1967 In February an important milestone was reached in the history of Rochester. Just a few weeks from the 150th anniversary of the settlement of Rochester by the Graham family in 1817, and 98 years after the community had incorporated itself . . . — — Map (db m219869) HM
1974 Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve was formed for the purpose of providing hands-on educational experiences to encourage knowledge of and appreciation for our natural environment. Its organization was a collaborative effort of the City of . . . — — Map (db m219870) HM
1983 Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) opened its doors to the public at its current location (407 Pine Street) in 1983. This white clapboard building was erected in 1880 as the Avon Township Hall and was initially constructed as a . . . — — Map (db m219940) HM
1992 The Rochester Hills Public Library at 500 Olde Town Road was dedicated November 1, 1992, and opened the next day for regular service. The exterior design of the new building, including bay windows and the use of stone and red brick, . . . — — Map (db m219941) HM
1992 In late November, the "Big Bright Light Show" made its debut for the holiday season. When all of the downtown buildings were completely blanketed in multi-colored lights, Main Street became a rainbow wonderland. This holiday spectacle . . . — — Map (db m219942) HM
2012 Main Street received its second major makeover. New storm sewers and twelve-inch water mains were constructed on both sides of the street. A new concrete roadbed, sidewalks and curbs were constructed and new traffic signals and lamp posts . . . — — Map (db m219945) HM
This picture shows the rear of the Detroit United Railway powerhouse, across Chapman Pond. It was taken southwest of this location, near the Michigan Central Railroad train depot. The pond covered an area of approximately 18.5 acres where the . . . — — Map (db m154225) HM
This stone column is all that remains of the 27 acre estate of Charles Chapman. The home, designed in 1898 by world famous architect Albert Kahn was one of only a few designed by Mr. Kahn.
[Caption:]
Chapman's Residence, . . . — — Map (db m180257) HM
On this site
1817-The first house built in Oakland County
1818-The first settler's child born in Oakland County
1823-The first school started in Rochester — — Map (db m118709) HM
An interurban railway was brought to town by the Detroit, Rochester, Romeo, and Lake Orion Railway (DRR&LO) in 1899.
Its powerhouse, located next to Paint Creek, used steam generators to produce electrical power for the entire Flint Division . . . — — Map (db m101924) HM
In March 1879, the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW)—Michigan Air Line Division made its way to Rochester. This rail line eventually extended from Jackson to Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Rochester, and on to Richmond for a total distance of 106 . . . — — Map (db m160442) HM
New York native George Vandeventer, who came to Avon Township as a child in 1834, became a successful businessman and civic leader in Rochester. When their home burned in 1875, George and his wife, Julia, built this Italianate-inspired house. The . . . — — Map (db m118769) HM
Main Street has always been the lifeblood of any town. Rochester's Main Street (also known as Rochester Road or M-150) has seen a number of different modes of transportation like horses and buggies, electric streetcars, automobiles, bicycles and . . . — — Map (db m179744) HM
Built in 1899-1900, the Masonic Block was designed by Edward R. Prall. The Rochester Building Association raised funds for the project. Among its leaders were William Clark Chapman, general manager of Western Knitting Mills and twentieth village . . . — — Map (db m98418) HM
In 1826, Mount Avon became the first officially platted cemetery in Oakland County. The "Old Ground" or "Historic Acre" contains headstones dating from 1817, the year the earliest settlers arrived in the area. Members of the Graham family, . . . — — Map (db m118936) HM
The area known as Rochester was settled in 1817 by James Graham. It was the first permanent settlement in present-day Oakland County. The community was named in honor of Rochester, New York, where many of its pioneer settlers once lived. In 1819 . . . — — Map (db m137749) HM
Built in 1890, the Opera House Block opened with the First National Bank and Norton Pharmacy on its ground floor. On November 7, 1890, a grand opening dance launched the upper-level opera house as Rochester's social and cultural center. Until 1933 . . . — — Map (db m98520) HM
A flour mill was built on the other side of Paint Creek on Mill Street in 1823, and converted to a paper mill in 1857.
