History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

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velop the natural beauty of the farm by conserving and adding to the
trees and shrubs growing upon it at the time of purchase. Private roadways have been laid and graded and trees planted along their borders
and about the buildings. The farm is bisected from west to east by a
roadway, which two years ago was carefully regraded by the state.
Near the center of the farm are located the two dwelling houses and
the barns that are used especially for farm purposes. The biological
buildings proper have been located, in order to avoid dust and arrange
for the most sanitary conditions possible, about eighty rods from the
highway on a commanding hilltop which overlooks the entire premises.
The beautiful valley of the Clinton river and Stony creek is spread out
like a map immediately in front of the buildings and offers an extremely
attractive combination of stream, hillside and woodland.
The buildings were all designed especially for the purposes for which
they were to be utilized, the simplest and most sanitary construction
available being employed. There are two large stables designed especially for horses, a commodious vaccine propagating building, which is
so located that the two floors may be entered from the ground at different levels. This building is most complete in its equipment and contains numerous specially constructed aseptic rooms for the handling of
biological products, sterilizing room for preparing glassware, boiler
room, dynamo, pump and various other types of machinery needed for
work of this kind. All the biological buildings are supplied with running water from an elevated tank which is kept filled by a power pumip
taking the water from a well about three hundred feet deep.
There are two hundred horses kept on the place, numerous goats,
sheep and other animals. In order that the animals may receive the best
possible attention, the resident superintendent is an experienced veterinarian as well as a biologist. The farm, for its management, requires a
force of about twenty men. All operations pertaining to the production
of the sera and vaccines are carried out with the most careful attention to sanitary requirements in keeping with the main biological laboratory located in Detroit. It is the aim to produce therapeutic agents of
the highest possible quality. The products are but partially elaborated
at Parkdale and shipped in bulk to Detroit for further attention. It is
believed that as time passes greatly increased facilities will be needed to
keep pace with the great developments that are being made in medical
and veterinary biological work.
FERRY SEED FARM
In December, 1902, the Ferry Seed Company which had formerly
conducted a farm near Pontiac purchased a half section of land (south
half of 36), a few miles southeast of Rochester for $50,ooo. This has
been developed into one of the greatest seed farms in the country, and is
widely known as "Oakview."