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EARLY FAMILY PHOTOS




The Wilkins Family. Fred C. Wilkins, Bertha Belle Bachelor, Dorwin T. (Red), Elleanore, Wilfred, and Lula.




First gas station in Orchard Lake. Opened Dec. 13, 1921 at Wilkin's Corners. Pump in photo is on display in the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society Museum. (please note that several of these photos are photos of photes that where on display in the museum. That is why they aren't very clear).
To keep the important thoroughfare in good repair, a group of local farmers and businessmen from Pontiac erected and maintained a tollgate house on this site from around 1858 to 1920. It was removed that year, leaving the old blacksmith shop or smithy standing on this land. In 1921, Fred and Bertha Wilkins decided to risk all and start in business for themselves by renting the blacksmith shop for a garage. They moved 2 miles from their former home in West Bloomfield. They built and operated a hot dog stand next to blacksmith shop and the tollgate house. Out front was a pitcher pump that reportedly went dry refilling boiled over radiators. The hot dog stand proved a blessing to hungry resorters, but once fed, they then decided to camp overnight before heading back the next morning to the big city. Sometimes as many as 50 cars would pull up into the nearby woods and bed down for the night. That’s when Orchard Lake Village became organized through the tireless work of the countryside ladies to protect the privacy of the local residents. Two years later, 1923, the first store was built. In 1926, the new store and restaurant-bar opened for business, followed a year later, 1927, by the newer gas station, which Fred leased to Standard Oil Company.





The gas pump in the previous picture.




A picture of Orchard Lake Community well located at Wilkin's Corner about 1930.




The Wilkins Restaurant as we all knew it.




Bertha Belle Bachelor in her younger days. Isn't she beauitful?




Another of Bertha.




The first 3 people from left to right are Dorwin "Red", Fred and Bertha Wilkins.
The sign reads: --Train For-- Mt. Washington, Purchase tickets at the office. Photo #3 Sept. 3AM 1917




Fred and Bertha on their 50th wedding anniversary!
The golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Wilkins of Orchard Lake will be observed at an open house on Tuesday form 3 until 6p.m. Thier two sons and two daughters will host the affair in Wilkins Inn for friends and relatives. Members of the family, including their 10 grandchildren and one great-grand-daughter, (that would be me, sure wish I could remember it) will gather for a buffet dinner in the evening. Mr. Wilkins is a lifelong resident of West Bloomfield Township and Mr. Wilkins came here from Ohio in 1903. From newspaper clipping, about 1956.




Fred and Bertha enjoying a quiet meal at the restuarant. Date stamped on back of this photo is Jan. 10, 1955




Marking their 60th wedding anniversary are mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Wilkins of Orchard Lake Road. A buffet dinner was given in their honor on Sunday by their children, Darwin Wilkins and Mrs. Eleanore VanMarter of Orchard Lank and Mrs. Lulu (Lula) Baldwin of Escanaba. The pair, wed Jan. 31, 1906, have 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. From newspaper clipping dated Tue. Feb. 1, 1966. Notice how much they had aged in the 10 years between photos. Up until then it seemed they always looked the same. And my,my haven't those grandchildren been gettin' busy?
From newspaper clipping dated Tuesday, February 1, 1966




This is how the corner looks in the year 2000. Notice that there are still woods behind the large building, which is what was, the Wilkins Restaurant.




This picture was taken at the same time as the following artical appeared in The Inter-Lake News, Wednesday, June 16,1971. The picture that appeared with the artical is a little different, and my copy is really yellow with a crease down the middle, so I'm using this one.

LOVELY LADY IS MOD LINK TO PAST-- A lovely lady, who has seen West Bloomfield and Orchard Lake grow from nothing to the prosperous communities they now are, marks her eighty-fifth birth anniversay today.

Mrs. Fred C. (Bertha) Wilkins will be honored by her family at a dinner this evening and if she decides to tell her grandchildren or great-grandchildren about the history of the area, she'll surely have a spellbound audience.

Daughter of Frnak Bachelor, she has lived all her life here in West Bloomfield Township. She was married to the late Fred Wilkins, January 31, 1906, and they had four children, Dorwin (Red) Wilkins, Mrs. William (Elleanore) VanMeter, the late Wilfred Wilkins and Mrs. George (Lue) Baldwin of Charlevoix. There are 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

This year also marks the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Wilkins Corners, which they began in 1921 with a garage and a hot dog stand. About that time the olk Indian trails in the area became roads to link the cities and one of these was the Pontiac-Farmington Junction Road(now Orchard Lake Road).

To keep the thoroughfare in good repair, farmers in the area put up and maintained a tollgate. In 1920 it was taken down but the old blacksmith shop was lwft standing. In 1921 Wilkins rented the old smity and started his garage. Bertha ran the hot dog stand they put up next to it. In 1923 they built their first store and in 1926 the second one went up, plus a restaurant. A year later, they opened a gas station and many years later (in 1956,) the Wilkins beverage and party store was erected.

About a year ago the cocktail lounge and restaurant was sold and it became "The Meeting Place." The gas station and party store are still owned and operated by the family.

Bertha Wilkins still takes an active part in the business begun so many years ago by her and her husband, but she finds plenty of time to pursue her hobbies. She is always busy with her crochet hook and she enjoys a membership in Commerce Chapter, Order of Eastern Star.

Besides, when you're a keen-minded, chic grandmother like Bertha, the younger generations keep you busy, too.




Elleanore holding Lula, Red, standing and Wilfred. Photo c.1924




Red's graduation picture. Pontiac High School Class of 1931.




Wilfred Wilkins graduation picture.




Lue and Elleanore Wilkins. I'm not sure when this was taken. c. 1945?