The Grobbel Family Farms In Warren Twp., Macomb Co., MI
The 1859 Wall Map of St. Clair and Macomb Cos., MI (published by Geil, Harley & Sevard ) shows "A. Grovel" (Anton GROBBEL 15) as owning an 80 acre farm on the westerly half of the south-east quarter of Section 17 in Warren Twp. This 80 acre parcel was 1/4 mile wide (east to west) & 1/2 mile deep (north to south) and was fronted along the north side of 11 Mile Road. The southeast corner of the property was 1/4 mile west of the intersection of 11 Mile Road and State Road (the present-day Mound Road).
The 1875 Atlas Map of Macomb Co., MI (published by D.J. Stewart of Philadelphia, PA) shows the westerly 40 acres of that same 80 acre parcel in Section 17 of Warren Twp. as owned by "Anthony Grobbel" (Anton GROBBEL 15) and the other half owned by "Jos. Rinka" (Joseph Rinke, who married Mary WARNER Grobbel, widow of John GROBBEL 15).
The 1895 Atlas Map of Macomb Co., MI ( published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. of Chicago, Ill. ) shows the westerly 40 acre parcel as owned by "A. Gobble" (Anton GROBBEL 15) and the easterly 40 acre piece as owned by "Fred. Gobble" (Ferdinand GROBBEL 16, the eldest son of John & Mary Grobbel). This map also shows another 26 acre parcel owned by "A. Gobble" (Anthony GROBBEL 16, the son of Anton & Elizabeth Grobbel) that was located at the southwest corner of Section 16 in Warren Twp. The 26 acre parcel was located at the northeast corner of the intersection of 11 Mile road and the present-day Mound Road, with frontage along both roads. [Anthony was also involved in other pursuits; Edward J. GROBBEL 17 told of his father operating a saloon/pool hall at the corner of Mound and Chicago Roads around 1905.]
Anthony GROBBEL 16 and his wife Mary MINNICK Grobbel were in the process of building a new home on Dale Ave. in Center Line, when their farmhouse on the property in Section 16 burned down in the summer of 1927. While they were away working on the new house, the refrigerator on their back porch shorted out and flames quickly engulfed the old farmhouse. The family saw the smoke off in the distance and rushed home to discover that they had lost everything except their barn. They had to move immediately into the partially finished house. Anthony and Mary eventually lost their farm acreage to their creditors. The land was later sold to the U.S. Government for inclusion in the Detroit Tank Arsenal property at the start of World War II.
According to the Rinke Family History, the farm in Section 17 remained in Grobbel family ownership for 100 years until 1963, when Raymond (Jim) GROBBEL 17, grandson of John GROBBEL 15,sold it and moved to another farm near Richmond, Macomb Co., MI. The farmland was then subdivided into lots for single family dwellings, however, the farmhouse remained standing well into the 1980's. The only remaining evidence of the Grobbel farms is a street named "Grobbel Drive" in the subdivision that was carved out of the old farm.
