Novi in Oakland County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Novi's Crucial Crossing
The Train Station and the Grand River Bridge
Photographed By Joel Seewald, January 14, 2021
1. Novi's Crucial Crossing: The Train Station and the Grand River Bridge Marker
An intersection of history...
where the Pere Marquette Railroad crossed Grand River Avenue. Built in the 1850s, Grand River Avenue was an important route between Detroit and Lansing, but transportation was limited to horseback, wagon or stagecoach. When the Pere Marquette Railroad was built through Novi in 1871, a station and storage depot were built where the tracks crossed Grand River Avenue, giving Novi farmers and merchants a way to send and receive large volumes of goods. The bridge over the tracks was built later for safety, but Novi's history of growth has been written in its access to the railroad.
You Auto Know
Perishable cargo on the early trains was preserved with ice cut in the winter from frozen lakes in the region.
This exhibit sponsored by the Novi Historical Commission.
Erected 2014 by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 42° 28.904′ N, 83° 28.81′ W. Marker is in Novi, Michigan, in Oakland County. Marker is on Grand River Avenue, 0.2 miles west of Novi Road, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 43963 Grand River Avenue, Novi MI 48375, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Grand River Bridge (here, next to this marker); Approaching "Novi Corners" (approx. ¼ mile away); Novi Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away); Grand River Avenue (approx. 0.6 miles away); High Performance Legend (approx. 1.3 miles away); Novi Township Hall (approx. 1.3 miles away); A Piece of Novi's History / The Fuerst Farmstead (approx. 1.3 miles away); Sharing the Bounty (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Novi.
Image courtesy of the Novi Historical Commission.
2. Novi's Crucial Crossing: The Train Station and the Grand River Bridge Marker — top left image
Workers at the Grand River Avenue Bridge during its construction, with the Novi train station at right, late 1920s. The heavy rail and road traffic posed danger at this intersection, and the bridge was built to separate them.
Top and bottom courtesy of Northville Historical Soc.; middle courtesy of the Novi Historical Soc.
3. Novi's Crucial Crossing: The Train Station and the Grand River Bridge Marker — bottom left images
Top: The first locomotive through Novi in the 1870s. This part of the Pere Marquette Railway linked Plymouth to the south with Holly to the north, and the railway later reached Ludington on Lake Michigan in 1874.
Middle: The railyard, looking southeast, about 1900. The passenger station is in the left foreground, and the tall commodity storage depot is at the back.
Bottom: P.M.R.R. Depot, Novi, Mich.
Middle: The railyard, looking southeast, about 1900. The passenger station is in the left foreground, and the tall commodity storage depot is at the back.
Bottom: P.M.R.R. Depot, Novi, Mich.
Image courtesy of the Novi Library.
4. Novi's Crucial Crossing: The Train Station and the Grand River Bridge Marker — center image
The Whipple estate and the train station, 1870s. The Whipples were prosperous farmers along Grand River Avenue who gained particular benefit from the establishment of the train station nearby.
Photographed By Joel Seewald
5. Novi's Crucial Crossing: The Train Station and the Grand River Bridge Marker — right image
This frame building along Grand River Avenue [at 43546 Grand River Avenue], now a NAPA [Auto Parts] storage facility, has been called "The Wool House." It was located near the railroad to store wool from local farmers that was shipped out by rail to Detroit and elsewhere.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, January 14, 2021
6. Novi's Crucial Crossing: The Train Station and the Grand River Bridge Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 20, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 20, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 280 times since then and 98 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 20, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
