History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

History of Oakland County
CHAPTER I
THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION
WONDERFUL COUNTRY OF LAKES-CASS AND ORCHARD-REMARKABLE
NATURAL PHENOMENON-THE LAKE ORION REGION-SUMMER RESORT FEATURES-TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES-AS A FARMING AND
LIVE STOCK REGION-FEATURES OF THE TRANSFORMATION.
The natural features of Oakland county seemed to predestine its material development of the past twenty years or more. Its four hundred
and fifty lakes, many of which are thus called only by a generous stretch
of the imagination, are thickly sprinkled over its gently rolling surface,
while pretty islands stud these little gems of water. As there is a lake
to each two square miles of land it is evident that these charming bodies
of water had to be reckoned with in the future of the country.
In the early times those who settled in the county had to live, had to
eat and be clothed, and they therefore did what pioneers have always done;
they turned to the soil, and raised crops and live stock. But as the
country developed and became known to outsiders, its attractions as a
resort for those seeking rest and recreation, its advantages for those who
wished permanent homes with beautiful and comfortable surroundings,
became so apparent that there was more and more an insistent demand
for land, especially in the vicinity of the lakes-which obviously meant
that such demand not only became insistent but widespread. Before describing in detail this comparatively lake transformation of Oakland
county from an agricultural community to a country of summer and
permanent homes, we shall turn in our tracks and note the main features
supplied by nature in the bringing about of this change.
WONDERFUL COUNTRY OF LAKES
The average number of lakes in each township of Oakland county is
eighteen, though Troy, Royal Oak, Southfield, Farmington and Lyon
are very deficient in comparison with other sections of the county. The
largest of the lakes and the most generously supplied of the townships
lie west and southwest of Pontiac. Orion, toward the northeast, is also
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