Railroads were vital to the growth and prosperity of Orion and later Lake Orion. The Detroit and Bay City Railroad, a division of the Michigan Central Railroad, reached Orion in 1872 and helped make the area a major farming center, with local shippers sending large quantities of potatoes and rutabagas to market. In 1883, the Pontiac, Oxford and Port Austin Railroad, later the Pontiac Oxford and Northern and finally the Grand Trunk Railroad, established two stations in Orion on its line from Pontiac to Caseville in Michigan's thumb. Rail service also helped the area emerge as a resort destination before automobiles were widely available, bringing vacationers and supporting hotels near the depot and Landing. At the turn of the century, the Detroit United Railway interurban electric cars brought thousands of visitors from places such as Detroit and Flint to enjoy the resort community and amusements on Park Island, while many local youth rode the interurban to high school in Orion or Rochester for a nickel fare. The Pontiac Oxford and Northern Railroad ceased running through Orion in 1955, the Detroit and Bay City Railroad stopped in the mid 1930s, and the village was served by Michigan Central Railroad trains from 1872 to 1976 and by the Detroit United Railway interurban system from 1899 to 1931; their former corridors are now followed by the Polly Ann Trail and the Paint Creek Trail.