How did Metro-Detroit suburbs get their names?

[Danny]

I wonder how Metro-Detroit suburbs get their names? What conflicts or ideals led to such wonderful or weird names?

Here is an example? Southfield got its name out from its township. Most people want to name the city Ossewa. To them it didn't sound right. So Southfield was named.

Any thoughts?

[mtburb]

Here's a few that I know of:

Wyandotte: got it's name from the Indian tribe that formerly lived in the present-day area of the city.
Lincoln Park: got it's name from the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln
Ecorse and River Rouge: got their names from the rivers that flow along the borders of these two Downriver suburbs.
Taylor: the township that preceded it got it's name from the 12th President, Zachary Taylor
Southgate: got it's name from both it's location in southern Metro Detroit and the now near-death shopping center that was erected within the city.
Woodhaven: got it's name from a same-name neighborhood in Queens, New York City in which a then-employer of the Mobil oil refinery resided in.
Allen Park: got it's name from early settler Lewis Allen, who is also honored with the road that starts in Melvindale, then passes right through downtown Allen Park before being aligned on the exact same section line Evergreen Road sits on before ending near Flat Rock.

In addition, "Mad" Anthony Wayne is now immortalized in the names of another Metro Detroit suburb, the county Detroit itself is located in and the Midtown Detroit university.

[Detroitnerd]

Canton is a funny one. It was one of several townships given Chinese names in the first part of the 19th century, such as Nankin and Pekin.

[Bill Simpson]

Livonia - The settlers brought with them the name "Livonia", a name that had already been given to Livonia, New York, Livonia, Pennsylvania and a region of the Baltic Sea named Livonia in present day Estonia and Latvia, from which many early settlers came.^[6][7][8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livonia,_Michigan

[iheartthed]

Southgate: got it's name from both it's location in southern Metro Detroit and the now near-death shopping center that was erected within the city.

Wasn't Westland named after its mall too?

[animatedmartian]

Pontiac was named for the Indian tribe that resided in the area [[or their chief's name was Pontiac or something, I'm too lazy to look it up to be accurate).

[65memories]

Ferndale was named for Fern and Dale, an elderly couple who owned the corner party store once located at 9 Mile and Woodward.

[SDCC]

So interesting, ancient Asian civilizations is my speciality...

[Honky Tonk]

Altogether now, Novi got it's name from.........

[Jimaz]

The name of The Lost Village of Disco has two possible derivations: 1) from the Latin "Discare": to learn, or 2) District of Columbia.

During Prohibition, the current Mc Clenaghans, formerly known as Ichabods Bar south of 24 mile on Van Dyke served as a blind pig called the Yellow Canary. Disco was known as Whiskey Center. A half barrel of beer was obtainable from a Utica distillery for $8.00. Something that perhaps was more then a casual pastime as suggested by this Disco nickname.

Oddly, Disco has never had a discotheque.

[Jimaz]

Pontiac was named for the Indian tribe that resided in the area [[or their chief's name was Pontiac or something, I'm too lazy to look it up to be accurate).

It was named after Pontiac, chief of the Ottawa tribe. Or maybe it was named after the car brand.

[factoryrat]

From the city of Southfield web site.
"In the early years of Oakland County, the two southern townships were considered one and referred to as Bloomfield Township. On July 12, 1830, Township 1N Range 10E was designated as Ossewa Township; seventeen days later, a group of citizens petitioned the state and changed the name to Southfield. It is believed the citizens chose this name because of the township's location in the 'south fields' of Bloomfield."

[animatedmartian]

It was named after Pontiac, chief of the Ottawa tribe. Or maybe it was named after the car brand.

I'm pretty sure the car brand was named after the city or at the very least was meant to have a Native American connection. I mean, there is a seven decade difference between the incorporation of the city and the creation of the car brand.

[animatedmartian]

From the city of Southfield web site.
"In the early years of Oakland County, the two southern townships were considered one and referred to as Bloomfield Township. On July 12, 1830, Township 1N Range 10E was designated as Ossewa Township; seventeen days later, a group of citizens petitioned the state and changed the name to Southfield. It is believed the citizens chose this name because of the township's location in the 'south fields' of Bloomfield."

I always thought Southfield was a weird name being geographically north of Detroit [[assuming that suburbs are named in relation to their central cities). This explanation makes sense though.

[rb336]

Birmingham was named after the city in England because of its foundry and machinery factory in hopes that it would be an industrial center

[Hermod]

Rochester, Utica, and Troy were named after the early settlers hometowns in New York.

[douglasm]

According to the Ferndale Historical Society, the city got it's name from a lineman stringing wires atop a power pole in the early 1900's and looked down and noticed the sea of ferns below him. In a report he noted his location as "fern dale". I guess the name stuck.

Good try though, 65memories.

[DetroitPlanner]

Westland was named after the mall. I kid you not. Prior to the Mall being built it was known as Nankin Township. When the township became a City there was much discussion about keeping it Nankin.

Here are some of the newest Cities in the metro.

Auburn Hills was Pontiac Township up until about 25 years ago.

Just earlier than that Avon took on the name of the fancy town it surrounded and became Rochester Hills.

In the same fashion Quakertown became Farmington Hills once it was incorporated.

In many cases townships were incorporated into Cities to block even more splintering or annexation. One example is that the SE Quadrant of Livonia had most of the township's taxbase [[Fisher Body, Cadillac Engine, Ford Parts Depot, Detroit Race Course) and wanted to break away and become its own Community of Ash [[named after a Census Designated Place/Railroad Stop). Not wanting to lose the tax base, the township of Livonia went into hyperspeed to get to Lansing to file its incorporation papers prior to those who wanted to split apart from it and form the City of Ash.

[Hypestyles]

what's the story behind: Dearborn, Inkster, Pleasant Ridge?

[Scottathew]

Rochester, Utica, and Troy were named after the early settlers hometowns in New York.

Rochester Hills was Originally Avon Township and considered the names Avon and Avon Hills, before deciding on Rochester Hills when they incorporated.

I've seen unconfirmed stories that Clawson was named after a farm that was represented on a map as "C. Lawson", but I don't know if it's true.

Clawson spans old Royal Oak and Troy township, one of the few cities that cross old township boundaries.

[jt1]

Not Michigan but San Diego is German for Whale's vagina

[dtowncitylover]

I love that there used to be a Disco, Michigan [[24 and Van Dyke).

[downtownguy]

Altogether now, Novi got it's name from.........

I've got your number, HT.

[EastsideAl]

what's the story behind: Dearborn, Inkster, Pleasant Ridge?

Dearborn was named for Revolutionary War and War of 1812 general and Jefferson's Secretary of War Henry Dearborn [[who also may have been at least partially responsible for the loss of Detroit in the War of 1812).

Inkster was named for Robert Inkster and family, who were early settlers around the road that became known as Inkster Rd.

Pleasant Ridge I assume is named for what it is [[or what developers hoped they could sell it as).

[EastsideAl]

It was named after Pontiac, chief of the Ottawa tribe. Or maybe it was named after the car brand.

Interestingly, Pontiac was originally founded and developed in the 1820s by the very Detroit-area named firm of Mack, Conant and Sibley. Col. Stephen Mack is usually credited as the first settler in Pontiac. His son John, who was the first supervisor of Hamtramck Township, is purportedly the person for whom Mack Ave. is named.

Hamtramck itself is named for French-Canadian American military officer Jean Francois Hamtramck, who fought in the American Revolution, was a major force in the campaigns against the Indians in the upper midwest, and was the first U.S. commandant of Ft. Lernoult [[Ft. Shelby) and Detroit. His home was along the River Rd. [[Jefferson) near where the Belle Isle Bridge is today in what was his namesake township.