Ferndale State Bank / Ferndale Fun Fact #1 / Ferndale History

Ferndale State Bank, also, Ferndale Fun Fact #1, also, Ferndale History. . , (Side 1) , Ferndale State Bank , Historical Site , 141 W. Nine Mile , , The Ferndale State Bank was the second bank in Ferndale, setting up shop within the former C.F. Smith Grocery store on July 1, 1924. Their early successes allowed them to construct a new home at 141 W. Nine Mile. Similar to the city's first bank, American State Bank, they did not survive the banking holidays of 1933 and were acquired by the Wabeek State Bank. , , In 1953, Wabeek merged with Birmingham National Bank and Ferndale National Bank to form The Detroit Bank and Trust Company. The building later became lab space for an eyeglass manufacturer, and in 2002 it was converted to a nightclub. Despite numerous layers of facade materials, the original limestone facade still partially exists beneath the current veneer, as well as the original bank vault inside the building. , , Ferndale wayfinding signage is being supported in part by a Preserve America grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior , , , (Side 2) , Ferndale Fun Fact #1 , The original tracks of the Inter-Urban Railcar of the Detroit United Railway from 1895-1947 are still buried beneath the median on Woodward Avenue. Ferndale Historical Museum is home to some of the track remnants after the Woodward and Nine Mile Median Improvement Project unearthed them in 2005. , , Ferndale History , Like most of the communities surrounding Woodward Avenue north of Detroit, Ferndale began as a rural area with the earliest non-native American settler arriving in 1821. Originally part of Royal Oak Township, the community had farms and provided a resting point and services for those traveling on Woodward Avenue from Detroit to Pontiac in the first half of the 1800s. In 1890, the Campbell farm near Hilton Road was platted for summer cottages and Ferndale's population began to increase as a rural resort community outside of Detroit. Transportation to the area improved with the arrival of the Detroit Suburban Railway in 1890 and the paving of Woodward Avenue in 1912. The area was platted into subdivisions from 1910 through 1924. , , With 1,600 people, Ferndale became a village in 1918. There were two churches, three schools (including the school at Woodward and Nine Mile Road) and six stores. During the next seven years the population increased dramatically. This growth was primarily influenced by the construction of Ford Motor Company's Highland Park Plant located two miles south on Woodward. By 1924, the village's population reached 24,000 and in 1927 Ferndale became a city. The years following World War II brought additional growth to Ferndale in the number of residents and businesses, including new industries. The last 20 years of major efforts to bring new businesses and improvements to the downtown commercial area has created new vitality in the city and its residential neighborhoods. , , Ferndale wayfinding signage is being supported in part by a Preserve America grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior