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.

470

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

in 1843. The latter was burned after running a few months, and the
new mill erected by the same parties was converted into a woolen factory. It is said that the woolen mill was subsequently run by three or
four Methodist ministers, who did not prove to be good business managers, and the machinery was finally removed and the plant converted
into a cider factory.
COMMERCE AND WALLED LAKE OF TODAY
Commerce village of the present is pleasantly situated on both sides
of the Huron river, about half a mile north of Commerce lake. It contains in the neighborhood of two hundred people, and its nearest shipping point is Walled Lake, on the Grand Trunk line, two miles and a
half to the south, while its few merchants bank at Milford, seven miles
west. The Presbyterians and Methodists of the place and vicinity have
societies.
Walled Lake is, if anything, somewhat larger. It has several general
stores which carry a good line of goods and supports two churches, the
Methodist and the Baptist.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION AND FIRST POSTOFFICES
By an act of the territorial legislature, approved March 7, 1834, the
congressional township of Commerce was detached from Novi, and on
the 7th of the following month a meeting was held at the house of
Henry Tuttle. Harvey Dodge was elected supervisor and Hiram Barritt township clerk.
The first postoffice in the township was established about i832, at
Walled lake, the route being from that point to Farmington. Deacon
William Tenny carried the mail on horseback. About the same time a
postoffice was established at Commerce village, Richard Burt being postmaster. The story runs that Mr. Burt carried the Commerce mail in
his pocket, while Deacon Tenny, requiring larger accommodations, used
his hat for the purpose.
WIXOM
Among the early settlers of what now constitutes the village of
Wixom were Lewis Norton, who owned and settled on what is now its
south part, in I830; Alonzo Sibley, who occupied most of the northeastern part, his property being originally purchased in 1831; and
Ahijah Wixom, the northern portion of it, in 1832. The village was
platted by Willard C. Wixom, son of Ahijah, in September, 1871.
Wixom is situated at the junction of the Grand Trunk and Pere
Marquette railways, in the soutwestern part of the township on the line
which separates it from Novi. The village has two or three general
stores, and the nature of the surrounding country is partially told by
the fact that several produce dealers are established in the place, as well
as a cider mill. There is also a small lumber yard. Wixon has a Union
school and the Free Will Baptists have long had a church organization.
The business of the place is transacted through the Milford bank, seven
miles distant.