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© John Norvell
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Category Archives: Detroit History
Criminals in the Family
Every family has a skeleton in the closet. In our family, Willard Smith Norvell and Bayard Boyd Norvell fit the bill. They were the sons of my great uncle Edwin Forrest Norvell, who had served in the Civil War, as … Continue reading
The Real “Postmaster” of Detroit
When John Norvell was elected one of the first U.S. Senators from Michigan, he was faced with a serious problem. Although he was a lawyer, his income came mainly from his position as postmaster of Detroit in the early 1830s. … Continue reading
The Stevens Thompson Norvell (S) – A Michigan Legacy
Some families have names that seem to be handed down from one generation to the next , such was Stevens Thompson Norvell. Stevens rather than Steven or Stephen might seem to be an odd first name; well there is a … Continue reading
Freeman Norvell and The Detroit Free Press
Although his time during the Civil War was marked by controversy, in the years after the war things seemed to settle down. About 1866, my great-grandfather Colonel Freeman Norvell and his brother-in-law, Henry Nelson Walker assumed the ownership of the … Continue reading
Washington in the 1830s
We often see politicians as living exciting lives today filled with much media attention. It wasn’t always so. In a letter dated December 18, 1835 John Norvell, soon to be a US Senator, wrote to Kate Mason commenting on his … Continue reading
Yellow Fever takes a Life
Yellow fever was a major killer in the 19th Century. It was often called the American plague. New Englander Cotton Mather described it as “turning yellow then vomiting and bleeding every way.” It was spread by a species of the … Continue reading
Forgotten Gettysburg
There is a somewhat forlorn battlefield to the east of Gettysburg that few visit. It is located near a shopping area off the route 30 corridor. It is the East Cavalry battlefield. The East Cavalry Field fighting was an attempt … Continue reading
On Hallowed Ground
For the past few days I walked the battlefields at Antietam and Gettysburg. I have studied these battles for many years. I have seen movies about them. I have read novels about them. But these battles cannot fully understood … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Antietam, Civil War, Civil War Battles, Detroit History, Gettysburg, Michigan History, Military history, Norvell Family History
Tagged American Civil War, Antietam, Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War, Devil's Den, Lincoln, Michigan history, Norvell, Norvell History, Round Top
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In Old Detroit
Detroit in 1833 was only a small village of about 1,800 residents; indeed, the census of 1830 showed only 30,000 in the entire territory of Michigan, but John Norvell quickly became involved in the political life of the area … Continue reading
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