As I prepare for another evening of trick or treaters to beg for candy while showing off their costumes, I remember Halloween nights of my youth. We lived in the section of Northville named , Orchard Heights. The terrain was hilly. Houses were spaced farther apart. many had long walks to ring the front doorbell.
My friends and I soon learned which homes gave the best treats. With only two hours to beg, we gathered information from other children along the route.
We always stopped at the two grandparents homes. Grandma Turnbull would offer a can of Vernors, ginger ale if we were thirsty. She gave my friends and myself a comic of Archie or Richie Rich. She lived on a street on the edge of town. Fewer trick or treaters went there.
My Grandma Heatley lived on historic Dunlap street. She received many more children. She would see us and go to her kitchen to the cookie jar. We would receive several Windmill cookies for our bag.
Besides the usual assortment of candy, we would be given fresh apples. We were not allowed to eat them until we returned home. There was an urban legion that people put razor blades in the apples. My mother would slice the apples looking for foreign objects.
A neighbor made popcorn balls to hand out. The balls were wrapped in colorful cellophane and were loaded with caramel and crushed peanuts, it was a prized treat.
The pastor at the rectory would hand out chocolate bars for interesting costumes.
One home on Grandview would purchase boxes of Better Made potato chips produced in Detroit to give away. My husband John, remembered small loaves of Wonder bread from the factory outlet store attached to the bakery.
The local dairy, Guernsey’s would give ice cream bars from their refrigerated truck.
I would open a small carton of candy cigarettes to look older. They had little taste. Later, as a teen, I had the real ones were the same.
The Sander’s company had a factory called Northville Laboratory on Seven Mile. The Langfields would have children step inside to show off their costumes. Mr. Langfield sat in a wheelchair and offered quarters to each child. If an adult accompanied the children, He or she was given a pint of Saunders hot fudge topping for ice cream.
At the stroke of 8, The fire whistle blew to signal the ending of trick or treating for another year. Children would stream to the community Center for a party to have costumes judged and prizes dispersed.
Northville continues to celebrate Halloween in a big way. Businesses and residents, display over two hundred 6 foot skeletons in costumes performing daily tasks. One may see a skeleton in a barber chair getting a trim. The yoga studio has a class of skeletons in the downward dog position. Around the clock on a center island on Main Street, you will a pirate ship with a skeleton crew. At eight , the fire whistle will sound and revelers will stream to the Community Center to receive prizes from the judging of costumes. The tradition continues.
Whoo Are You?
By Carol Farnsworth
dusky light, crunching leaves
Screams of children
“Trick or Treat!
Running, from door to door
pillowcase bags
holds evening’s score
Shivers from the cold
confronting darkness
they are bold
spirits walk and evening unfolds.
All Hallows Eve,
spirit laughter
Do we see.
carolaspot@aol.com copyrighted October 30, 2023
traveling up and down the blind highway 