Wednesday, January 11, 2017

DID MY GRANDPARENTS “ALMOST” WIN A HOME IN A DETROIT SUBURB IN 1956?

I located this interesting article, about my grandfather, Harry W. Gould, published in the Detroit Free Press, Saturday, May 12, 1956.

GOULD_Harry_W_who won_home_law_suit_DFP_12_May_1956_Sat_pg_2_annot

The home in question was located at 29060 Lone Elm Lane in Southfield, Michigan.  Here is an aerial view from Google Earth.  This street is located just north of Twelve Mile Rd., a few blocks east of Evergreen Rd.

This home was located about 8.5 miles from where my grandparents home was located on Asbury Park in Detroit.  I remember their home very well. 

asbury park to lone elm ln_annot

The dispute over who won the home, based on their guess of how many nails were used in building the home, took place in 1956.  I would have been six years old and my family was still living in Detroit at the time.  We were at my grandparent’s house a lot.  I have to think there was talk about this around the dinner table, or after dinner in the living room.  Don’t you wish you could go back in time and record every conversation?  The things your grandparents and parents talked about?  I know I wish I could.

Here is another newspaper article mentioning that the dispute will be heard in court.

GOULD_Harry_W_court_gets_home_battle_DetFreePress_17_Aug_1956_pg_14_cropped

I kept searching to see if I could find out what the court ruling was in the case, and sure enough I found an article published in the Detroit Free Press on December 18, 1957, page 3. 

GOULD_Harry_W_awarded_settlement_in_home_case_DetFreePress_18_Dec_1957_pg_3_larger_annot


According to this article, my grandfather, Harry W. Gould, didn’t get the house.  However, he did get a settlement amounting to $7,500 to be paid in monthly installments of not less than $75.
 
This settlement occurred in December 1957.  My grandparents moved to Pompano Beach, Florida within a year or two of that date.  My parents, my brother and I had moved to Pompano Beach sometime in 1957.  We lived a block away from my grandparents.  Sadly, my grandpa, Harry W. Gould, died in February of 1960.  By 1965 my Dad, my brother and I had all moved to San Diego.  My grandmother sold her home in Pompano Beach and moved in with us in about 1967. 

I calculated the payments of that $7,500, if paid at $75 per month, would have gone on for a little over 8 years.  Assuming that they were continued once my grandfather, Harry, had passed away.
 
This was certainly an interesting find and something I’d never heard a thing about.  I even talked to my brother this morning and asked him if he remembered anything about it.  He did not.
 
What newspaper articles have you discovered about your family?  I’d love to hear about them.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST – More from newspapers

NEW YORK NEWSPAPER LINKS ONLINE

FRIDAY FINDS - Anna M. Bezner hit & killed by street car in Detroit in 1906

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2017   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

2 comments:

  1. Oh, the conversations I wish I had on recordings! I know there were many discussions of family and cousins but I was too young and it was too abstract for me to really take notice of. Very interesting find, Diane, this is great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Anna. I'm just crazy about the newspapers. Back then they wrote about many more everyday goings on than we have today. Maybe small town papers still write about that stuff today, but not the big city papers.
      Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete

I look forward to reading your comments. If you have any connection to the people mentioned in this blog, please let me know. I write about mine and my husband's ancestors and would welcome new information or meeting a new cousin or two. Thanks for visiting and come back soon.