John Bell, Diane Andreassi Lyon Township

Annotation

Lyon Township and the unincorporated hamlet of New Hudson are nestled in the southwest corner of Oakland County. They have a rich history of agricultural production. Early 20th-century records show that farmers and families socialized closely with their neighbors in the nearby village of South Lyon when the hard work of the day was done. New Hudson supported two general stores, a tavern, a post office, schools, and churches. However, the start of the I-96 expressway in the 1950s took commuters off the streets and away from local businesses, causing some to close. By the 21st century, the tides turned again, when the proximity to the expressway brought attention to the community and heralded in a new construction boom, earning Lyon Township the distinction in 2012 as one of Michigan,s fastest-growing communities.