Anyone know the history on Stoney Creek Metropark??

Question

Like what was there centuries ago?? Stuff like that....just curious....

OR where i can find such info...

Answer 1

Centuries ago, the land was the hunting grounds of the Chippewa and Huron tribes (they're related).

It was in the 1600s that the first French explorers came through the region and started exploring (Marquette et al). It wasn't until 300 years ago that the fort that has become Detroit was built and white settlers (French from Canada) started inhabiting the area. For most of the next 100 years, the French traders were the only inhabitants in most of Michigan, save the occasional English fort.

No one was living in that area until the 1700s. If you go to the Registrar of Deeds office you can find the original land sales records (and I think you may have access to them through the Archives of Michigan website and the MIGenWeb sites).

As the Northwest Territory developed, more English-speaking settlers came into SE Michigan. They were still following water routes for most of the trek, but would also follow the old Indian trails (hence the name of roads like Ann Arbor Trail). In the late 1700s a French Sulpician priest name Gabriel Richard came to the US and was assigned to St. Anne's church in Detroit. He was a real maverick and pushed hard for Michigan to get statehood. He was actually the first priest to serve in the US Congress.

As a refugee of the French Revolution himself, Fr. Gabriel was constantly looking for ways to help others escape from France. Much of the land out in Washington Twp was donated or purchased by his friends and used to help refugees from France come to the US and start fresh. If you check land transfers, you'll find a large number of French names in the 1810-1840 range.

Eventually, the land was clear cut...first for lumber to build cabins/homes...then for the profit of virgin lumber and the resale of the land (full of stumps though it was) so that potential farmers could clean it up and start farming it. Because of the nature of the land out there, there were massive numbers of stones to remove. That's why you'll see so many stone houses and outbuildings on the old farms out there. It did become a working farm where Stoney Creek is. But eventually the land passed to the county and became part of the county's park system.

Hopefully this is what you're looking for. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Answer 2

From Metroparks literature: Part of it was the hunting estate of the Sheldon Family of Detroit.

From Wikipedia:

Stony Creek Metropark is a Huron-Clinton Metropark located predominantly in Washington Township, MI and Oakland Charter Township, MI, with a small portion in Shelby Township, MI. The park covers 4,461 acres (1,805 ha) with a large lake at it's center.

Stony Creek Metropark completely surrounds a man-made lake built by damming Stony Creek, a tributary of the Clinton River. Stony Creek drains 72 square miles (116 km²) of northern Oakland County and the lake formed from the dams covers 500 acres (200 ha).

Stony Creek Metropark is situated on a moraine which makes for varied landscape. The park has forests, hills, prairies, as well as swamps. The park is also relatively high above sea level, 875 feet (267 m) at the park office, and the highest point in Macomb County is located within the park.

Answer 3

far adequate north you're able to be able to discover a Mississagua, yet impossible. we've chanced on them in places like North branch up in Lapeer county. yet you should extraordinarily lots chop them in a million/2 for one to purpose and strike.