Small Towns around Detroit

**Detroitnerd** · May-11-10, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by Hermod

"Baseline" as a designation for Eight Mile Road comes from the land survey done as a part of the Northwest Ordinance.

If I remember right, it's also the line for the border between Wisconsin and Illinois. All you have to do is keep driving out Base Line Road, drive in a straight line under Lake Michigan, and you'll come out right on the state border.

**Danny** · May-13-10, 02:51 PM

I have seen small towns near the Metro-Detroit Area is becomming like the modern Levittownesque neighborhoods. Places like Milford TWP, Northville TWP, Plymouth TWP, West Bloomfield TWP, Commerce TWP, Brighton, Canton TWP, Bloomfield TWP, Waterford TWP, Shelby TWP, Macomb TWP, Clinton TWP, Ypsilanti TWP, Van Buren TWP, and Harrison TWP.

Those are really booming former small towns around Detroit.

**Eastburn** · May-08-10, 10:53 AM

Armada, Richmond and Memphis still have that small town look and feel. They haven't [[yet) been "yuppiefied" like Milford, Northville and Plymouth.

**econ expat** · May-08-10, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Eastburn

Armada, Richmond and Memphis still have that small town look and feel. They haven't [[yet) been "yuppiefied" like Milford, Northville and Plymouth.

...and Romeo

**Eastburn** · May-08-10, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by econ expat

...and Romeo

Romeo seems to be moving toward yuppiefication [[IMO). Perhaps the proximity to Washington Twp.

**lalynch** · May-08-10, 11:29 AM

My family moved to Farmington Hills, then Farmington Township, in 1971. We lived in Meadow Brook Hill Subdivision at 8 Mile and Haggerty Road. 8 Mile Road was the only paved road by us. I-275 was not yet built. We had Northville mailing address and the neighborhood still has a Northville mailing address despite Farmington Hills have a post office. 9 Mile Road, Halstead and Gill Road probably weren't paved until 1977. Haggerty Road was moved to accomodate 275 and paved at that point.

Northville was a sleepy little town then with a 5 & 10, furniture store, wallpaper paint store, Dell's Shoes, Northville Drugs, Cloverdale ice cream, newspaper, liquor store, a men's clothing store [[my dad would buy his suits there) and a woman's clothing store. Downtown Farmington didn't have much in shopping except for Federal's, Farmington Hardware, Bon Ton Shop, Farmer Jack's amongst other businesses but nothing in comparison to Northville.

My parents had never seen so many dirt roads when we moved here from Buffalo, NY area. They are both from Philly. Surrounding our neighborhood was all sorts of farms. You could drive up Grand River from 10 Mile / Grand River to Novi Road / Grand River and it was nothing but open fields and a few old houses and a business or two. We lived in the Holiday Inn in Farmington for about 5 weeks until my parents found a house to rent. Lived in the rental home until our home was done getting built.

**jgavrile** · May-08-10, 02:56 PM

Stinger4me
What is a pheasant??

Bearinabox · May-08-10, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by jgavrile

Stinger4me
What is a pheasant??

**wash_man** · May-08-10, 03:54 PM

"Ford had factories out in Romeo years ago and Packard a proving ground."

Ford Romeo Engine and Proving Grounds both still in use.

**shovelhead** · May-08-10, 05:49 PM

In the late 1960's taking Grand River from Farmington Township to Brighton entailed going through three traffic lights. From Halsted which was a stop street at Grand River the first light was at Novi Road. Then the crossroads at New Hudson, then Old US 23, about 20 miles. Today, three lights not counting Halsted and you are at Haggerty.

In the fall of '69 I went to a party with the girl I was dating. She went to Cooley, I went to Farmington. One of her friends came up to me and said "So you live WAY out in Farmngton?"

**Hermod** · May-09-10, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by shovelhead

In the late 1960's taking Grand River from Farmington Township to Brighton entailed going through three traffic lights. From Halsted which was a stop street at Grand River the first light was at Novi Road. Then the crossroads at New Hudson, then Old US 23, about 20 miles. Today, three lights not counting Halsted and you are at Haggerty.

In the fall of '69 I went to a party with the girl I was dating. She went to Cooley, I went to Farmington. One of her friends came up to me and said "So you live WAY out in Farmngton?"

Brighton was home of the Detroit Boy Scout Council's camp, the Charles Howell Scout Reservation and we thought it was really way out in the woods. My brother and I did a two week summer camp there in 1952. The middle weekend was 4th of July and the scouts had a contingent in the Brighton 4th of July parade.

In 1961, my cousin was being married in East lansing and i drove out to the wedding. When i drove through Brighton, I remember a little diner called the "Squat & Gobble" and i wonder if it still exists.

