It was a time of exciting change,
as the first automobiles tangled with horses and trolley cars in the streets and countryside. On June 23, 1902 a group of leading businessmen and industrialists came together at the Detroit . . . — — Map (db m105226) HM
On Rycroft, 0.1 miles east of Orchard Lake Road, on the right when traveling east.
Cass Lake was the quiet pleasure
of farmers and merchants until the first trolley rail system was built through the area in 1895, bringing "weekenders" from Pontiac and Detroit to the area. In 1912 real estate developer Joseph . . . — — Map (db m105182) HM
A local advocate and leader.
Daniel J. Navarre served as the Director of the West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission (WBPRC) from January 1999 until November of 2014. He is the longest serving director to date and is credited with . . . — — Map (db m155840) HM
On Arrowhead Road, 0.3 miles south of Pontiac Trail, on the right when traveling south.
A local advocate and leader.
Daniel J. Navarre served as the Director of the West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission (WBPRC) from January 1999 until November of 2014. He is the longest serving director to date and is credited with . . . — — Map (db m155853) HM
On Orchard Lake Road, on the left when traveling north.
Many Detroiters escaped to nature on the trolleys
of the Detroit United Railway (DUR) in the early 1900s. The Orchard Lake Beach stop was located here, where the parallel Grand Trunk Railroad and DUR trolley tracks crossed . . . — — Map (db m105107) HM
A former railroad corridor, the West Bloomfield Trail Network stretches 4.25 miles through West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake.
The West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission bought it from the Grand Trunk . . . — — Map (db m105288) HM
The sparkling lake has been a gift to the generations
Pine Lake Country Club began as a treasured rustic destination for Automobile Club of Detroit road tours in the early 1900s. By 1910, the clubhouse on Pine Lake had become a . . . — — Map (db m105200) HM
On Seminary Road, on the right when traveling east.
The heart of the lake country was well-served by the trolleys
in the early 1900s. No stop in the entire Detroit United Railway (DUR) trolley system was more popular than the Orchard Lake stop located here, where the parallel . . . — — Map (db m105135) HM
On Woodrow Wilson Boulevard, 0.1 miles north of Depew Drive, on the right when traveling south.
The West Bloomfield Trail was once a railbed of the Grand Trunk Railroad, built through the region in the 1880s to serve far-flung agriculture and industry. The light rail electric trolley track that was built in 1899 is noticeable at Cass Lake . . . — — Map (db m174210) HM
Near Arrowhead Road, 0.3 miles south of Pontiac Trail.
The lakes and landscape of Oakland County weren't ready
for the automobile in the early 1900s. Weekend visitors, in noisy "self-propelled" vehicles, churned up dust on unpaved roads and trespassed on private property. To . . . — — Map (db m105049) HM
On Commerce Road at Elder Road North, on the right when traveling east on Commerce Road.
They turned on their porchlights to signal the bus
to pick them up for the ride to work at the Chrysler plant in Highland Park. In 1939 nine Westacres residents bought a used bus to share the cost of commuting to work. They formed the . . . — — Map (db m175749) HM
Great blue herons are the official bird of West Bloomfield and it's easy to see why with their majestic appearance, great size and frequent sightings within our township. Also, for several years, the nature preserve you are now standing in . . . — — Map (db m105289) HM
On Arrowhead Road, 0.3 miles south of Pontiac Trail, on the left when traveling south.
The Journey from Rail to Trail (left panel)
The West Bloomfield Trail is a 64-acre linear park that meanders for 6.8 miles through West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake. The trail extends from Sylvan Manor Park in . . . — — Map (db m176723) HM
On Walnut Lake Road, 0.2 miles east of Haggerty Road, on the left when traveling east.
Railroad locomotives thundered through this countryside
for more than 130 years. The Michigan Air Line Railroad was completed in 1884, a branch of the historic Grand Trunk Railroad that became a vital shipping network between manufacturing . . . — — Map (db m155852) HM
On Commerce Road at Elder Road North, on the right when traveling east on Commerce Road.
Westacres, a greenbelt development of 150 homes, was created by Oakland Housing, Inc. in 1936. The idea of this self-sufficient neighborhood was conceived and financed by United States Senator James Couzens who contributed $550,000 and secured a . . . — — Map (db m175668) HM
On Commerce Road at Elder Road North, on the right when traveling east on Commerce Road.
Born with great purpose in the Great Depression
Westacres endures as a strong West Bloomfield Community. In 1936, U.S. Senator from Michigan, James Couzens pooled $550,000 of his own money with $300,000 of federal funds to establish this . . . — — Map (db m175669) HM
