My wife and I, not being from the area, were very entertained by
the museum tour presented by the volunteers at the Westland
Historical Museum. We decided that we would do our own little
version of the historical tour leading to various spots in the
community.
Below is a list of clues leading you to 10 locations of historical
significance in the area. There are 10 questions, each associated
with the place you are led to by the description preceding it.
There are also 10 other clues that are related, but the order in
which they are presented to you is not necessarily related to the
order in which you will visit the historical sites in the
walkthrough.
At each site you will find some of the information you need to
answer all 20 questions. Two of the sites, #5 & #10 already
have caches associated with them for other reasons. If you record
all of the details of information you find there, we'll tell you
which they are after you solve ours so you can also get credit for
those - what a bonus eh?
Also, since this is meant to be educational (school starts nextweek
:-D), 10 of the 20 questions are presented solely for the purpose
of getting you most of the way towards being eligable for a free
iron-on patch - we'll tell you how to get the patch (there's one
easy extra step required and you can get a patch for each person in
your group) after you visit the 10 locations and answer all of the
questions. I know as a kid I always liked patches - especially when
I was a boy scout :-) If you want to get the patch before getting
the final cache - just e-mail us the answers you got after visiting
the 10 locations, and if we see they are all there and correct
we'll e-mail you instructions on how to get the patch.
There's a pretty cool (I think at least) FTF I picked up at the
Spring MIGO event in Harrison, MI.
Congrats to teammaddog on the first to find and
for snagging the Team CoyChev geocoin 
Okay....here is the walkthrough and the questions.
Starting from our starting point just south of the Westland
Historical Society buildings you'll want to follow the road towards
the penguins. Go until you reach a major road that began as a major
indian trail, became the main military trail used to open up the
westard movement in this area to travelers, and which connects two
of the regions largest and oldest cities. Here near the corner you
may want to rest a bit. While you're resting near the doorway to a
very trendy dance place, you'll want to read up on its very humble
beginnings.
Question #1: Who purchased the tavern from George M. Johnson?
Once you've gotten your fill, head back towards the other pole and
a little west until you find the new city road. Follow that in
thesame basic direction until you come to a patch in which young
minds are grown. Here you will find more information to school
yourself upon.
Question #2: In what year did the Patchin School become Nankin
Township's School District No. 3?
From there, head back in the same direction on that same road
until you reach the trail of trees. Head towards the rising sun for
a short ways. After you go around a small right-hand bend you will
see a place where methodical people may congregate. Here at the
entrance you will find a history of how 2 groups were united.
Question #3: What did Marcus Swift do in 1841?
From here keep heading towards the rising sun just a little ways
further and you will find another resting place. There is a lot of
history here, many people find it a good place to rest. Make sure
you take the time to honor at least one revolutionary soul who was
the first to find his way here.
Question #4: In what year was the Newburg Cemetary Society
formed?
Follow the trail further until you reach the next road. Turn
towards the mason dixon line and follow it until you go just past
the road of boundless happiness. As you cross over the creek you'll
find another sign of great knowledge near the resting place of a
great chief of men.
***For credit on another cache (we'll tell you which after you
complete this one) please take special note of this cache.
Question #5: In what year was the final clash between the
Potawatomi Indians and the pioneers?
Head back the other way, up the road, until you get back to the
trail of trees. Turn towards the Atlantic and follow the trail
until you go just past the farmers city road. Here, near the park
you'll find a nature center with an interesting history. I could
think of a million reasons to stop, but once again there should be
a visible sign of the information you seek.
Question #6: In 1918 who bought the grist mill?
Continue on down the trail and just past the path of the happy guy
you'll see another sign of the information you seek. This
inforamtion is near a local pub, I wonder if that's why the guy is
happy?
Question #7: What mode of transportation by-passed the village of
Perrinsville?
Continue on down the trail until you reach a school. By now I know
your feeling cooped up in the car, but out in front of the building
you'll find a wealth of information to help you on your quest.
Question #8: On whose farm was the first Cooper School built?
From here go back up the trail the way you came, to the first main
road. Head down this road until you come to the road of the place
where rabbits abound. Turn and head towards the setting sun until
just before you reach the path of the happy guy and you will find
another sign of the times. This spot marks a place near where you
might at one time have found Swift justice.
Question #9: On what date was Marcus Swift elected as the first
supervisor of Bucklin Township?
Finally, continue on in the same direction and you will find a
little brick building. In this building many people have prayed for
enlightenment; and many children have received it whether they
really wanted it or not. Keep a sharp eye out for what inforamtion
this site holds.
***For credit on another cache (we'll tell you which after you
complete this one) please take special note of all the information
on a nearby rock.
Question #10: The first Perrinsville schoolhouse was build on this
person's farm?
And below are more clues...
Question #1: How many people had owned title to the tavern prior to
1832?
Question #2: How many schools were subsequently built on the site
of the first Patchin school?
Question #3: What is the last digit of the year in which the
Methodists and Congregationalists merged once again, becoming the
Methodist Congregational Church?
Question #4: If you subtract 800 years from the year the NCS was
formed, and then add up the digits, what number do you get?
Question #5: How many letters are in the last name of the leader
who is memorialized at the 5th site you visit on this quest?
Question #6: Which school district purchased land from Isaac and
Hanna Swift Perrin on which was built the first brick school in the
township in 1856.
Question #7: Marcus Swift held the office of Supervisor of Bucklin
before leading a religious split several years later. If you count
how many years there were between these two events, and divide that
by two, what number do you get?
Question #8: After visiting the 7th site along your route, add the
various digits in the historical site number, and you get what
number?
Question #9: The first Cooper school was built around 1837. How
many had been built and named Cooper School by the end of 1966?
Question #10: Prior to the civil war, how many grist mills
occupied the Nankin Mills site.