**jgavrile** · May-08-10, 10:35 PM

bearinabox
Beautiful aren't they?? They use to be everywhere around Michigan. I use to see all kinds of them in Northwest Detroit as a kid. all the undeveloped fields were full of pheasants.
Last time I saw one, last year, it was in my hometown of Highland Park near Oakland. Go figure that one out?

Bearinabox · May-09-10, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by jgavrile

bearinabox
Beautiful aren't they?? They use to be everywhere around Michigan. I use to see all kinds of them in Northwest Detroit as a kid. all the undeveloped fields were full of pheasants.
Last time I saw one, last year, it was in my hometown of Highland Park near Oakland. Go figure that one out?

I'm confused. If you knew what they were, why did you ask? Did a joke just fly straight over my head?

**jgavrile** · May-09-10, 08:12 AM

Bearinabox. I was making light of the fact that pheasants have all but disappeared.

**EastsideAl** · May-09-10, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by jgavrile

Bearinabox. I was making light of the fact that pheasants have all but disappeared.

You need to come to the city more often. I see plenty of them around the east side of Detroit. Maybe that's where they all went.

Bearinabox · May-09-10, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

You need to come to the city more often. I see plenty of them around the east side of Detroit. Maybe that's where they all went.

Right, I guess this is why I was confused. I wasn't aware that they were particularly uncommon.

Bearinabox · May-09-10, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by jgavrile

Bearinabox. I was making light of the fact that pheasants have all but disappeared.

http://www.sweetjuniperinspiration.c...pheasants.html

DetroitDad · May-09-10, 09:31 AM

I love this thread. Thank You!

The loss of our core city center pails in comparison to the loss of the countless small towns across Michigan. What really bothers me the most though is that we really did pave over paradise here. Suburbia has taken our countryside. While many get depressed over seeing their childhoods homes and places in Detroit fall to blight, crime and demolition, many of us got to see the fields, woods, and streams get paved over for parking lots, McDonalds, and McSubdivisions.

Suburbia was supposed to be a an urban life in a country setting. What we have ended up with in Southwest Michigan is neither country nor city, just suburban blight, and few if any affordable places to raise our young.

**jcole** · May-09-10, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

I love this thread. Thank You!

The loss of our core city center pails in comparison to the loss of the countless small towns across Michigan. ...

Michigan is loaded with small towns. Ask me, I live in one, and it's not that far from the city. Within one hour as a matter of fact and there are plenty more up here that still have farmers and tractor stores and not much else.

DetroitDad · May-09-10, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

Michigan is loaded with small towns. Ask me, I live in one, and it's not that far from the city. Within one hour as a matter of fact and there are plenty more up here that still have farmers and tractor stores and not much else.

I know there are some treasures out there. Bay City is beautiful, and my wife has taken me to the middle of the mitten before. Those are my dream towns.

Right now I'm young, and need to be in ground zero.

**terryh** · May-09-10, 01:38 PM

When I still resided in Lapeer County years ago and the engine blew on my car on Van Dyke, guy in a pickup swooped me up just as I pulled onto a side road..he didnt think twice about stopping, and I didn't think twice about hopping in the truck...folks were more trusting...didnt have to stand on the porch when you visisted, or went to pick someone up...after the bar, wasnt unheard of to party at or crash at strangers or mild aquaintainces...all thats changing with self centered inpersonal rude city slick-suburbanites moving to Lapeer County...I remember driving down Ryder Rd. In Imlay to check out a farm house my family stayed in, I was dissapointed to see all the development....stopped to talk to this guy that turned out to be a developer...could tell right away he was from the suburbs...very cold and impersonal.looked at me like he was surprised a stranger would have the nerve to talk to him..

**terryh** · May-09-10, 02:07 PM

Also it kind of irks me when visitors community leaders and residents of Ferndale describe the city as "friendly like a small town" having for the most part grown up in rural and semi-rural communities I could offer many examples of why Ferndale is no where near small town friendly open and trusting, although the city, to me, seems to be overall more hospitable,friendly and open compared to surrounding cities..

**Patrick** · May-09-10, 02:05 PM

I still think everyone's favorite "small town" in SE Michigan is still Romeo. It hasn't lost that charm....yet.

**txlady** · May-10-10, 01:07 PM

I certainly don't remember this, but my HS girlfriend's mother grew up in Van Dyke, a seperate city. My step-mom grew up there too. I'm not sure where it was, but it must have been further out than 8 Mile but certainly below 10 Mile.

**jcole** · May-10-10, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by txlady

I certainly don't remember this, but my HS girlfriend's mother grew up in Van Dyke, a seperate city. My step-mom grew up there too. I'm not sure where it was, but it must have been further out than 8 Mile but certainly below 10 Mile.

From "Michigan Place Names" by Walter Romig:
Attachment 6022
From a Google map, this looks like the area:
Attachment 6023