The mill was destroyed in 1875 by a fire started by a disgruntled employee. Owner William Barnes rebuilt the structure with a . . . — — Map (db m179655) HM
In 1872, Lysander Woodward, Rochester resident and president of the Detroit and Bay City Railroad, brought the railroad through Rochester. It was purchased in 1881 by the Michigan Central Railroad. Rochester flourished because of the railroad. . . . — — Map (db m179920) HM
The "Old Stone Store" is the oldest commercial building in Rochester. Dr. Rollin Sprague of New York had the structure built in 1849 of coursed cobblestone, using a construction method more commonly used in his home state. The Sprague Building is . . . — — Map (db m118678) HM
The Castle emblem represents the City of Rochester located in Kent County, England. On March 17, 1817, James Graham and his sons arrived in this very area while their families settled here later. Many settlers including our founders came here from . . . — — Map (db m118827) HM
The community's first water-powered sawmill was erected in 1819, just one year after the first land sale. Rochester's favorable industrial climate fostered many other businesses in the years that followed, including the Western Knitting Mills, built . . . — — Map (db m118720) HM
The Oak leaf symbolizes our broader community, Oakland County, of which Rochester was the first settlement. The tall, strong and enduring trees the county was named after dominate the surrounding landscape and played a critical role in supporting . . . — — Map (db m118801) HM
Built in 1889 to replace a school that had burned down the year before, the Avon School District No. 5 Schoolhouse sits on the site of the first private school in Avon Township, originally constructed in 1847. Since Rochester's founding, the . . . — — Map (db m118785) HM
The three-faced clock installed April 8, 1993 was provided by NBD Bank, N.A. in cooperation with the Rochester Downtown Development Authority. Its purpose is to both honor the traditions of the past and to compliment Downtown Rochester in the . . . — — Map (db m98571) HM
Avon Township, the site of the first settlement in Oakland County, was organized in 1835. This white clapboard building was erected in 1880 as the township hall. Its alterations reflect the area's industrial and commercial growth. Initially . . . — — Map (db m118757) HM
Roy was born in a corner house on Woodward and Pine Street in Rochester to Frank and Martha Rewold. Raised on Ludlow Street, Avon Park became Roy's backyard; swimming in the creek in the summer and skating on the pond in the winter.
. . . — — Map (db m118610) HM
Paint Creek and the Clinton River provided power for the first woolen mill on this site in 1844. Constructed in 1896, the Western Knitting Mills building was supported by a yarn mill, dormitories and two warehouses. One of the area's largest . . . — — Map (db m118730) HM
In 1844, the first knitting and carding mill was built on Paint Creek. After several fires, the current building on Water Street was built in 1896 by the Western Knitting Mills. Wool was supplied from sheep in the area. The Western Knitting Mills . . . — — Map (db m179872) HM
Built ca. 1900, the dam was used to generate power for the Western Knitting Mills near Chapman Pond. Remnants of the dam are still visible near the Michigan Central Railroad bridge. In June 1946, torrential rains washed out the earthen . . . — — Map (db m179569) HM
Needham Hemingway built the first mill at this site in 1835, harnessing water power from the Paint Creek millrace. William Goodison purchased the gristmill in 1866. The surrounding community took his name and became a railroad stop in 1872. The . . . — — Map (db m142167) HM
Paint Creek begins in a Brandon Township wetland and flows southeast to Rochester where it empties into the Clinton River. Today a thriving trout stream, the creek was important for waterpower during the nineteenth century. Needham Hemingway dammed . . . — — Map (db m137897) HM
The History of Goodison - It All Started with the Mill
The Paint Creek Cider Mill's history shares a story of settlement, spanning the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Always the economic and social hub of Goodison, the buildings on this . . . — — Map (db m145403) HM
13' diameter x 4' wide
Operating head 10' to 12'
Capacity 12 h.p. Speed to 10 rpm
Sold
by
Fitz Water Wheel Company
Hanover, Pa.
