream on the Rouge, Henry Ford also had visions for the Rouge further upstream, which was still mostly undeveloped. In Ford's vision, articulated in a 1924 interview, he desired to "Put up a nice dam and a factory, and the first thing you know, everything and everybody will be better." Ford's vision of decentralized rural manufacturing contrasted with his company's massive urban manufacturing complexes, a contradiction that apparently did not bother him.[5]: 185–6
Ford's vision for small factories, powered by hydropower and located in rural communities, was realized as the "village industries" project. Ford Motor Company built his first village industries on the River Rouge, on the site of former grist mills.[5] The village industries continued operating through World War II, supporting Ford Motor Company's contribution to the war effort.
Creation of the Middle Rouge Parkway
[edit]Hines Park was created by the Wayne County Road Commission, a governmental entity that has its roots in the Good Roads Movement. The Good Roads Movement began before the mass-production of the automobile, and was promoted by bicyclists and farmers. One such bicyclist in Michigan was Edward N. Hines, a printer by trade who made regular trips by bicycle from Detroit to Northville. Hines rose to the position of vice president in the League of American Wheelmen, and was a founding member of the Wayne County Road Commission in 1906. Hines is credited with inventing the highway center line in 1911, on a county road in Trenton. Another founding member of the Wayne County Road Commission was Henry Ford, who served on the commission for one year before resigning.
The village industries remained a personal interest of Henry Ford throughout his life, but they began to close as he lost control of Ford Motor Company. Ford's grandson Henry Ford II viewed the project as wasteful and dismantled most of the village industries in 1947, the year of the elder Ford's death.[5]: 208 Following the closure of the village industries at
Contemporary era
[edit]Wayne County sold the Warren Valley Golf Course, located at the downstream end of the park, to the city of Dearborn Heights in 2018. The sale to the city occurred after the county proposed to sell the site to a private developer to build housing, a plan that was criticized by the public.[6] The Phoenix Mill, Wilcox Mill, and Newburgh Mill were also sold to private entities, with adaptive reuse projects planned for all three.
The Wilcox Mill was planned to be renovated as a community art center led by local artist Tony Roko, but plans were abandoned in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic-related financial difficulties.[7] The Phoenix Mill was sold to another local developer, who reopened it as offices and a banquet hall in 2022.[8] The Newburgh Mill, then used as a stable for the Wayne County Sheriff's mounted division, was sold on the condition that the developer find a new site for the stables. As of February 2023[update], work has not yet started on the Newburgh Mill site.[9]
Programming and events
[edit]Hines Park is the site of the annual Wayne County Lightfest, a drive-through light show featuring giant animated holiday-themed displays. Lightfest began in 1993, and sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every November and December.[10]
The Saturday in the Park program closes part of Hines Park to cars on Saturdays during the summer, making Hines Drive available exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists. The program closes Hines Drive to vehicle traffic from Nankin Mills downstream to Outer Drive, a distance of approximately 7 miles (11 km). From Nankin Mills to Outer Drive, Hines Drive is separated from cross traffic by bridges, providing an uninterrupted walking and cycling path.[11]: 62
Cruisin' Hines, an annual classic car show and parade, is hosted by Hines Park every August. Cruisin' Hines is one of many classic car events in Southeast Michigan in late summer, which also includes the Woodward Dream Cruise. Cruisin' Hines began in 2011, and continues to attract thousands of classic cars every year.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rouge River Watershed Digital Terrain Map". Friends of the Rouge. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Historical Marker - L68 - Nankin Mills" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
- ^ Braden, Donna (February 11, 2021). "The Rise of the American Carding Mill". The Henry Ford. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Characteristics of the Rouge River Watershed" (PDF). Rouge River Watershed Management Plan. Alliance of Rouge Communities. 2012. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ a b c Segal, Howard P. (October 1988). ""Little Plants in the Country": Henry Ford's Village Industries and the Beginning of Decentralized Technology in Modern America". Prospects. 13: 181–223. doi:10.1017/S0361233300005275. ISSN 1471-6399.
- ^ Herndon, Dave (October 4, 2018). "Dearborn Heights closes on Warren Valley Golf Course sale". Press and Guide. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Veselenak, David (December 21, 2020). "A year later, plans change for Hines Park mills put up for sale by Wayne County". Hometown Life. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Veselenak, David (March 16, 2022). "The Phoenix Mill in Plymouth once manufactured Henry Ford's auto parts. Now its a banquet center". Hometown Life. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Veselenak, David (February 23, 2023). "Historic Hines Park mills could begin seeing work this year". Hometown Life. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Fox, George (December 18, 2019). "Wayne County Lightfest Dazzling The Community For 26 Years". WWJ. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ "Wayne County Parks 5-Year Parks and Recreation Plan, 2023–2027" (PDF). Wayne County Parks. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Mason, Sue (August 30, 2015). "Cars flock to Hines Park for annual cruise". Hometown Life. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Hines Park at Wikimedia Commons
