FOCUS: Allen Park Historian Sharon Broglin

Sharon Broglin is the author of Allen Park.

About Sharon

Sharon Broglin has a real passion for history. She volunteered her time to help out at the Allen Park Historical Museum until City Administrator, Kevin Welsh, hired her as Director about 16 years ago. Broglin volunteers in various capacities at other museums, she is a docent at the Henry Ford Estate, presents historic lectures, and is a member of the Questers, a nationwide historic group.

Broglin used to come to Allen Park’s stores when she was just five years old with her Armenian father, who was from Delray. Sharon moved to Allen Park from southwest Detroit, and graduated from Lincoln Park High School.

Broglin became interested in local history as an employee of Montgomery Ward when she was involved in their Bicentennial Program. A U.S. flag was awarded to each city across the country in which there was a Montgomery Wards. Incidentally, she met her husband, Randy, at Montgomery Wards.

Allen Park…the Book

Of course Sharon is the author of Allen Park, ($19.99, Arcadia Publishing), the beautiful 128-page, 239-picture soft-cover historical record of Allen Park, its founders and families who pioneered it.

Looking through the many pictures in the Allen Park Museum, Broglin would carefully research each for accuracy, mostly at the Detroit Public Library’s Burton Collection.

The book was mostly written between October and December 2006 during the wee hours — often until 3:00 or 4:00 a.m.! She received plenty of assistance from Historic Councilwoman Linda Milne — a descendant of Allen Park pioneer families, the Laffertys and the Beakers, dating back to the 1800s. (Milne appears as a little girl on page 22 of the book).

“A long-researched challenge,” admits Broglin, “was locating a picture of Lewis Allen. The town was named after Lewis Allen, but no one has seen his picture before this publication.”

The Museum

The house that is now the Allen Park Museum and serves as a storehouse for much of Allen Park’s history is located at the corner of Englewood and Park. It was purchased by the City for about $149,000 in August 2001. Having been “home” to three renters, the house was in shambles, requiring a lot of work. Gary Burtka and the City Council stepped in, as did the Boy Scouts, and the local job bank. The makeover spanned a full year. Mike D’Onofrio did the landscaping and sidewalks over two summers of his own time.

The Museum often serves as a resource for missing persons and other projects. For instance, the DDA sought a picture of Metropolitan Furniture as it stood many years ago in order to reproduce the original look. After six months, while looking for something else, Sharon stumbled across a very clear photograph that showed it in all its glory.

Funding for the Museum comes from the Annual Dinner Fundraiser, auctions, the Street Fair, VA memorabilia sales, other fundraisers and donations. Many people donate historical artifacts.

History of Allen Park

Allen Park was often was on the receiving end of jokes that there were sidewalks and streets that end abruptly with no houses. But, this was due to the Depression that rendered the developers bankrupt.

Many famous people hail from Allen Park. Find out who in Allen Park by Sharon Broglin..

Focusallenpark.com thanks Sharon Broglin for her time and support. Please order her book right here. 100% of the profit goes to Sharon and the Museum.