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Farmington Roads in the 19th Century

This is a complete list of roads shown on the 1896 Oakland County Atlas for Farmington. We can suppose there was probably little change by 1900. The roads are not named on the map in most cases, so we list them by their modern names, some may have had different names in 1900, so those are noted if known.

Of course there were no expressways back then, Grand River was as close to an expressway as they had, so no I-696, I-96, I-275, or M-5 cut-off were yet in existence. Nor was Northwestern Highway yet built. In fact, many of the roads we now take for granted were either non-existant, or much different from today. None of the subdivision roads outside the village were yet built, and there were only a few streets in the village.

The route of today's M-5 expressway, with its side streets of Freedom Road on one side and Folsom on the other, appears in the late-1930's as the Grand River cut-off. The expressway was built in the late 1950's. There are reports of an even earlier cut-off that bypassed Farmington about half a mile further south, but that is not shown on the map and was presumably no longer used in 1900.

Map of the Main Roads in modern Farmington and Farmington Hills.

The roads that were in existence were mostly rutted dirt and gravel paths, just wide enough for two wagons to pass one another. There were road commissioners, each responsible for their own stretch of highway, who were paid out the highway taxes to keep the roads passable. In low, swampy areas they laid logs, making "corrugated" roadways. They dug ditches to drain water off the roadway, and in Spring patched the worst of the pot-holes with gravel.

Major thoroughfares had been improved by paving them with wood -- the "plank roads" as they were called. In the mid-1800's various company's were granted the right to construct plank roadways, and then collect tolls for their use. The Detroit to Howell Highway (Grand River Avenue) was one such plank road. By 1900 the company had gone out of business, so there were no tolls being collected, and hence no money for upkeep of the planked roadways. It seems unlikely, however, that a bankrupt company would have the resources to remove existing planks, so the wood-paved roadways would have been used for many more years. As they began to deteriorate the local road commissioner would probably find the easiest fix in most cases was to cover the rotting planks with dirt and gravel, and indeed there have been a number of instances in the 1900's when road-workers have discovered wooden logs or planks buried beneath Grand River Avenue. It seems though that in some places the road commissioners were able to replace the planks, and maintain the roadway as a plank road. A report in the 1911 Farmington newspaper mentions Oak and Walnut planks being purchased for plank roads. The same report mentions that Grand River was to be paved from Redford to Farmington in that year.

There are between 750 and 900 streets and roads listed on a modern map of Farmington and Farmington Hills -- in 1900 there were only the 32 shown here.

ROADS:

Fourteen Mile Road followed the same route it does today, and it even had the little curve at Inkster Road that brings it slightly south of the town line. In addition to the many farms along its route, there was a school just west of Halstead Road, and there was the little village of North Farmington at the intersection of Farmington Road, with a few stores. At Inkster there was the old mill site that had been turned into a brickworks factory. Fourteen Mile forms the north boundary of the township, separating Farmington (today Farmington Hills) from West Bloomfield. About 15 houses are shown on the 1896 map, on the Farmington (south) side of this road.

Thirteen Mile Road was a major access route for the farms in the northern part of the township. It followed the same route as it does today. About 34 homes are shown on Thirteen Mile Road on the 1896 map.

Twelve Mile Road was a major access route for the farms in the northern part of the township. It followed pretty much the same route as it does today, except that it appears there was a jog at the Inkster Road intersection to the North futher than the modern road. As today, there were cemeteries at the intersection of Halstead and midway between Middlebelt and Inkster. There was also a school, on the southwest intersection of Twelve Mile and Halstead. About 25 houses are shown on the 1896 map along Twelve Mile Road.

Howard Road, which roughly follows a line mid-way between Eleven and Twelve Mile Roads, extended from Haggerty to Drake. There was a mill near the intersection with Drake (see Drake Road for a description of that). Today, Howard Road still exists between Halsted and Drake Road, but the portion from Haggerty to Halsted has been renamed Hills Tech Drive, with an alteration of its route at the eastern end to accommodate the I-696 expressway. The 1896 map shows six houses along Howard Road.

Eleven Mile Road followed the route it does today, extending from Halstead to Drake Roads, then ending, and picking up again at Farmington Road, from which it continues through to Inkster Road where it exits the township. There were only about 12 houses shown on Eleven Mile Road on the 1896 map.

This map from the 1896 atlas shows only the main roads.

Note: The above map shows most of the roads mentioned here, but was not the basis for these descriptions. A more detailed map, which we are unable to reproduce, showed all of the roads mentioned here.

Grand River Avenue was the main road through Farmington in 1900. It followed the same route it does today, angling southeast from Haggerty Road just north of Ten Mile, to exit the township at Eight Mile Road, just west of Eight Mile and Inkster. It was called Main Street in the Village, and was known as the Detroit & Howell Road through the township. There was a school about 1/4 mile east of Halsted. From Gill Road to Power Road it passed through the Village, with the majority of the town's businesses and many homes located along its sides. Just before it exited the township at Eight Mile there was another cluster of businesses, known as Clarenceville. The 1896 map does not show the houses located in the village of Farmington, but in the township about 30 homes are shown along Grand River.

