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.

6

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

knowledge of Oakland county lakes. Before the automobile came into
general use few people were able to get about the country to see what it
contained. With the automobile, came the tendency toward good roads.
Although at the present time many roads of the county are still in bad
shape, they are all being gradually improved and a number are in excellent condition. In time there will be perfect automobile roads around
the larger lakes of the country and between Detroit and Pontiac, which
will undoubtedly mean that Oakland's lakes will be even more popular
than they are at present."
TRANSPORTATION FACILTIES
As stated, the transportation facilities of the county are, on the whole,
excellent, and how they have been gradually provided is well told in a
booklet issued, more than ten years ago, by Joseph E. Sawyer, who is
one of the foremost citizens, as he has been for years past, in the special
development of Oakland county property which is being traced in this
chapter: "The importance of good roads and other facilities for transporting to market the products of the soil was early appreciated by the
settlers of Oakland county, and Clinton river was improved and rendered
navigable from Mount Clemens to Rochester by the Clinton River Navigation Company, organized in 1827. This company carried on business
several years, but was unable to compete with the Detroit & Pontiac
Railroad Company chartered in I834. This railroad was first built from
Detroit to Royal Oak and operated by horsepower. It was continued to
Birmingham in 1839 and steam power introduced, which was a notable
event in the history of the state. The road was extended to Pontiac in
I843.
"Other and better roads succeeded these primitive affairs, so that up
to the time when the electric roads appeared Oakland county considered
herself very well supplied. In the last few years, however, her advantages in this respect have been very much increased. The first electric
road in the county was the Pontiac & Sylvan Lake, which ran its cars
about Pontiac and as far out as Sylvan lake. This was soon followed by
the Detroit & Pontiac, named from its terminals and affording twentyminute service between them. In addition to this, the Detroit & Northwestern has for some time been running cars out Grand River avenue to
Sand Hill * and will soon be extended to Pontiac by way of Farmington,
and Orchard Lake. The Detroit, Rochester, Romeo & Lake Orion has
been completed to Rochester, and right-of-way has been obtained for three
more-the Pontiac & Flint, the Pontiac & Orion, and the Pontiac & Milford. It is probable that not only these but others will in a short time
extend through the entire county, connecting its towns and rich farming
districts with the markets at Detroit and other cities.
"But it will not be the farmers alone who will be benefited by the
improved facilities for transportation. Many busy city people will have
reason to be thankful for the ease with which they may reach the lakes
and the delightful scenery of the famous country.
"The Indians were always admirers of the beautiful in nature, and
*It should be remembered that this was written in I899. The prophecies herein
made have been more than verified.