Pre-Settlers
? - 1824:
Walled
Lake
's earliest inhabitants were the native
Americans...specifically the Potawatomies. The Potawatomi and other
Algonguian indians were in
Michigan
centuries before the white man. They were non-hostile people who relied
on the fertile land and waters of southern
Michigan
to farm, fish, and hunt.
Accounts from early
settlers tell us that there were as many as 300-400 Potawatomi camped along the
shores of
Walled
Lake
. Reports of indian
"green corn" festivals took place on a cleared piece of land near
what was to become the Village and later the City of Walled Lake. The
indian village or camp grounds were located on the northwest and west
shores of the lake...where legends also tell of indian burial grounds.
Perhaps this
was a favorite spot because of the clean fertile waters...or because it was
near one of the main indian trails that crisscrossed our country; the Shiawasse
Trail. Or could it have been the strange stone wall formations on this
unique lake? Whatever the reasons,
Walled
Lake
was definitely the home of these early people and is full of indian legend and
lore.
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The
Rejuvenation 1979 - Present:
In 1979 the
cities of
Walled
Lake
and
Novi
realized the dire situation of the
lake and the need to clean it up. City sewers were installed completing
the sewage removal method around the entire lake. Within five years the
waters were noticably cleaner as wildlife once again returned and
flourished. Because of its natural spring source, the lake itself did all
the clean-up work...it only needed to be given the chance. By 1985 it had
become one of the cleanest lakes in
Oakland
County
...and was again
attracting attention. From the 1980s to present day... a continuous and
dynamic change can be noticed along the lakeshore. The old cottages of
the past are being renovated or torn down making way for new homes.
Today
Walled
Lake
is a thriving lakeside community.
Its residents still enjoy the small town feeling with the convenience of being
close to fine dining, shopping, entertainment, and major expressways.
Surprisingly,
what attracted the earliest inhabitants to Walled Lake centuries ago, are the
same reasons people are attracted today...clean, warm waters...an area that
meets all their needs...while being close to major travel routes.
Early
Settment 1825-1836:
In June of
1825 a bold settler left the small
village
of
Farmington
and pushed
into the wilderness miles past the last settlement. He arrived on the
east shore of a sparkling lake and noticed what appeared to be a stone wall
along the west bank. His name was Walter Hewitt and he was
Walled
Lake
's
first settler. He built a log home on the high land (near the present day
cemetary) but only stayed a year, moving to
Ypsilanti
May 1, 1826 where he later was
elected to the State Legislature. Although he didn't stay long, he led
the way for a continous trickle of pioneers. Most of them originated from
New York
all
searching for inexpensive land which the Government was selling for $1.25 per
acre.
In 1826 Bela
Armstrong arrived and a few years later Cornelius Austin...both veterans of the
War of 1812. Each year brought two or three new additions to the
settlement. Eliphat Hungerford came in 1831 and was known to have planted
the first apple orchard in the community.
In 1830 two
men, Pentice and King, arrived and established an indian trading post called
"white rock". It was located on the lakeshore near the present
day 14 Mile and
East Lake Drive
area. The Potawatomies were good neighbors...often helping the early settlers
by giving them venison, fish, and berries. They were said to have been
inoffensive, honorable, and respected the rights of the white man. In
1833 the Potawatomi left
Michigan
for
Missouri
in accordance
to the new treaties.
This small
settlement, located on the high land northwest of the lake, was the home to
Walled
Lake
's
first school (1833), the first store (1833) and the first church (1837).
It was cut out of the wilderness and had no roads to speak of...only indian
trails. However...things were soon to change.
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Potawatomi woman
One of the
mosted noted names of the time was that of Dr. James M. Hoyt. Arriving in
Walled
Lake
in 1840, Dr. Hoyt was the sole
village doctor for over 40 years. He would often make home remedies
because medication was too far away or too expensive. He looked after all
the citizens of the village and often wouldn't charge for his services.
Dr. Hoyt was more then just the town physician; he also became the
Township Clerk, Township Supervisor, School Inspector, and State Senator.
