Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society

08/28/2026

This postcard shows the Automobile Club of Detroit's Clubhouse on Pine Lake. Today, this is the site of Pine Lake Country Club! 🚗

Did you know? In 1902, a group of leading businessmen and industrialists came together at the Detroit Club to form the Automobile Club of Detroit promoting automobiles, roadway development, and the thrill of “motoring.” Auto tours in southeast Michigan became major events for members and tests of endurance for early automobiles.

A favorite destination was the rural lake region of Oakland County. By 1905, members rested overnight at a new clubhouse on scenic Pine Lake, which later became the Pine Lake Country Club. Trophy prizes were given for the first to arrive at Pine Lake and are displayed today at Pine Lake Country Club.

08/26/2026

Join GWBHS and Chaldean Cultural Center at the Orchard Lake Museum on Sunday, September 13 to help celebrate our new exhibit panel on local Chaldean history! This panel is part of the Greater West Bloomfield Diverse History Project in partnership with America250MI, the statewide commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Come view the exhibit panel, enjoy refreshments and expand your understanding of Greater West Bloomfield’s Chaldean history!

Details here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GdHmECC62/

08/25/2026

Join us on Thursday, September 10 at Pine Lake Marina for a chance to learn more about the history of the Pine Lake area - No RSVP required, and free to attend! 👀

08/14/2026

Some of you may remember the historic photo we posted last month of the cabins for rent at Shorty Hook's Place on Pine Lake. This photo taken in August 1975 shows the Shorty Hook's Place boat livery on Pine Lake located on Orchard Lake Road. ⛵

Shorty Hook's Place started in 1927, renting boats seasonally to visitors and residents so they could enjoy recreation on Pine Lake. In 1942, the livery also put up cabins and began renting those to visitors.

Did you know? In 1981, the land Shorty Hook's sat on was sold for $400,000 -- a record high price paid for West Bloomfield lakefront property at the time! The developer who purchased the land built luxury townhouses on the site, expanding an already existing project known as the Pine Lake Forest condominiums.

08/08/2026

This horse collar, on display at the Orchard Lake Museum, was used along with blinders while a working horse was pulling a wagon or plow. The blinders were meant to reduce distractions by keeping the horse looking forward. 🐴🚜

From Song of the Heron: Reflections on the History of West Bloomfield (2004): "Although often overlooked by historians, oxen played a valuable role in the growth of most farm communities. This was particularly true in West Bloomfield. Initially oxen helped transport the early settlers’ goods over those almost impassable roads. Then they supplied the brute force in clearing the land and planting the crops. At mid-century there were 274 working oxen in West Bloomfield. By 1880 their numbers had dwindled to just twenty-four, in opposite proportion to the steady increase in improved land, which by that year constituted 78 percent of the township’s usable surface. For heavy chores the farmer now could rely on draft horses and machinery."

08/07/2026

August 10, 1976: The Civic Center complex, looking south at Walnut Lake Road. 🛣

The 99-acre Civic Center site was purchased in 1972 for $900,900.00. After 4 years of site analysis, community surveys and construction, the site was dedicated on September 18, 1976. A program for the dedication ceremony indicated the township was considering future uses of the site for an ice skating rink or other outdoor sports!

08/05/2026

This is an image of our Westacres exhibit panel, created as part of our History Outdoors: MotorCities Markers project in collaboration with MotorCities National Heritage Area's Wayside Exhibit program. The panel, which covers the historic Westacres community, was developed with the Westacres Community Association. 🏠

You can visit this exhibit panel in person outside the Westacres Branch Library on Commerce Road!

Did you know? The Westacres community will be celebrating its 90th anniversary during a public Open House TOMORROW from 4-8pm at Westacre Clubhouse! Visit www.westacres1936.org/90th-anniversary for details. Congratulations on this incredible milestone!

08/04/2026

Will we see you at our City of Sylvan Lake Open House this Sunday? In the meantime, check out this video on the GWBHS YouTube channel where historian Helen Jane Peters takes you through 100 years of Sylvan Lake history! Sylvan Lake celebrated 100 years as a village on November 1, 2021.

Any guesses as to when Sylvan Lake became a city? 👀

Join local historian Helen Jane Peters as she takes us on 100 year ...

08/01/2026

Interested in the farming history of West Bloomfield? The wooden object attached to the metal buckets in this photo is a yoke, on display at the Orchard Lake Museum in our farming exhibit! 🪣

A yoke is used to carry heavy loads by dispersing weight to both shoulders. The first known use of a yoke was before the 12th century. By the 1880s, West Bloomfield was a fully developed farming community - you can imagine tools like a yoke were important to a farmers' work!