Ten Mile Road followed the same route as it does today, extending from Haggerty Road to the Grand River intersection just west of Halstead, then ending and picking up again at Farmington Road, from which it continues on to Inskster Road and exits the township. From Drake Road to Halstead Road, Grand River follows the route Ten Mile would take if it ran straight through. About 15 homes are shown on the 1896 map along Ten Mile.

Shiawassee Road followed much the same route as it does today, with minor exceptions. As it does now, Shiawassee extended from an intersection with Grand River Road about 3/8 mile west of Farmington Road, to exit the township at Inkster Road. There was no "jog" in the road at Orchard Lake Road, since there was no road where Orchard Lake now crosses Shiawassee. Likewise at Middlebelt, the road went straight through, as it did as recently as the 1970's. Today the short portion between Nine Mile and Middlebelt has been closed off. In 1900 that part of Nine Mile Road didn't exist. As today, the Baptist Church was located on the north side of Shiawassee at Farmington Road. The 1896 map doesn't show individual homes in the village, but from Power Road to Inkster it shows about seven houses along Shiawassee.

Nine Mile Road has changed somewhat from its position in 1900. The western part, from Haggerty Road to Farmington Road, followed the same route as it does today. The section from Farmington Road to Grand River was uninterrupted in 1900, since the expressway wasn't there -- it still curved down through valley where our branch of the Rouge flows, just before intersecting Grand River. From Grand River to Middlebelt Road, there was no Nine Mile road in 1900 -- Nine Mile picked up again at Middlebelt, and continued to Inkster where it leaves the township. There was a school on the northeast corner of Nine Mile and Halstead Road. The 1896 map shows about 24 houses along Nine Mile Road.

Eight Mile Road, also known as Base Line Road, followed the same route as it does today. Mile roads were apparently numbered in reference to their distance north of Ford Road, so Eight Mile is eight miles north of Ford Road. Called "Base Line" because it follows the main east-west line from which all local surveys were based, it forms the boundary for many political divisions. It forms the boundary between Farmington and Livonia, and between Oakland County and Wayne County. Townships are numbered in reference to it, so that Farmington is Township 1 North, Range 9 East, while Livonia is Township 1 South, Range 9 East, and Novi is Township 1 North, Range 8 East. There was a school on the north side of Eight Mile about 1/4 east of Middlebelt. The 1896 map only shows seven houses on the north side of Eight Mile.

Haggerty Road has had some minor curves added to its route to accommodate the I-275 expressway and its access ramps, but it still follows essentially the same route it did in 1900. It follows the west boundary of the township, separating Farmington from Novi. The 1896 map shows only nine houses along the Farmington side (east) of Haggerty Road.

Halsted Road, which is today interrupted by the M-5 expressway, went straight through the township from Fourteen Mile all the way down to Eight Mile in 1900. Harvey Halstead still owned the farm just north of Twelve Mile for which the road was named, despite the fact the today the leave the second "a" out of the name.

Drake Road ran from Fourteen Mile south as far as Nine Mile, then ended, as it does today. It deviates from a straight line around Eleven Mile, and it appears that the shape of that jog in the road has changed since 1900. Today, twists through the valley formed by the branch of the Rouge River that flows there, whereas in 1900 it made a 90 degree turn westward. This area was known as Pernambuco Hollow. At the south end of the diversion it jogged east along Eleven Mile Road back to the original line, whereas today there is a long sweeping curve just south of Eleven Mile that achieves the same purpose. In 1900 Theodore Drake still owned the farm just south of Thirteen Mile that gave name to the road. The 1896 map shows that there was still a mill at the intersection of Drake Road and Howard. Durant's 1877 history mentions two mills at that location, a saw mill built in 1835 that had been converted to a cider mill in the 1870's, and Steele's flour mill, built in 1827. Steele's mill changed ownership a number of times in the 1800's. For a while John T. Little owned it, and began producing flour for sale, which he called Pernambuco, after the town of that name in Brazil which he had reputedly visited as a sailor. The mill was later called Hardenberg's after a subsequent owner, but some folks still referred to the little valley as Pernambuco Hollow. There are about 16 houses shown on the 1896 map along Drake Road.

Gill Road in 1900 ran from Grand River south to Eight Mile Road, much as it does today, only without the interruption of the I-5 expressway. North of Nine Mile Road it formed the west boundary of the Village. The old Quaker cemetery was there on the east side of Gill about 6/10 of mile south of Grand River, as it is today, and Mary Gill owned the 10 acre lot adjoining it on the south and east -- her husband George was deceased -- but it is after them that the road was named. The 1896 map doesn't show houses in the village, but on the west side of Gill Road north of Nine Mile, and both sides south of Nine Mile, there are six houses shown.

