Two railways came together here. The Grand Trunk Railroad was built through the region in the 1880s, and the West Bloomfield Trail now follows its path. By 1900, a light rail trolley line also ran along Orchard Lake Road and turned to run beside this part of the Grand Trunk line. Built in 1899, it was one of many trolley systems in southeast Michigan that were bought by the Detroit United Railway in 1901 to carry people and freight within Detroit and between surrounding towns.