Another
notable citizen was the Honorable Joseph B. Moore, Justice of the Michigan
Supreme Court. The
Moore
's
arrived in the village in 1858 when Joseph was only thirteen. He worked
in his father's lumber mill and helped construct the new "Stonecrest"
schoolhouse in 1860. He later taught in the very same schoolhouse from
1868-69.
The stone
schoolhouse was built on the same site as its 1836 predecessor and still stands
today. It was constructed out of native "hard heads" or
boulders which had been broken by hand and faced with stone hammers. For
thirty five years this stone schoolhouse served as the village's only
school. But it became impossible to keep up with the modern ideas of
teaching in a one-room, ungraded school.
In 1895 a
frame school with two rooms was constructed in the western part of the
village. The structure still stands today and has been home to the Walled
Lake Masons since 1922.
At a time when
the nation battled a Civil War and experienced growth from the Industrial
Revolution, the Village of Walled Lake saw very little change. It was
largely unaffected by outside forces...maintaining its rural, small town
community. In 1877 it only had a population of 400...but soon this would
all change.
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The
Village of Walled
Lake
1836-1900:
In a survey by
Harvey Park in 1834-1835, a State territorial road would be developed linking
Pontiac
and
Ann Arbor
passing right through
Walled
Lake
(known today as
Pontiac Trail). Jesse Tuttle settled in the area in 1830...east of the
early settlement (on the corner of present day Pontiac Trail and
Walled Lake Drive
).
He saw the development of this highway as being a growth opportunity for
Walled
Lake
.
So in 1836 he platted his farm land into streets and blocks that would soon
become the Village of Walled Lake.
After the
first school burned down, a larger one was erected in 1836...but this time in
"town" (on the spot where the current day "Stonecrest"
still stands). Soon another store was opened across from the Tuttle
residence and in 1840 the Pioneer Inn was built. The Pioneer Inn served
the needs of weary travelers that found their way through the wilderness along
the indian trails. The
Inn
also became
the center of the Village...with stores and homes sprouting up around it.
In 1854 a new Baptist church was constructed on the corner of Market and
East streets. The original Baptist church of 1837 (near the cemetary) had
become too far for members to reach comfortably, especially in the winter
months. It was clear that the community was now shifting from the site of
the early settelment to the growing Village along the northeast shoreline of
Walled
Lake
.
In its hay
day, Walled Lake was one of the most popular destinations in all of
Michigan...boasting bath houses, beaches, two large water slides, two board
walks, speed boat rides, summer cottages, an amusement park, and a grand
ballroom where the most popular performers of the day could be seen.
The sleepy
little
village
of
Walled
Lake
had,
almost overnight, experienced overwhelming fame as it was thrown into the lime
light and flooded with millions of visitors. What was to become of it, now
that the "golden age" was gone?
In the middle
of the village (
Liberty
and Main streets) stood the "Town Pump" which welcomed the tired
traveler or the doctor riding home from a midnight house call. A single
tin cup hung from a nail, which was used by all the village people.
School children would fill pails from it on their way to school and travelers
would stop and water their horses there.
The Village of
Walled Lake was the typical small community of the times...it had its own
blacksmith, cooper, harness maker, wagon maker, cobbler, carpenter, mason, and
doctor. It was a community where everyone knew each other and helped each
other in times of need.
The General
Store was noted as one of the finest in all of
Oakland
County
.
It not only offered the townspeople goods, but served as the first Post Office
and its proprietor, Benjamin Brown, was the Justice of the Peace and would
occasionally pull teeth as a service to his friends.
In the nearby
countryside, farms were settled which formed the backbone of Nineteenth century
America
.
James Welfare, who came from
Sussex
,
England
, established his
farm along the east
shore
of
Walled
Lake
.
The farm of John Welfare ran along what is now known as
14 Mile Road
. North, and farther
east, was the Reverend Enoch Welch's farm. West of the village were the
farms of Morse, Bentley, and Erwin. The agricultural industry was an
important part of rural
America
during this time period. The Civil War years (1861-1865) were the most
prosperous for the farmers...as the Union army required large amounts of wheat
and oats.
Walled
Lake
's Golden Years 1900-1968:
Shortly after
the turn of the century, the rural character of
Walled
Lake
began to change. With the Michigan Airline Railroad coming through the
village in 1883, and the solid gravel roads to
Pontiac
and
Detroit
by World War I,
Walled
Lake
was now a crossroads with the rest of
Michigan
.
Being the
largest and closest lake to
Detroit
, and with
the advent of the automobile,
Walled
Lake
soon became a
favorite destination for people escaping the industrialized cities for
recreation. In the early 1900s, cottages and permanent residences began
to dot the shoreline as
Walled
Lake
grew in popularity.
With the
growing population, the two-room frame schoolhouse was now incapable of
handling the education needs of the village children. This was also the
age of consolidation of rural schools resulting in the construction of the
large brick school. The school opened in 1922 serving the needs of the new
consolidated school district.
Enterprising
residents, Jake and Ernie Taylor, saw the attraction of the lake and built a
small dance hall on the south end of the lake in 1919. They advertised
the hall with signs on the back of automobiles and attracted 1000 people
nightly.
In 1921 Herman
Czankusch developed a waterfront cottage community which included another dance
hall, water slides, and bath houses. He called his development
Cenaqua
Shores
; selling 30' lots for $350
each. Due to heavy competition from the
Cenaqua
Shores
dance hall...the
Taylors
sold their dance
hall to LouisTolettene in 1923. The Tolettenes invested heavily and
moderized their dance hall renaming it the Casino Shores Pavilion. The
Casino Shores Pavilion was now attracting over 2500 people on weekend nights.
The small
village of
Walled
Lake
had been changed
dramatically. Thousands of people and bumper to bumper traffic was now
the norm on Sunday afternoons. Those who toiled six days a week in the
city factories sought relaxation on their only day off. The once quiet
Sabbath day of the small village was gone forever. The most telling sign
that the sleepy village had disappeared, was the removal of the "Town
Pump" in the late 1920s. Surprisingly enough,
Walled
Lake
still had not seen it's most
popular and famous days...a fierce battle over attracting visitors would soon
bring even greater fame and crowds to the shores of
Walled
Lake
.
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The "Town Pump"
as it appeared in 1909 stood at the center of the village
The Pioneer Inn built in
1840 became the focal piont of the growing village
Sources:
"The
Story of a Village"; Henry O. Severence
Oakland
County
Book
of History; Arthur
Hagman
History
of
Oakland
County
, 1874; Durant & Pierce
1994
video, "Walled Lake Casino-Amusement Park Documentary"
Walled
Lake
City
Library - History Archives
Click on the areas below
or page down to learn about
Walled
Lake
's history
?-1824 / 1825-1835 / 1836-1900 / 1901-1968 / The Casino Pavilion / The Amusement Park / 1969-1978 / 1979-Present
The automobile changed
Walled
Lake
forever
Above; Ernie Taylor in a
1909 Olds with
Walled
Lake
in background
Jake & Ernie Taylor
built the first dance hall in 1919
Herman Czankusch
Developed and sold 30'
lake shore lots
Walled Lake's
Casino
Shores
Pavilion
The popularity
of the dance halls prompted Louis Tolettene to build what he called "the
best ballroom in the state of
Michigan
".
The new Casino Shores Pavilion opened its doors on April 13,1925. The
lavishly decorated ballroom boasted a 120' x 140' polished maple dance floor
and a hand painted latice ceiling.
Louis Tolettene
The New Casino Pavilion
under contruction
The New Casino Pavilion
as it appeared on its grand opening
Dr. James M. Hoyt served
as the community's doctor for more then 40 years
Main
Street
circa 1900 showing little change
The new Casino
Pavilion attracted the most popular bands of the time as thousands crowded into
the dance hall every weekend. In 1929 the country was thrown into the
Great Depresssion...however, the Casino Pavilion kept its doors open and began
radio broadcasts on location. This is what put
Walled
Lake
on the map...listeners from
around the country would tune in and listen to the ballroom music emanating
from the shores of
Walled
Lake
.