Farmington Road was a major thoroughfare then as it is today. The only change to its route has been at the junction with Shiawassee. In 1900, and well into the 20th century, Farmington went down a steep slope that ended in a sudden turn to the bridge over the river, known as McGee's Hill. That dangerous passage was often closed by winter storms or icy conditions, and was eventually re-routed to it's present, still somewhat treacherous, position. In 1900 Thomas McGee owned the land on both sides of Farmington Road north of Shiawassee, and it was from him that the hill took its name. The unincorporated village of North Farmington straddled Farmington Road at Fourteen Mile Road. There was, as there still is, a cemetery on the east side about 3/8 mile north of Thirteen Mile Road. There was a school on the west side, about 1/8 mile north of Thirteen Mile Road. In the village, (between Nine and Ten Mile Roads) there were numerous businesses and homes along Farmington Road. The 1896 map doesn't show individual houses in the village, but along the rest of Farmington Road it shows about 25 houses.

Power Road, named for the Power family who were so instrumental in the founding of Farmington, extended in 1900 from Eleven Mile Road south to Nine Mile Road. The section that extends 1/2 mile north from Eleven Mile Road had not yet been built. The east border of the village followed along this road between Nine and Ten Mile Roads, except that then, as today, the road jogs slightly west on the north side of Shiawassee, while the village boundary went straight. There was a dam on the river in what is now the city park on the west side of Power Road between Shiawassee and Grand River, and a mill pond occupied much of what is now parkland. The 1896 map shows six houses along Power Road.

Orchard Lake Road, named for it's destination north of here, extended only between Fourteen Mile and Twelve Mile Roads in 1900. Two houses are shown along its length on the 1896 map.

Tuck Road extended from Shiawassee to Eight Mile Road, much as it does today, only in 1900 it was not inturrupted by the M-5 expressway. In 1896 Joseph Tuck owned the 106 acre farm just north of Eight Mile and on both sides of Tuck Road that gave name to the road, though by 1900 his widow Caroline was living there with their two sons. Theirs is the only house shown on Tuck Road on the 1896 map.

Middlebelt Road was a major thoroughfare then as it is today, and followed the same route as today. There was a school on the east side of Middlebelt about 1/3 mile north of Thirteen Mile (the only school building from pre-1900 that is still standing). There was another school on the west side of Middlebelt, mid-way between Eleven and Twelve Mile Roads. A third school was located on the east side of Middlebelt about 1/3 mile south of Ten Mile Road. A church was located on the west side of Middlebelt just north of Eight Mile Road. The 1896 map shows about 15 houses along Middlebelt.

Averhill is a little residential street extending south from Nine Mile Road, mid-way between Middlebelt and Inkster Roads. In a rare case of road disappearing between 1900 and the present, (without having been overrun by an expressway), the road at that postion in 1900 extended about 1/2 mile north of Nine Mile, as well as the portion between Nine Mile and Shiawassee. There is no trace of the portion north of Nine Mile today. No houses or other structures are shown on this road on the 1896 map.

Inkster Road forms the east boundary of the township, and in 1900 it followed the same route as it does today, even down to the "jog" at the north end where it crosses Fourteen Mile Road. There are about eight houses shown on the west side of Inkster Road on the 1896 map.

VILLAGE STREETS:

Oakland Street was called Roger Street, and was the same between Farmington Road and Warner Street as it is today. As now, it then went past the old Town Hall building (Masonic Temple) and across Grand River, to Cass, but no further west than that.

Cass Street is shown extending between Shiawassee and Oakland Street, but no further south than that -- and it is much narrower than other streets, more like an alley than a true street. It is not named on the 1896 map, though there was a Cass Street elsewhere -- see School Street.

Adams Street is shown, but not named, on the 1896 map.

Ross Court is a street extending north off Oakland, mid-way between Farmington Road and Warner Street -- it doesn't open out onto Shiawassee today, but did in 1900. It was not named on the 1896 map.

Liberty Street extended south off Grand River as it does now, but ended just south of State Street.

State Street extended west from Farmington Road as it does today, but it ended at Liberty Street.

Orchard Street extended from Farmington Road, then turned north to Grand River, just as it does today.

Warner Street extended from Shiawassee to Grand River, just as it does today.

Thomas Street started out as a narrow alley at Farmington Road, as it does now, and extended to School Street.

School Street ran north off Grand River as it does today, though it was labled Cass Street on the 1898 map. It did not stop at Thomas, however, but continued another block or two, curving to the northwest, just past Third Street.

Third Street is shown on the 1896 map, parallel to and north of Thomas, between Warner and School Streets. There is no street there now.

Those are ALL the streets shown on the 1896 map of Farmington.