How newspaper serves community: Monday, July 25, 1983

Note: While going through materials found when long-time resident Kay Briggs moved from her Farmington Hills home, Brian found a copy of a special Farmington Founders Festival section published with the Farmington Observer & Eccentric on Monday, July 25, 1983. I’ve re-typed it below. 

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It was Nov. 2, 1888 and Edgar Bloomer proudly sat back in his desk chair looking at the first edition of the Farmington Enterprise. He skimmed the pages looking at articles and advertisements, alike. It had been a struggle, but the first edition was out.

It has been nearly 95 years since Farmington’s own paper hit the streets. Ever since then, it has been chronicling the proud history of this community.

Sitting in front of his electric typewriter, surrounded by 20th century technology, the modern journalist wonders how Bloomer would feel about today’s newspaper.

Although the name has changed and format reworked to meet the needs of modern-day readers, The Farmington Observer & Eccentric is proud to identify its lineage to the Enterprise.

As a matter of fact, the Enterprise name had such an impact, that many people today still refer to the Observer & Eccentric as the Enterprise.

Bloomer was 33 at the time he rushed his first edition off the press and into the streets. He remained with the paper until 1898, when he moved to Sparta and consolidated the Sentinel and Leader newspapers. He died in 1909.

But Bloomer began a tradition of community journalism which still exists today. He believed in producing a newspaper that would serve the interests of the Farmington area, while informing residents of matters in which they would be interested.

Much of what he wrote in that first edition is pertinent today.

“It is fair to judge the intelligence of a community by the character of the paper it supports…What we wish then is that each one, when anything new or interesting comes to his knowledge, should report it to the editor. We will seek to make this paper a permanent journal of progress.”

A blank space reserved for an advertisement by Fred Warner is explained away when Bloomer says Warner was too busy to make up the copy

The mind wanders. Was Warner even then out campaigning? His political efforts eventually took him to the governor’s chair in Lansing.

He was the only Farmington resident ever to achieve such high political office.

Politics, indeed, was a topic of the day as revealed in another short article.

“The Farmington Democratic Club, headed by the Redford Band, attended the great Democratic meeting in Pontiac,” it says.

Obviously, objectivity wasn’t what it could be in those days.

For those who wanted to spend time in a more leisurely fashion, they could participate in a singing convention at Bell Branch, being conducted by CH Smith. A concert would wrap up the event.

It also revealed that William Maiden sold his 109-acre farm in Southfield to Carl Roscow for $4,000.

Activities for young people were in full bloom. The Young Peoples Circle was organized in the ME Church.

Although the world ran at a different pace, tragedy was still part of the scene.

Mrs. Anne Dewaters found the world situation to be untenable enough to put a .38 caliber revolver to her chest and pull the trigger. At press time, she was in critical condition.

WR Anderson broke his neck while pitching cornstalks and James Clark “while madded by drink” cut his mother’s throat. It took two officers to arrest him.

At the beginning of the century, Walter Richards took over as Enterprise editor. But the competition was stiff.

Today, shadows of the old Enterprise still exist. On Farmington Road, south of Grand River, stands the Enterprise building, now occupied by a bookstore.

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A few thoughts:

– The Enterprise building still stands today, although it remains empty and for sale. And don’t think I haven’t given that a great deal of thought.

– A suicide attempt such as Mrs. Dewaters’ would likely not be covered by a traditional newspaper today, unless she shot herself in a very public place or hurt others in her attempt. However, someone who knows her probably would have blogged about it. That pretty much defines the progress of community news over the past 120 years.

– Anyone else remember electric typewriters?

– What struck me most about this section was the depth and breadth of advertising included. The 20-page section is probably 75 percent ads from both communities, representing restaurants, contractors, professional services, personal services, retail businesses, even a Convalescent Care Center simply wishing to “salute Farmington.” The Observer would probably kill for a special section that profitable today.

One wonders what E.A. Bloomer would think of community newspapers today.

– Joni Hubred-Golden
Publisher, The Enterprise

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