As the "Big
Band" era began...prominent musicians from around the country came
to perform at the "Walled Lake Casino"...as it became known.
Some of the famous names that performed in
Walled
Lake
at the time were...Tommy
Dorsey, Red Nichols, Glen Miller, Louis Armstrong, Sammy Kay, Guy Lombardo, and
Lawrence
Welk.
Lawrence Welk played the Casino frequently and even bought a cottage on
Walled
Lake
so his family could be with him as he performed during the summers.
Attendance at the Casino was typically 2500 people per night with the Ralph
Flanigan Band setting an all time record of 4001 on a Saturday night in the
late 50s.
With the new
popularity of TV, the "Big Band" era died...and with it the many
ballrooms around the country. However, the Tolettene family kept the
Walled Lake Casino alive by changing with the times. 
Walled
Lake
's
Amusement Park
Lawrence Welk not only
played the Casino but bought a cottage on Walled Lake
Shoulder to shoulder
dancing was the norm
As the Big Bands
faded away in the 50s... the live entertainment of the day was now vocal
groups. The Walled Lake Casino began hosting such names as the The
Four Freshmen, The
Kingston
Trio, Mel Torme, Teresa Brewer and Bonnie Baker.
In the late
1950s, attendence at the Casino dwindled, forcing the Tolenttenes to close the
ballroom and later selling it in 1962. New owner, Red Cramer, installed
heating for year-round dancing...and the new format was...Rock & Roll!
Local Rock &
Roll DJ, Lee Allan, began doing broadcasts and dance shows live from the
Casino...once again filling the dance hall with capacity crowds. Both
local bands and marquee names performed at the Casino. A few of the most
memorable shows were the performances of teen idol Fabian, who took the
stage to an overflowing fenzied audience...one of the first public appearances
of 12 year old "Little" Stevie Wonder... and the much
anticipated performance of Chuck Berry, the first after his release from
jail.
Mel Torme and Teresa
Brewer both sang at the Casino
Fabian
The Walled Lake
Casino had endured World War II, the Great Depression, and the demise of the
"Big Band" era...outlasting other ballrooms by over a decade.
For more then 30 years it attracted audiences enjoying the sounds of ballroom
music, the big bands, jazz, pop, and rock & roll. After a storied
history, the Casino sadly couldn't endure a fire on Christmas Day, 1965.
Although fire fighters fought the blaze gallantly...the Casino couldn't be
saved, signaling the end of a
Walled
Lake
landmark.
Stevie Wonder
Chuck Berry began his come-back
at
Walled
Lake
Fire detroys the Casino
in 1965
When the Walled
Lake Casino was built in 1929 Heman Czankusch knew he couldn't compete and sold
his dance hall. Not to be out-done by his competitor, Czankusch had a new
idea...to build a roller coaster at
Walled
Lake
! He leased his
land to Fred W. Pierce, who began construction on the roller coaster in
February, 1929.
Fred W. Pierce brought
the amusement park to
Walled
Lake
Construction of the
roller coaster in 1929
The McKnight home was
built on the lakeshore, farms can be seen in the background
The "Flying
Dragon" was the main attraction at the new
Walled
Lake
Park
The new roller
coaster was named the "Flying Dragon". Fred Pierce had built
over 27 roller coasters around the country...but the "Flying
Dragon" was said to have been the best roller coaster he ever built. The
coaster was the focal point of the new
Walled
Lake
Park
.
The Grand
opening of
Walled
Lake
Park
was on Memroial Day, 1929...and was a huge success from the start. People
came from miles around to enjoy the park's many attractions.
Picnics were a
major source of income for the park...many local schools, businesses, and
organizations would hold group outings there. For many, bringing a picnic
lunch to
Walled
Lake
had become a summer tradition.
