Lakeville
Lake - From Mill Pond to Large Lake
Although water is necessary for hydration, it can also be harnessed for energy to be used for sawmills and gristmills, which were typically the first industries in a pioneer settlement. Sawmills were used to cut timber into lumber to build homes and businesses, while gristmills were used to grind grain into flour. To build such a mill, the correct site needed to be found featuring one crucial element - a proximity to running water. A stream would be dammed up to create a mill pond and a mill race to carry the water to the mill, where it turned a water wheel.
One such mill pond was created in Addison Township in 1830 by Sherman Hopkins of New York. According to the "Oakland County Book of History", by Arthur A. Hagman, Hopkins built a 6-foot dam to create a mill pond at the south end of what is now Lakeville Lake. This flooded several smaller lakes to the North, creating the current large lake - resulting in a lake that is partly natural and partly man-made.
Addison Chamberlain - the township's namesake - moved to the area in 1832 and built the first house in the village of Lakeville. He proceeded to build a tavern that he eventually expanded to include a store and a post office. Chamberlain then proceeded to build a gristmill south of his tavern.
As can be expected, a community grew around the gristmill, with the village of Lakeville becoming the commercial hub of the area. Stores, taverns, a foundry, churches, and schools were built to accommodate the growing population.
The Chamberlain Mill burned down in 1846 and was purchased by a Charles Chapel, who built another mill that was purchased by James Dunn of Scotland in 1923.
Dunn converted the mill into a general machine shop, sawmill and boat works. His son, Ceol, ran the boat manufacturing end, producing both inboard motor boats and row boats. The Dunns also built surf boards that bear a resemblance to today's water skis as they were towed behind boats. These surf boards varied in size - some were equipped for one person while others could accommodate several people.
Over time with more people building cottages and moving onto Lakeville Lake, conflicts arose over the use of water to generate power for the Dunn's shop. Lakefront property owners believed their property values were being negatively affected by the lowering of the water level. However, the Dunns maintained that they needed the power from the water wheel. In a court battle that ended up at the Michigan Supreme Court, it was found that the Dunns were within their legal right to use the water as stipulated by their original deed, which granted them the use of the water "as it flows" to power their machines.
However, this was not the end of the battle. In 1958, the Lakeville Lake Property Owners Association worked with the Oakland County Drain Commission and the Board of supervisors to establish a water level for the lake. Yet, since the Dunns still had legal rights to the water flow, nothing was resolved until 1963, when the water rights of the Lakeville Mill property were sold to the State of Michigan for the exact cost to convert the mill to operate on electricity.
Copied from the Oakland Lakefront
Although water is necessary for hydration, it can also be harnessed for energy to be used for sawmills and gristmills, which were typically the first industries in a pioneer settlement. Sawmills were used to cut timber into lumber to build homes and businesses, while gristmills were used to grind grain into flour. To build such a mill, the correct site needed to be found featuring one crucial element - a proximity to running water. A stream would be dammed up to create a mill pond and a mill race to carry the water to the mill, where it turned a water wheel.
One such mill pond was created in Addison Township in 1830 by Sherman Hopkins of New York. According to the "Oakland County Book of History", by Arthur A. Hagman, Hopkins built a 6-foot dam to create a mill pond at the south end of what is now Lakeville Lake. This flooded several smaller lakes to the North, creating the current large lake - resulting in a lake that is partly natural and partly man-made.
Addison Chamberlain - the township's namesake - moved to the area in 1832 and built the first house in the village of Lakeville. He proceeded to build a tavern that he eventually expanded to include a store and a post office. Chamberlain then proceeded to build a gristmill south of his tavern.
As can be expected, a community grew around the gristmill, with the village of Lakeville becoming the commercial hub of the area. Stores, taverns, a foundry, churches, and schools were built to accommodate the growing population.
The Chamberlain Mill burned down in 1846 and was purchased by a Charles Chapel, who built another mill that was purchased by James Dunn of Scotland in 1923.
Dunn converted the mill into a general machine shop, sawmill and boat works. His son, Ceol, ran the boat manufacturing end, producing both inboard motor boats and row boats. The Dunns also built surf boards that bear a resemblance to today's water skis as they were towed behind boats. These surf boards varied in size - some were equipped for one person while others could accommodate several people.
Over time with more people building cottages and moving onto Lakeville Lake, conflicts arose over the use of water to generate power for the Dunn's shop. Lakefront property owners believed their property values were being negatively affected by the lowering of the water level. However, the Dunns maintained that they needed the power from the water wheel. In a court battle that ended up at the Michigan Supreme Court, it was found that the Dunns were within their legal right to use the water as stipulated by their original deed, which granted them the use of the water "as it flows" to power their machines.
However, this was not the end of the battle. In 1958, the Lakeville Lake Property Owners Association worked with the Oakland County Drain Commission and the Board of supervisors to establish a water level for the lake. Yet, since the Dunns still had legal rights to the water flow, nothing was resolved until 1963, when the water rights of the Lakeville Mill property were sold to the State of Michigan for the exact cost to convert the mill to operate on electricity.
Copied from the Oakland Lakefront
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.