In the 1850s, Grand River Avenue became an important route between Detroit and Lansing, though transportation was limited to horseback, wagon, or stagecoach. When the Pere Marquette Railroad was built through Novi in 1871, a station and storage depot were established where the tracks crossed Grand River Avenue, giving Novi farmers and merchants a way to send and receive large volumes of goods. A bridge over the tracks was built later for safety, and Novi's growth was closely tied to its access to the railroad. Perishable cargo on the early trains was preserved with ice cut in winter from frozen lakes in the region.