History of Waterford, Michigan

To understand the history of Waterford, we must go back to when land was being
sold to settlers. Michigan was part of the Northwest Territory owned by the British.
By the treaty of peace in 17! between the "nited #tates and $reat Britain, this
area became a part of the "nited #tates, but British Troops were not actually
e%acuated until &uly 1', 17(). When they left, *aptain Moses +orter took possession
of ,ort -etroit. $eneral .rthur #t. *lair was appointed the /rst go%ernor.
0n &anuary 112, *ongress passed an act for the organi3ation of the Territory of
Michigan. 0n 11!, *olonel 4ewis *ass was appointed third go%ernor and he formed
the boundaries of 5akland *ounty in 11(. Waterford became a township in 1!6
and in 1!7 Michigan became a state.
.fter the war of 11', %eterans were being gi%en parcels of land to settle. 0n 112,
#ur%eyor7$eneral 8dward Ti9n had the area of Michigan outside -etroit sur%eyed
for granting land to the %eterans. The report was so discouraging as to the condition
of the land and the surrounding area, the %eterans were gi%en land in 0llinois and
5hio instead. This report was one of the main reasons for the delay in settlement of
Michigan.
-uring the time Michigan was part of the Northwest Territory, there were two main
0ndian Nations: the .lgon;uin <who were tribes of the =uron, 5ttawa, 5>ibwas,
+ottawatomie, Miami, #auk, #ashabaw and others?, and the 0ro;uois. The .lgon;uin,
farmers and trappers, helped the new settlers as they mo%ed westward. The
0ro;uois were warlike and were /nally defeated to >ust a few by the .lgon;uin@s who
had the help of the soldiers. By the time the settlers %entured into Waterford
Aillage, there were few 0ndians li%ing in the area.
By the end of 11, a land o9ce was set up in -etroit and parcels of land were sold.
0n the later part of 11 Ma>or and Mrs. 5li%er Williams, Mr. .nd Mrs. .lpheus
Williams, both formerly of MassachusettsB *al%in Baker, &acob 8ilett, and *olonel
Beaufait made a >ourney to 5akland *ounty on horseback.
The party returned after three or four days with specimens of Cowers, trees, and
shrubs. 5li%er Williams and .lpheus Williams, his brother7in7law, entered the /rst
land purchase for D'.11 an acre. .rchibald +hillips and .lpheus Williams purchased
1)1.61 acres in what became the Aillage of Waterford.
0n 11(, Mr. .nd Mrs. .lpheus Williams, their four daughters and two sons, *aptain
.rchibald +hillips and Ma>or and Mrs. 5li%er Williams with their eight children set out
to settle 5akland *ounty. The 5li%er Williams family established the /rst farm
settlement in the county on the banks of #il%er 4ake. .rchibald +hillips and .lpheus
Williams continued on to where the *linton Ei%er crossed the #aginaw Trail <-iFie
=ighway?. This would become the Aillage of Waterford. =ere the /rst house of the
Aillage was built by .lpheus Williams on the north bank of the ri%er. .rchibald
+hillips built his home where .nderson%ille Eoad meets -iFie =ighway. Williams and
+hillips also built the /rst dam where the *linton Ei%er crossed o%er the #aginaw
Trail and erected the /rst saw mill.
0n 1!1, .leFis de Toc;ue%ille from ,rance made a trip into the interior of the
Territory and came back with a description of beautiful land, abundant game,
eFcellent /shing, pristine lakes, and %irgin forests.
-r. $eorge Williams <no relation to the Williams? was the /rst physician in the
Aillage of Waterford though he tra%eled throughout the area. The /rst resident
physician was -r. *harles Eobertson.
The /rst school classes held in 5akland *ounty were in 5li%er WilliamsG sheep barn
in 1'1 where se%en students attended class. . schoolhouse was later built in 1''.
The /rst school was established in the Aillage in 16, on .nderson%ille Eoad across
from #teHen #treet <now a dri%eway?. 0t was also used by the Methodist for church
ser%ices. 0n 17177' a two story brick building was built where the present school of
Waterford Aillage is now located. 0t burned and was rebuilt in 1(11.
The /rst cemetery was deeded by .rchibald +hillips to $o%ernor *ass for burial
purposes in 1'). The /rst burial was 5li%er Williams <son of .lpheus Williams? who
died at the age of 17 in 1'1. 5li%er@s sister was the second in 1'). .lpheus
Williams died &uly (, 1' at age )' and his wife, .bigail, died #eptember 2, 1') at
age 2. Both .lpheus and .bigail are buried there. That cemetery is still in
eFistence at the end of *lipper *ourt. .rchibald +hillips died in -ecember 167. We
do not know where he is buried.
The /rst post o9ce in Waterford Township was established in 1!67!2 on the north
shore of 8li3abeth 4ake. The /rst Aillage post o9ce was established in 1)2 when
&ohn 5wen ran the $eneral #tore <later to become &acober@s #tore?.
The /rst store in the Aillage was the home of .lpheus Williams where he kept of few
shel%es of staples. .fter his death, the land eFchanged hands many times. 0n 1!77
!, Merrick and Bruce purchased it and built the /rst established store neFt to the
original home of .lpheus Williams.
0n 126, =orace =untoon and &ohn $riHen built a store on the #outhwest corner of
.nderson%ille Eoad and -iFie =ighway. We know it as &acober@s #tore. 0n 1('7 =enry
,ord purchased the store from .ugust &acober for D711. The store was set up and
currently stands in $reen/eld Aillage.
The church building, erected in 1)(, is still standing at 2)1 .nderson%ille Eoad
near -iFie =ighway. 0t was reno%ated in 1(7) and is owned by Waterford Township.
The historic district of Waterford Township includes -iFie =ighway, a block north and
south of .nderson%ille Eoad, then .nderson%ille Eoad between -iFie =ighway and
.irport Eoad, south on .irport road to the EE tracks. The homes and businesses of
the area were researched in 1(7) by the early Waterford =istorical #ociety. 0n 1(77,
the Waterford =istoric -istrict was placed on the National Eegister of =istoric +laces.
Ma>or 5li%er Williams
I '11 Waterford Township =istorical #ociety. .ll Eights Eeser%ed.