History

Below is a brief history of Fairview and the notable years events occurred in:

• 1817 - Monroe County is formed
• 1832 - A 100-acre farm is purchased from Jesse Murrell for a "poor farm"
• 1837 - Michigan became the 26th State in the Union
• 1855 - County Farm has grown to 350 acres including the burial hill or "potters field" in front of the community college 
• 1876 - Battle of the Little Bighorn
• 1878 - Present building constructed through a public referendum at a cost of $10,000 
• 1879 - Building finished, farm included prize beef, dairy, swine, and crops, Michigan Agricultural College provides breeding stock
• 1880 - Present Courthouse built
• 1912 - Electricity installed at Fairview for $1,770
• 1930s - Up to 135 people sheltered at a time during the Depression
• 1979 - Monroe County commits to major renovation and professional management made feasible by a $500,000 HUD grant secured by the Monroe County Planning Department.
• 1980 - Social Services Board hires Joe Grifka as Superintendent
• 1985 - The Monroe County Network on Homelessness is formed
• 1993 - Commissioners retain consultants to assess the need for Fairview and renew commitment, based on findings and community response
• 1993 - Friends of Fairview is created to meet the residents' social needs
• 2007 - The Network on Homelessness conducts point-in-time studies and service gap analysis in order to capture HUD and MSHDA Grants - Studies document the deep need for services to Fairview clients, called by HUD the "Chronic Homeless"