Building water wheels since 1840
Water supplied to wheel is through
a 3' diameter . . . — — Map (db m145190) HM
This canal, conceived at the peak of the era of canal-building, was part of Michigan's internal improvements program which was announced in 1837. The Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal would make it possible to cross southern Michigan by boat from Lake St. . . . — — Map (db m118904) HM
Ken and Dorothy Stewart first visited the site of this campus in 1957 for an open house on the newly acquired property. As new Christians, the young couple decided they would like to have their children someday attend the new Christian college . . . — — Map (db m160423) HM
Originally a gravel pit operated during the early 1900s by Isaac Boomer, Lake Norcentra has served as a focal point of Rochester College since 1959. Early college leaders derived the lake's name from the first institutional name, North Central . . . — — Map (db m159785) HM
This site possesses national significance as an exceptional example of the American Country Estate movement of the early Twentieth Century. The centerpiece, a monumental 110-room residence, is the largest and most impressive example of Tudor . . . — — Map (db m100374) HM
Home of Alfred G. and Matilda Dodge Wilson (widow of John Dodge), this Tudor style mansion was built in 1926-29. William E. Kapp of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls designed the Hall, incorporating details from famous homes of England. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson . . . — — Map (db m100371) HM
In memory of
Shane D. Carter
loving wife of Don H. Carter and mother of Mark W. Carter
Provided by
Don H. Carter
Class of 1964
The Carter family has supported Rochester College since its beginning. Don Carter Sr. and his wife . . . — — Map (db m160424) HM
Before the 1959 founding of this educational institution, the Montgomery and Slater families believed a college affiliated with Churches of Christ was needed in the Midwest. To honor both families for their role in establishing and sustaining the . . . — — Map (db m159938) HM
Side 1
The first burial here occurred in 1825 for Michael Van Wagoner Sr. His grave remains unmarked; however, in 1978 a monument was erected in his honor. Some of the township's most illustrious residents are buried here: Stony Creek . . . — — Map (db m134443) HM
Detroit advertising executive Lou Maxon built what is now Gallaher Center in the early 1940s as a country home and location for entertaining clients and friends. Previously, the Eureka Fruit Farm operated on the site during the late 1800s. A . . . — — Map (db m160170) HM
This plaque is issued by the
Historical Society of Michigan
in recognition of
Yates
Cider Mill
founded in 1863
for more than 100 years of
continuous operation in service
to the people of Michigan
and for contribution to the . . . — — Map (db m154946) HM
In 1863, William (1820-1911) and Caroline (1833-1892) Yates moved from New York to Michigan and purchased 80 acres of land. Using an existing dam on the Clinton River, they opened a water-powered lumber mill. The business soon grew to include a . . . — — Map (db m118906) HM
Here garden lovers linger at any time of the year. The devotee of antiques finds grazing ground. ... Admirers of large rooms, quaint nooks, story-and-a-half beamed ceilings, low French doors and windows, great fireplaces, balconies, curved . . . — — Map (db m134107) HM
Built in approximately 1850, the Red House originally sat across the street from the Van Hoosen Farmhouse. The architectural style is Greek Revival and it appears that the existing structure, though very small, was built in three different phases, . . . — — Map (db m119058) HM
The Calf Barn was built in 1927 and housed the newborn calves. Newborns were raised by farm workers.
