Rooker Crossing

This small park in a lovely neighborhood environment is a nice place to take in the view or launch a kayak or canoe.  However, this place never had a name.  On August 13, 2022, this park was officially named “Rooker Crossing”.  In attendance were 12 members of the Rooker family!

As can be seen today, the Tittabawassee River is narrow here.  It is well known that this is where many folks crossed the river back and forth the lumber camps.  That is where the “Crossing” part of the name comes from; after the lumber industry that thrived in Edenville Township at a certain point in time.  The rest of the name is coming from the Rooker family that lived on the land around here during the turn of the last century. 

Many thanks go to Mary Herkner from the Parks and Recreation Committee.  She is the person who suggested the park name based on research into what was happening here around the turn of the last century.  She saw that several Rooker family members owned land all around this park.  The family was active in the community; there was a school just across the river to the north.  It was called Rooker School, presumably because it sat on Rooker land.

Here is what Mary found about the Rooker families:  The first Rooker family arrived in the Edenville area around 1856.  According to the 1860 census the family consisted of Joseph Rooker, age 28, farmer; Mary E, age 23; James C., age 4, and William, age 1.  James C. Rooker was born in 1856 and it was recorded that he was the first white male born in Edenville.  By the next census in 1870, the family had expanded to include Phebe, age 7 and Rosa, age 3. 

Edenville Cemeteries:

  • William J. Rooker (son of J. & MA) age 6 years, died. 1870, Feb. 17
  • Frederick Rooker, age 5, Feb. 25, 1934, old cemetery, lot 46. Lot owner Alfred Rooker
  • Lisa Marie Rooker, age 16 hours, April 13, 1966, lot 47
  • Alfred Rooker Jr., age 41, died April 19,
    1958, old cemetery, lot 47
  • Alfred Rooker Sr., old cemetery, lot 46
  • Mary Jane/Ann? Rooker, age 77, buried
    May 3, 1899, lot 77, block 2.  Lot owner James Rooker
  • Lillian Rooker
  • Lisa Marie Rooker
  • Rooker, Charlene

Hope Cemeteries

  • Rooker, Joseph, 1826 – 1920
  • Rooker, Mary E., 1843 – 1912
  • Rooker, Perry
  • Rooker, Gladys
  • Rooker, Baby
  • Rooker, Pearl
  • Rooker, Melvin

Midland City Cemetery

  • Rooker, Cyrus A.  1862 – 1950
  • Rooker, Emma C.  1870 – 1950
  • Thelma Alice, 1907 – 1953
  • Rooker, Mabel, 1897
    – 1950
  • Rooker, Floyd Rooker H. 1900 - 1934

In 1937 there was an article in the Midland newspaper about James C. Rooker who was by that time 79 years old.  James talked how his father and mother first came to Edenville by traveling in a canoe.  They settled in an area which was noted to have a lot of Native Americans present.  James stated that his entire childhood was spent playing with the Indian boys and girls of his own age. 

By 1870 a second Rooker family had settled in Edenville.  According to the Township ledger, this family consisted of James Rooker, laborer, age 42; Mary A., age 48 and their children Joseph, age 20; Arthur, age 18; Sarah, age 16; Orlando, age 9 and Cyrus, age 7. There were two other children, William Henry and Caleb James; both drowned in the Tittabawassee River in 1870.

This James Rooker (the one who was 42 years old in 1870, not the James C. who was 14 years old in 1870) participated in several township elections from 1874 – 1880.  Several other Rooker family members were also involved in local government. In April 1885, a Chester Rooker and Orlando Rooker both ran for office; Orlando was elected as one of the four constables.  The school was on the property of Orlando Rooker.

By 1897, Midland County records have the location for four Rooker families:

  • The three families that were near here were brothers Arthur and Cyrus Rooker on the east side of the river (section 14, Edenville Township), and Orlando on the west side of the river (section 15, Edenville Township).
  • By this time, brother Joseph had moved to Hope Township. 

There was one additional story about a Perry Rooker, who was the grandfather of several of the Rooker family members in attendance on August 13.  From the Edenville Justice Docket, dated April 23, 1924, there was the Court Case titled “The People versus Perry Rooker”.  The charge was unlawfully killing and destroying fish by the use of a spear in the Tobacco River.  Perry plead guilty and was fined $11.70.

Mary also found record of a number of Rooker family members who are buried in Edenville, Hope and Midland Cemeteries.