The park also
had its own bath house and beach where park goers could swim in the shallow,
warm waters of the lake. For the more daring at heart, there was also a
two-story water slide...where swimmers would climb a tower and slide into the
lake on wooden toboggans.
Both the Park
and Casino had water slides...but the slides proved to be dangerous
having frequent accidents. Finally the tragic death of an 8 year
old
Detroit
girl forced the slides to be closed and dismantled.
Extending out
from the park were two 500' boardwalks where the thrill seeker could get a
speed boat ride for fifteen cents. The popular boardwalks, beaches, and
park were crowded every weekend during the summer months.
One of two waterslides
that were eventually closed down
Crowded boardwalks and
beach
By the 1950s,
Walled
Lake
Park
was well established and was one of
Detroit
's most popular
summer spots for the entire family. The park offered something for every
age group with rides such as the Tilt-A-Whirl, Dodge-Em cars, the Flying
Scooters, and the Pretzel.
The large group
picnics were more popular then ever with the park offering many different games
and events. Often the park's guests would be treated to special exhibits
that were held on the park's grounds. Military vehicles, armored cars,
and tanks were on display and would demonstrate manouvers for the crowds.
On hot summer
days the beaches and bath houses were still a big attraction. Both the
Casino and the Park installed playground equipment in the shallow water for the
children. Walled
Lake
Park
was as popular as
ever and was now attracting 25,000 visitors daily!
Walled
Lake
Park
as it appeared in the 1950s
With the
emergence of the
Detroit
area Metro Parks, the popularity of television entertainment, and the advent of
neighborhood pools...attendance at the park declined in the early
sixties. The Pierce family sold the park in 1962 to the Wagner
brothers...who also owned
Edgewater
Park
. The
Walled
Lake
Park
was now beginning to show its age and the
Wagner's began moving some of the rides to their newer
Edgewater
Park
, which was closer to the city of
Detroit
. After the
1968 season, the
Walled
Lake
Park
was finally closed and dismantled. And yet another landmark representing
the "golden years" of
Walled
Lake
was gone.
Abandoned rides
Empty beaches
The overgrown entrance
of the once popular park
"Stonecrest" as
it appears today
The new consolidated
district school as it appeared in 1924
The
Aftermath 1969-1978:
After the
amusement park had been quieted...and the bands stopped playing...and the
scores of summer visitors stopped coming,
Walled
Lake
seemed strangely unaffected by it all. It maintained its small town
flavor as witnessed by the corner hardware (Melvin-Fitzgeralds), the
wood-floored Penny Lake Grocery, the Walled Lake Drive-In, and the original
Lakeside Market perched high on the hill. The business district had now shifted
along the Pontiac Trail corridor and up
Maple Road
...but structures from the
early 1900s still stood on
Main
Street
.
The outlying
areas were still basically rural with horses, barns, and farms still a common
site. It was as if the 40 years of "carnivalism" had never
happened. Walled
Lake
's character was
strikingly similar to that before the turn of the centrury...when events such
as Civil Wars and Industrial Revolutions did little in changing the face of
this unique community.
The lake
itself, however, wasn't as lucky. The pressure of millions of people
visiting over 70 years badly polluted the once sparkling waters of
Walled
Lake
.
The early cottages that lined the lake had little or no sewage treatment
method. The amusement park, which attracted 25,000 people daily at its
peak, was said to have had a septic system for it's 50 toliets on the
hill. Inspectors at the time sadly discovered that this was not the
case. The lake was no longer fit for swimming and had adversley effected
the fish and wildlife.
Unfortunately,
outside forces had caught up to
Walled
Lake
after all... and had
crippled the one thing that had attracted people and wildlife here for
centuries.
Crowded cottages of the
early 1900s had no septic systems
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A very Special Thanks
to the Walled Lake City Library for the use of their historical archives
visit them at www.walledlakelibrary.org
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This history brought to you courtesy of Lori Marshick...your
neighbor, your realtor
View from
Maple Road
in 1970s
Copyright © 2000-2005 Lori Marshick,
Inc. All Rights Reserved
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