Very early one morning the 'phone rang. Morris' voice came over it: "Retta just 'dropped' a bull calf". I thrilled. Retta was one of our top . . . — — Map (db m134087) HM
If we could produce milk with as low a bacteria count by machines as we could by hand, the Board of Health would give its consent. This was accomplished. The sale of Certified Milk was the life blood of the farm's economics, enhanced by the sale . . . — — Map (db m134048) HM
Believe it or not, we have a good reason for not cutting the grass! When the Red House was built in 1850, manicured lawns were not as common, especially for farming communities. While the lawn mower was invented in 1830, it wasn't until the 1860s . . . — — Map (db m119071) HM
The School Act of 1829 created the Stoney Creek School District. Fractional School No. 1 was constructed in 1848. Like one-room schoolhouses across the country, the building originally housed children of varying ages and grades, elementary through . . . — — Map (db m118923) HM
Lemuel Taylor and his family became Stoney Creek's first settlers in 1823. The next year a sawmill and a gristmill, along with a distillery and blacksmith shop were built. Next came a hotel and a woolen mill. Joshua Van Hoosen's family settled . . . — — Map (db m134167) HM
Stony Creek Masonic Lodge No. 5
Around 1825 William A. Burt led members of the Stony Creek Masonic Lodge in petitioning the Grand Lodge of Michigan for a charter. The grand master, Governor Lewis Cass, approved the charter in June 1827. In . . . — — Map (db m134155) HM
A sawmill, dam, and gristmill were built here in 1825 by John Hersey, one of the first settlers in the county and a founder of the villages of Rochester and Stony Creek, nearby. From 1870 to 1920 this mill was operated by Joseph Winkler. In a . . . — — Map (db m229592) HM
When it opened on August 1, 1928, the Detroit Zoological Park was unique and progressive in its design. The Detroit Zoological Society commissioned Boston landscape architect Arthur Shurtleff to draw the plans for the park. Shurtleff did so . . . — — Map (db m157817) HM
On this site stood the old homestead of Dr. Firman W. Clawson the original owner & subdivider of Northwood "the Homesite Beautiful"
Planned & planted
A.D. 1900 — — Map (db m33003) HM
(Side 1)
Several members of this church were significant to its early development. In 1839 charter member Hamlet Harris, "a free colored person" according to the 1840 census, donated $25.00 towards the construction of the first church. . . . — — Map (db m85288) HM
During the early summer of 1818 the first white men to systematically explore this region camped near this spot on the first night they spent in what is now Oakland County. These men were: D.C. McKinstry, Benjamin Stead, John Montieth, A.G. Whitney, . . . — — Map (db m158437) HM
"A unique air-conditioned cafeteria serving excellent food in an unusual and pleasing atmosphere."
Five concrete Native American statues stood in front of the restaurant from 1927 until its closure in 1967. This statue, the 5th from the left . . . — — Map (db m213123) HM
Long before the Royal Oak was known for its terrific food scene and nightlife, Territorial Governor Lewis Cass and his staff stopped for lunch beneath a mighty oak tree near what is presently the intersection of Main Street, Rochester Road and . . . — — Map (db m221884) HM
This plaque is issued by the
Historical Society of Michigan
in recognition of
Howard & Howard
founded in 1869
for more than 150 years of
continuous operation in service
to the people of Michigan
and for contributing to . . . — — Map (db m161227) HM
This depressed path, northwest across the Almon Starr land, is the last visible remnant of a trail worn by the feet of Indians and the hoofs of their horses traveling between Detroit and Saginaw until the mid 1800s.
The children of the American . . . — — Map (db m33002) HM
Orson Starr (1803-1873) and his wife, Rhoda Gibbs Starr, (1806-1853) built this home in 1845. Five generations of the Starr family lived here until 1964. The house was purchased by the city of Royal Oak in 1976. Orson Starr came to this area in . . . — — Map (db m32971) HM
On May 3, 1918, the Royal Oak Tribune boasted that, "architecturally and artistically," the new Methodist Episcopal Church was "the achievement of a master mind." William E. N. Hunter, a Detroit architect and Methodist who designed many . . . — — Map (db m34270) HM
In recognition of the efforts of
the Royal Oak Postal Family
in providing services and
support following the tragedy
of November 14, 1991.
