Work begins to uncover mystery of Westland’s Eloise cemetery Dec 4, 2015 (MLive) WESTLAND, MI — Plastic orange marker flags quiver in the wind above hundreds of rediscovered graves in a barren field in Westland along Henry Ruff Road south of Michigan Avenue. Clumps of sod and dirt — and occasionally plastic candy canes, fake flowers or other gravestone decor — surround the recently unearthed headstones. A yellow toy car rests atop one of the mud-smeared markers. There’s been a resurgence of interest in the overlooked graveyard known as the Eloise potter’s field cemetery, a place dead were buried when their family and friends showed no interest, in some cases, more than a century ago….

The horror of Eloise hospital: haunted Michigan mental asylum goes up for sale Nov 11, 2015 (The Guardian) How do you convince a prospective buyer to purchase what’s considered one of the most haunted places in Michigan? It’s actually pretty easy, if you ask Mike Deighan, listing broker for the Eloise complex, a sprawling former psychiatric hospital in suburban Detroit that recently hit the market for $1.5m.

December 28, 2006 (journalgroup.com) Taken in part from an editorial published in the Westland Eagle recapping some of the events that took place in Wayne County over the year… “…The Goofy: Some residents were dismayed by the removal of the iconic—but crumbling—smokestack at the former Eloise site. Although it was a definite loss for historians, residents need to focus on something even more important. As the years pass, fewer and fewer people remember the complex as it was. For those who do, take the time to write down those stories, memories, or family lore before it slips away. Few can decide the fate of the ‘brick and mortar’ buildings, but those tales are what gives them meaning anyway.” Ceremony unveils historical marker at Eloise property October 11, 2006 (hometownlife.com) The public may attend a small ceremony at 5 p.m. Tuesday next to what is now the Kay Beard Building on the Eloise site, on the north side of Michigan Avenue between Merriman and Henry Ruff. The building was renamed years ago in honor of the longest-serving Wayne County Commission member… Art exhibit tells story of Eloise Cemetery October 01, 2006 (hometownlife.com) It’s not easy to find the Eloise Cemetery, nestled among some pine trees off Henry Ruff in Westland’s south end. But somehow Andrea Irwin did when a day trip to visit antique stores along Michigan Avenue was short-circuited by a power outage… Complex gets historical marker September 21, 2006 (hometownlife.com) Eloise, a former poorhouse and asylum that became one of the largest U.S. public health care facilities, has earned Westland a state historic marker… Liability concerns prompt changes at Eloise September 21, 2006 (journalgroup.com) The iconic smokestack at the Eloise hospital complex will soon be brought to the ground… Wayne County’s private paper chase September 11, 2006 (detnews.com) Wayne County public records, including health and mental health records, have become hostages in a financial dispute between the county and the private company that stores the records… 1919 firetruck on display in Westland July 18, 2006 (freep.com) Wayne County recently donated a shiny, 1919 Model T fire truck that once served Eloise to the Westland Historical Commission’s museum. The truck was used until 1932… Commission incumbent seeks 15th term July 6, 2006 (journalgroup.com) Beard said she would like to see addressed is the condition of the historic Eloise complex, which is where a building named after her is located. There, a smokestack seems to be crumbling… County gives city Eloise fire truck May 21, 2006 (hometownlife.com) Westland’s historic village will be home to a 1919 Model T fire truck once used on the old Eloise Hospital site at Michigan Avenue and Merriman Road... Exploring the world of abandoned insane asylums May 02, 2006 (columbia.edu) Erin Derry, a Web designer who lives with her husband in Crestview, Fla., recently finished a project called Tales of Eloise. Her site, thetalesofeloise.com, stemmed from her fascination with Eloise Insane Asylum, an abandoned asylum in Detroit that was once one of the largest hospitals in the country… The ‘real McCoy’ may have been Elijah by name, Ypsilanti resident, inventor April 10,2006 (mlive.com) Suffering from hypertension and senile dementia, McCoy was sent to Eloise, a hospital, in 1928. He died there that same year. Still, he was, as many believe, “the real McCoy.” Officials debate the future of Eloise February 06, 2006 (www.Detnews.com) In its heyday, the county hospital and poorhouse known as Eloise was a sprawling, 902-acre community that housed 10,000 poor, homeless, sick and mentally ill people on the north side of Michigan Avenue between Merriman and MiddleBelt…

Urban legends and ghost stories of Michigan October 27, 2004 (southend.wayne.edu) Eloise Mental Asylum alternately housed the poor, the insane, tuberculosis patients and myriad others. Later renamed the Wayne County Poorhouse and then Wayne County General Hospital, it gave a television crew pause during paranormal investigations, according to Ghosts Stories of Michigan…

John B. Swainson Award Presented to Houghton, Wayne County Officials May 20, 2002 (http://Mi.gov) Frank Rembisz, Director of the Wayne County Office on Aging and a Hamtramck resident, made an extraordinary effort to preserve the memory of a former indigent care complex in Westland, once known as Eloise. He started the Eloise and Wayne County General Hospital Museum, as well as a Friends of Eloise group, and has shared his knowledge of the institution’s history with many….