Thursday, May 7, 2015
As part of Michigan Week activities, in May 1983, the City of Troy fulfilled a promise made in 1963: to name the 11-acre, wooded section of the Civic Center that contains the city’s fitness trails after Philipp J. Huber, a businessman whose widow had donated the land for the park. Huber, who helped found Ex-Cell-O Corporation in 1919, bought the 135 acres of farmland that became the Civic Center in the 1930s. It was “a retreat to get away from business,” according to his son Robert, who was mayor of Troy when the City purchased the land.
The Huber family raised cows, poultry, and hogs and grew sugar beets, corn, wheat, and oats when they owned the site. Robert Huber recalled seeing foxes and pheasants in their lane– animals that would also enjoy the undeveloped nature of Huber Park. He said of his father, “His whole life, he was interested in trees and animals, and he would be very proud of this, if he was here.” The family sold the land to the City of Troy because the I-75 right-of-way absorbed their house and divided the property. The park remains largely natural and undeveloped, though the adjacent tennis courts were annexed to it, doubling the acreage of the park.
Photo: Nature Trail at Huber Park
Sources:
Daily Tribune (Royal Oak MI). 1983. 2 decade vow fulfilled; Troy names park for Philip Huber. May 12.
Troy (MI) Eccentric. 1983. City will dedicate park to Philipp Huber tonight. May 16.
Nardi, Pat. 1983. Troy park dedicated for Huber. Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI), May 17.
To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TroyHistoricVillage. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.
