On Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m., the Rochester-Avon Historical Society will welcome local author Gerald Van Dusen at the Rochester Hills Museum on Van Hoosen Farm (1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills). When researching and/or writing about historical topics, sometimes you have to do field research that includes interviewing informants and other pertinent people (see Van Dusen’s books, Detroit’s Birwood Wall, Sojourner Truth Housing Riots), but sometimes, the topics come to you (Detroit’s Lost Stove Industry). Learn how Van Dusen has dug up some of Michigan’s more interesting historical tales.
This event is free for RAHS members. Nonmembers are asked to consider a $5 suggested donation at the door. Registration is required. Register online at RochesterAvonHistoricalSociety.org, or send an email to rahsupdates@gmail.com, or call 248-266-5440 and leave a detailed message.
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We, Utica high students, would make our Halloween journey to the closed sanitorium in Rochester. We would burn lighters, matches, old documents and magazines strewn through the narrow stairways or padded rooms. When we finished one time, we were out front on the lawn when an old man with a loaded shotgun shows up. I dive in bush, others obey orders lining up like firing squad in front of him and his gun.
Later he found me I agreed to come out if he put weapon down gave us quick tour. He obliged and we all went into a large main room where he hit the light switch, viola lites. We all gasped, ‘cuz right in front of us was a huge hole in the wall dropping to the caverns we were exploring below. He told us about the sanitorium, and the hole was where a huge pipe organ used to sit.
We all went home safely, luckily
Never visited again and never forgot.