Robert Fisher
Acting MSC Manager/Postmaster — — Map (db m161590) HM
Royal Oak Township Cemetery
In 1826 Daniel Burrows donated land for use as a cemetery. The first burial was the infant daughter of Laura Swift Chase and David Chase, who later served as township supervisor and a delegate to the "Convention . . . — — Map (db m85340) HM
Organized February 13, 1913
Presidents
George J. Scott 1913-19
Mark Halsey 1920-21
J.F. Codling 1922
Wm. Sullivan 1923
Chas. E. Crampton 1924-26
George J. Scott 1927-30
J.L. Halsey 1932-32
Casper Schropf 1933-34
Robert . . . — — Map (db m161336) HM
Erected in 1839, this building was originally a small frame Baptist church. The village purchased it for a town hall in 1914 and used it for municipal purposes until 1923, when the Royal Oak Woman's Club acquired it. The club, founded in 1902 as a . . . — — Map (db m34271) HM
Saginaw Trail
The Saginaw Trail, running from Detroit to Saginaw through Pontiac and Flint, was originally an Indian trail. In 1816 Michigan territorial government authorized the building of a road from Detroit to Saginaw along the trail. . . . — — Map (db m33001) HM
1883
First zoo in Detroit, result of bankrupt circus. Sited where Tiger Stadium once stood.
1911
First meeting of Detroit Zoological Society
1916
Royal Oak site of Detroit Zoo . . . — — Map (db m213154) HM
The student population in Royal Oak's district schools had increased to one-hundred fifty pupils which necessitated the building of a larger school.
In September, 1902, the new school was opened for session. It was named Union School because . . . — — Map (db m213125) HM
In the late nineteenth century, the community of South Lyon was served by three rail lines operating from the 1871 Pere Marquette depot, which burned in 1908. By the time this one-story Queen Anne depot was erected by the Grand Trunk Western . . . — — Map (db m150858) HM
In 1831 fifteen people formed a Presbyterian society in South Lyon, then called "The Corners." These early settlers worshipped in homes and a schoolhouse. The society organized the First Presbyterian Church in 1858 and erected a frame structure the . . . — — Map (db m150822) HM
This one room school was built in 1907. It was moved to the village in 1984 from Ten Mile Road east of Rushton Road, Green Oak Township. — — Map (db m150889) HM
Here once stood the former catholic "Church of Saint Bede"
"Saint Bede" was part of a convent and school that serviced the surrounding community for over 50 years — — Map (db m119736) HM
In 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War, seventeen followers of Traditional Judaism withdrew from the Beth El Society in Detroit to found the "Shaarey Zedek Society." In 1877 the membership constructed the first building in Michigan to be . . . — — Map (db m109907) HM
A group of early settlers known as "The Proprietors of the Burying Grounds" purchased the original one acre of land from Thaddeus Griswald on April 8, 1833 at the cost of $8.00. The Proprietors continued to operate the burying grounds until 1847 . . . — — Map (db m110036) HM
Upon the death of his daughter in 1832, John Thomas donated part of his farm to the township to form a public burying ground. He gave an adjacent parcel to the Presbyterians who built a church there in 1837. Although nonsectarian, the cemetery . . . — — Map (db m110047) HM
This marker is placed on this site in recognition of many years of continuous use as a place of worship.
