William Carl and Mary (Rambow) Heiden were married in 1897. For the first two years, as far as we know, they lived on what was called the "Adler Farm" which was probably at 6100 South Custer Road although the house is long gone now. This was where their first child, Edna (Heiden) Berns was born.

In 1899, they moved a short distance to the "Albright farm" which a very short distance west of the place where Dixon Road merges into South Custer Road. That house too no longer exists. According to a 1891 plat map, William Heiden owned the 76 acre farm but we do not know any further details. It was close to what was then the King School and they lived there until 1909. Their first three children Edna, Carl and Leo attended King School before moving to Bridge School.

On April 1, 1909, William Carl's 35th birthday, they purchased the farm at  8861 Dixon Road in Section 14 of Raisinville Township. He lived there for a total of 58 years from 1909 until his death in 1967. The last seven of the thirteen children (Helma, Arthur, Marie, Wm Frank, Helen Esther, Wilma and Norma) were born on this farm and it was the center of family life. Over the decades, at least 35 different people lived part of their lives with Wm Carl and Mary (Rambow) Heiden in this house.

The land consisted of 141 acres on both sides of Dixon Road. Most of the land was on the south side where the house and barns were also located. It extended back a long lane past the Sullivan drain ditch to a small woodlot at the back of the property. On the north side of the road, the land extended a short distance to be bordered by the River Raisin.

The farm was purchased from the estate of John Melchior Meyer. The title abstract indicates that the land was first deeded in 1821 as part of a land grant signed by President James Monroe.

Over the years, three lots consisting of three acres each were sold on the north side of Dixon Road. The first lot was sold to on of his sons, Leo Heiden on April 8, 1937. It was on the east side of the property, bordering the Wakefield farm. They did not build on the property and it was subsequently sold.

The middle lot which was directly across from the homestead house was sold to Walter W. Grams on August 28, 1938. He was then the teacher at the Bridge School. In the late 1950's, Arthur and Mildred (Roggerman) Heiden bought the house and property. They lived there for a number of years and in 1960 rented out the house while they moved down the road to work the Suchik farm at 8420 Dixon Road. After Art’s retirement, they moved back to the house where they lived until his death in 1985.

The final parcel was purchased by Paul and June Goetz on May 14, 1955. They lived on the property June's death in 2022.

On September 28, 1960, William Frank and Helen (Henning) Heiden purchased the farm. He continued to work the farm until his retirement. His daughter, Cheryl, lives in a house built on the south side of Dixon Road to the west of the original house. Another lot was sold off on the north side of the road on the west side of the property where a house was also built.

Driving by in 2024, I found that all of the property on the north side of Dixon Road has now been developed into homes.

The August (42) and Rika (39) Heiden family were living on West 9th Street in the City of Monroe, Michigan. Three children, Ernst (12), Willie (6) and Herman (4) were listed as living at home. Heinrich (14) was not included and may have been working and living somewhere else already. August was a carpenter, Rika was a day laborer and Ernst was at school according to the report.

Note: Included on the same pages of the census were several other families who had originated in Mecklenburg, Germany too.

On January 10, 1921, a fire in the Commerce Department building, Washington, DC, resulted in the destruction of most of the 1890 census.This would have helped determine where Wm and Mary lived in the first few years of their marriage.
William Carl (26) and Mary (22) with their first child, Edna (1) were living on a farm that they were buying in Raisinville Township but the census did not give an exact address.
At this time, Wm Carl (36) and Mary (32) were living at 8861 Dixon Road which they had purchased on April 1, 1909. Their children included Edna (11), Carl (9), Leo (7), Lester (5), Hilda (3) and Mildred (1). Note: At that time, Dixon Road was called River Road.

Wm Carl (46) and Mary (42) lived at the same farm with children Carl (19), Leo (17), Lester (15), Hilda (13), Mildred (11), Helma (9), Arthur (7), Marie (5), Wm Frank (2) and Helen Esther (<1).
This census shows Wm Carl (56), Mary (59), Carl (29), Marie (15), Wm Frank (12), Helen Esther (10), Wilma (7) and Norma Jean (2) living at the home farm. Wm Carl is shown as a carpenter.

Note:Norma was the last child and the first one born in a hospital. Her birth state is listed as Ohio.

Living at the home farm were Wm Carl (56), Mary (52), Marie (24), Helen Esther (20), Wilma (17) and Norma (12). Wm Frank (22) and his wife, Helen (20) also lived their with their first child, Carol (1).

Following the death of Mildred in 1939 at the age of 31, her husband John Eipperle and daughter Sally came to live in the house also.

Wm Carl and Mary are both listed as having completed the 8th grade. Marie was a barmaid who made $364 in the previous year. Helen Esther was an unpaid family house worker. John Eipperle who had completed 8th grad was a truck driver making an annual salary of $1,000. Wm Frank who also completed 8th grade was "working on his own account" and made $480 in 1939.
On this census, Wm Carl was listed as William Heiden, Sr. (76). He and Mary (72) were living on the home farm with daughters Helen Esther (30) and Norma (22). Helen Esther was listed as a house worker in a private home while Norma worked as a typist in an abstract office.

At this time, Wm Frank (32), his wife Helen (30) and their children Carol (11), Janice (9), James (7), Dianne (5) and Richard Carl (3) also lived at 8861 Dixon Road.

Note: They would move a short distance away to 8420 Dixon to rent a farm before returning to 8861 when they purchased the farm from Wm Carl in 1960.

William Carl and Mary were living in Raisinville Township with their 9 children and working a 141 acre farm that they owned. They had 4 horses and 6 cows and a telephone.

The river was named "Riviere aux Raisin" by the French-Canadian people that first settled in Monroe County. They called it the River Raisin because of the wild grapes growing along its banks. This led to the naming of Raisinville Township and the community of Grape. Also many of the farms along the river are long and narrow so that each farm has access to the banks of the river in the French tradition.
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