Horace and Mary Rackham funded the building of the Fenton Community & Cultural Center in 1938.
Horace Rackham made his 16.5 million dollar ($375 million today) fortune as an original investor in Ford Motor Co. He was so original to the company his law firm even drafted Ford's articles of incorporation.
The Rackhams had no children so they turned to philanthropy.
Upon Horace's death his trustees determined to carry out his wishes in part by building a community center in Fenton, and providing for its continued upkeep. The 1938 gift was worth more than $300 thousand.
Fenton was chosen for the community center because Mary Rackham was born in Fenton, and her father Dexter Horton had been the postmaster.
Also, several of the trustees were from Fenton, and all the trustees agreed Fenton was "a decorous, tree-shaped, typically American village in the heart of an agricultural district...without a central gathering place" and with "no community facilities for the promotion of leadership, educational advancement, social enjoyment, or civic improvement."
They saw the community center project as being consistent with their goals as trustees, so they funded it with a generous endowment.
The Fenton Community Center has now been a vital part of Fenton for decades, thanks to the Rackhams' generosity.
A big thank you to the Friend of the Museum who sent us these boss shots of Horace and Mary Rackham. If you have historical shots of Fenton you'd like to share, please send them to us.
Original source can be found here.
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