In the year of 1852 this site was donated by Ezekiel Hutton to the congregation. Their first building was moved to the site. Ten years . . . — — Map (db m110103) HM
Thaddeus Griswold sold several parcels of his farm to settlers who used the land for burial grounds. In 1847 these "proprietors" donated the land to the board of health which established a township cemetery. The most heroic figure memorialized here . . . — — Map (db m110012) HM
and Southfield Burgh. At the intersection of 10-1/2 mile road and Berg Road there existed a business and residential center during much of the nineteenth century. It was the first important community center in what is now the City of Southfield. . . . — — Map (db m110002) HM
The Territorial Road (present-day 10-1/2 Mile Road) east of the Rouge River was Southfield Township's economic hub during the mid-nineteenth century. In 1831 Archibald Green, one of the township's earliest settlers, opened a blacksmith shop. In 1837 . . . — — Map (db m109939) HM
On this site in 1856, this little white frame building was erected by members and friends of the Southfield Methodist Episcopal Church. The building and horse sheds suffered severe damage by a tornado in 1925. In 1941 the Gleaner Society raised . . . — — Map (db m109980) HM
The Southfield Town Hall was built between 1872 and 1873 to house the government of Southfield Centre, also known at the Burgh. The hall was the site of elections, public meetings and social events. Township officials continued to conduct business . . . — — Map (db m110009) HM
Southfield Township purchased this site in 1872 and a frame building was erected shortly thereafter which was used for township meetings and community functions. After remodeling in 1934, it was used as the township business office until 1958. The . . . — — Map (db m110007) HM
This hall was built in 1942 for the Southfield Township Volunteer Fire Department. It served as hall, office and sleeping quarters for the two engineers, Charles Hooper, Sr. and Paul Ignash who worked twenty four hours on and twenty four hours . . . — — Map (db m110004) HM
In 1850 seventeen Irish immigrants met in the home of Matthew Erwin Sr. and organized what became the Southfield United Presbyterian Church. Two years later they relocated a vacant church building to this site and met there until the present Greek . . . — — Map (db m110056) HM
With encouragement from Henry Ford and
his son, Edsel, in 1932, what is today
Lawrence Technological University
established its first campus in the former.
Henry Ford Trade School building adjacent
to the Model T assembly complex
in Highland . . . — — Map (db m226162) HM
Lawrence Tech was chartered in 1932 by the Lawrence brothers, Russell E. and E. George. The college was located in Highland Park on Woodward Avenue until 1955, when the first building opened on this campus. Lawrence Tech, founded as an undergraduate . . . — — Map (db m34596) HM
The land upon which you stand was generously donated by a very remarkable woman, Miss Mary Elizabeth Thompson. Her great-grandparents and grandparents were pioneer settlers of Southfield Township. During a time when it was rare for a woman to . . . — — Map (db m110137) HM
Educator Mary E. Thompson (1871-1967) grew up in this house, which was built sometime between 1842 and 1864. She was considered "a woman of superior native ability" by the dean of pedagogy at New York University where she received a doctorate in . . . — — Map (db m110177) HM
So that all citizens of the City of Southfield will remember, this plaque is placed in memory of Mary Thompson, for her unselfish dedicated service to this community, for her decision to sell the land to the city where now stands our most beautiful . . . — — Map (db m110263) HM
The Covenanter Church
Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church
In 1834, Scots-Irish pioneer settlers from New York established the Church in Southfield Township. The Reverend James Neill served as the first pastor from 1842 until . . . — — Map (db m144087) HM
In 1817, Michigan surveyors left their mark, right nearby.
Before Michigan became a state, it was part of the Northwest Territory. To map this unknown terrain, our young federal government dispatched survey crews, to mark off township . . . — — Map (db m173662) HM
A booming automobile industry challenged resources.
The first Daniel Whitfield School was opened in 1852 to meet the needs of Sylvan Lake's children. Four decades later a bigger building replaced this small, one-room wooden schoolhouse. The . . . — — Map (db m173598) HM
They needed and got a good dose of being wanted.
The Detroit Free Press began the Fresh Air Camp in 1906 to give underprivileged Detroit children the experience of two weeks of recreation in the countryside. Most were on their first trips . . . — — Map (db m173562) HM
Many founding members toiled long days
in the early automobile factories to gather $500 to buy this site on Sylvan Lake. The first meetings were held in an old shed used for a boat livery. In 1916 the Boat Club was built with rooms for . . . — — Map (db m173460) HM
Demand for housing began to skyrocket
in the early 1900s as thousands came to southeast Michigan for jobs in the burgeoning automobile industry. Kit homes were an innovative way to help address housing needs. Manufacturers shipped out . . . — — Map (db m173757) HM
