Orion Township near Lake Orion in Oakland County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
William E. Scripps
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William E. and Nina Scripps Estate
Photographed by Joel Seewald, May 5, 2019
1. William E. Scripps / William E. and Nina Scripps Estate Marker
William E. Scripps
As the son of James E. Scripps, founder of the Detroit (Evening) News, William E. Scripps (1882-1952) was heir to a publishing fortune. He preferred engineering, however, and sought to use engineering and science to improve people's lives. Scripps was fascinated by early twentieth-century technologies. He built a motorized boat engine, formed the Scripps-Booth Motor Car Company with his nephew James Scripps Booth, and started the first commercial radio station in the U.S., Detroit's WWJ. He taught himself to fly an airplane in 1912 and was among the first to own one. Using aviation to improve news delivery, he published some of the earliest aerial newspaper photos. Scripps was also devoted to conservation and land reclamation. In 1916 he began buying land for Wildwood Farm.
William E. and Nina Scripps Estate
Between 1916 and his death in 1952, William E. Scripps acquired 3,830 acres for Wildwood Farm. Detroit architect Clarence E. Day designed the Norman Revival manor house, completed in 1927, and landscape architect Bryant Fleming planned the gardens and grounds. Scripps envisioned the farm as a model for demonstrating that modern soil conservation methods and the raising of livestock could renew nutrient-depleted farmland. Intent on improving the food supply, he assembled
this page online
Erected 2008 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number S711.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.
Location. 42° 45.002′ N, 83° 16.887′ W. Marker is near Lake Orion, Michigan, in Oakland County. It is in Orion Township. It is on West Scripps Road east of Joslyn Road, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1840 West Scripps Road, Lake Orion MI 48360, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: William E. Scripps (a few steps from this marker); Howarth School (approx. 2 miles away); An Amusement Park in Lake Orion? Yes It's True! (approx. 3.1 miles away); The Boats of Lake Orion (approx. 3.1 miles away); The Trains of Lake Orion (approx. 3.1 miles away);
Photographed by Joel Seewald, May 5, 2019
2. William E. Scripps / William E. and Nina Scripps Estate Marker
Also see . . .
1. William Edmund Scripps. Wikipedia article (Submitted on May 8, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
2. Scripps-Booth. Wikipedia article (Submitted on May 8, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
3. WWJ (AM Radio). Wikipedia article about WWJ AM radio station (Submitted on May 8, 2019.)
4. Scripps Mansion. Wikipedia article (Submitted on May 8, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
5. William E. Scripps Estate. The Cultural Landscape Foundation website entry (Submitted on May 23, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Joel Seewald, May 5, 2019
3. William E. Scripps / William E. and Nina Scripps Estate Marker
Photographed by Joel Seewald, May 5, 2019
4. William E. and Nina Scripps Manor
Credits. This page was last revised on August 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 1,793 times since then and 91 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 8, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
