ORION HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Our Stories
Canandaigua, Lake Orion’s First Name
Did you know Lake Orion’s first name was Canandaigua (can-an day-gwah)? In 1836, auctioneer James Stillson bought 40 acres from Atwater Street south to Heights Road, and from the lake shore east to the section line, considered Section 2 at that time. He created this "paper city" by creating full color pamphlets showing wharves, steamships, businesses, residences, and paved streets, dubbing it “Canandaigua City” aka “New Canandaigua”.
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In 1825 the Erie Canal opened connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River. This made travel easier from New York to the new settlements known as Michigan. James traveled to New York and sold pieces of this “paper city” property at exorbitant prices and what he could not sell he would unload them in Detroit at $.06 each. New York already had a city named Canandaigua so by naming it “New Canandaigua” it must have been equally as great. By the way, the name Canandaigua derived from the Native American word meaning “chosen spot”.
As people traveled here to build on this new land they purchased they soon discovered it was nothing but swampland and quickly left in disgust. James Stillson was no where to be found. Years later in 1859 the Village of Orion was chartered as government unit and the “New Canandaigua” name was dissolved.
There are many Michigan cities of the same name in New York like; Utica, Rochester, Farmington, Waterford, Bloomfield and the list goes on.
-courtesy of Paul M. Scott & Images of America: Lake Orion and Jimmy Johnson “Where Living is a Vacation.”
Historic Orion Barns
Did you know that in the early 19th century government surveyors reported that the lands in Orion Township were not suitable for farming? There were only marshes, swamps, and barren land. Boy were they wrong! As early as 1826 early settlers cleared and cultivated the land. In fact Jesse Decker was the first to seed 3 acres of wheat and in 1830 the first barn in Orion was raised.
During the 19th century Orion became an agricultural hub providing grain, fruit, potatoes, and even dairy to the community and by train to neighboring counties. There are a few barns that are still standing in Lake Orion. For example, the large red Wisconsin Dairy Barn located at 4215 W. Clarkston Road was part of the Lakefield Farm. This “gentleman’s farm” was developed by Oscar Lambert and John Weber in 1914. Famous for raising cattle, hogs and sheep. This barn was developed by the University of Wisconsin’s Agricultural Experiment Station. This barn featured a wide central servicing alley for livestock. The Lakefield Farm has many other agricultural buildings on their farmstead that are still standing today!
Another famous barn still standing is the Porritt Barn. This barn was once home to the Porritt Dairy operation. It was originally built in 1925 and was located at M-24 & Silverbell. It was manufactured by the Aladdin Company of Bay City and was shipped in pieces to the Eames Station then delivered by horse and wagon to the Porritt property for friends and family to assemble. In 2000 a joint effort by the Orion Historical Society and Orion Township Parks and Recreation relocated the barn to Friendship Park.
We cannot forget the famous Wildwood Farm established in 1916 by William Scripps. His farm on 1601 Joslyn Road was one of the state’s foremost livestock breeders in the early 20th century. There was a hay barn, beef cattle barn, dairy cattle barn and a large saddle horse stable. These barns have since been redeveloped into present day Canterbury Village.
Bald or Ball Mountain?
Bald Mountain State Recreation Area is one of our areas largest and historic parks. It has several picnic areas, lakes for fishing, a beach, hiking and biking trails, hunting areas and much more. In addition, this park has some of the steepest hills and rugged terrain in southeastern Michigan!
Bald Mountain wasn’t always a park though. Prior to its inception in 1947 it was originally part of the original Decker Settlement back in the 1820’s. Named after Jesse Decker who settled here from upstate New York. This settlement was s bustling commercial center with a sawmill, tavern, post office, general store, blacksmith shop, school and cemetery.
Bald Mountain was originally named Ball Mountain since the hill was owned by a farmer with the last name of Ball. Eventually the top of the hill became barren and evolved into the name we all know today, Bald Mountain. Ball Mountain had a tavern in the 1830s as well. There was a 979.6 foot well there! (see pictures).
Stagecoaches regularly ran through the township in the mid 1800s. One of the regular stops was the Inn on Bald Mountain. People would rest and dine before passing through the Toll Gate just north of the Inn.
Some archaeologists believe there are ancient Hopewell Indian Burial Mounds near Bald Mountain as well. They buried many artifacts with the dead. The Hopewell Indians are best known for these earth mounds they built for the deceased bodies of important tribal members.
Today the park has grown from 2,400 acres in 1947 to 4,637 acres presently! This park is a scenic wonderland. There are many great views every season of the year. Over the years the Detroit Audubon Society, the Detroit Naturalists Society, the Warren Astronomy Club and many others have frequented Bald Mountain.
Orion Dairy Farm Ice Cream
Who remembers the phrase, “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream”? Believe it or not this was a song from 1927 stemming from a commercial slogan for the I-Scream bar which became the Eskimo Bar now named Edy’s Pie. Historically in Lake Orion we had many dairies that supplied the area with fresh dairy items like butter, milk, cheese but most importantly ICE CREAM! Dairies such as Middleton, Porritt, and Richardson.
Middleton Dairy started in the 1930s and was owned by Cleon Middleton for over 17 years. It started as a shed in Downtown Lake Orion at the current site of 20 Front Street. The shell of the building we see today was built in the 1940s after his shed was condemned. He offered a variety of dairy items and provided home delivery. Checkout their ad from 1946! In 1947 Cleon sold his dairy equipment to Porritt Dairy but continued to sell ice cream from this location. Today, it is the home of another ice cream shop Cookies & Cream.
Porritt Dairy has a long family history of developing the dairy industry. Lee Porritt opened the original dairy in 1921. With a small herd of 12 cows and using a horse-drawn vehicle he delivered milk throughout the area. His son Edward purchased the dairy from his father in 1933. In 1939 Edward moved the dairy to 1758 Clarkston Road next to the Polly Ann Trail. Edward's son William took over the business after his stint in WW2. They were known for providing the best dairy products and their investment in new machinery that made pressed paper milk bottles in 1948.
Richardson Farm Dairy was originally located where the present day OPA! Restaurant resides on Lapeer Road. There were a handful of these locations started by brothers Doc and Harold Richardson back in the 1950s. Originally selling dairy items at their farm and branched out into storefronts. The large cow promotion (pictured) was from 1971.
Supposedly they had the best Blue Moon ice cream around!
As you frequent some of the area’s best ice cream shops this summer remember the history of our dairy farms past!
