History

History

• Established:

  April 22, 1833

• Oldest School:

  First School (1828) originally at Long Lake and Middlebelt, second school Scotch settlement between Orchard Lake and Green Lake.

• Tornado:

  A tornado tears through West Bloomfield causing much damage and one death on March 20, 1976.

• History:

  From the Early Development of West Bloomfield-An Overview by Eleanor Pekkala.
  • 1820's: first settlers arrive and begin clearing the virgin forest.
  • 1821: first settler, John Huff (but he didn't register his land claim, so...)
  • 1823: first legal resident, Benjamin Irish
  • 1827: two Indian reservations on Orchard Island (Apple Island) and Orchard Lake are sold
  • 1831: first post office, Pine Lake, is set up in the home of John Ellwood, a surveyor
  • 1834, April 7: first town meeting for West Bloomfield
  • 1930's: Westacres low income housing and market established by Sentaor James Cozens
  • 1970: Apple Island is made into a nature sanctuary

• Native American Tribes:

  • Ottawa
  • Ojibwa (Chippewa)
  • Potawatomi
  • Assistaronon (Fire Nation).

• Significant Event:

  Home of the first curling club in the United States.

• Books:

  Click here for a Bibliography of books on West Bloomfield, Oakland County and Michigan.

• Website:

  Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society

Last Update: April 18, 2007