Grand River Avenue

Novi grew alongside major transportation, and Grand River Avenue served as the community's historic corridor. Its first segment was cut through the landscape in the 1830s from Detroit to Brighton, and many of Novi's earliest settlers were merchants along the avenue pursuing commerce with farmers and travelers. In the 1870s, the Pere Marquette Railroad built a storage depot where the rails crossed Grand River Avenue, giving local farmers unequaled access to markets. In the early 20th Century, the first automobiles carried city dwellers along this route to Walled Lake's booming resort attractions. The name Novi was chosen in the 1830s as a shorter alternative to the community's original name of West Farmington.

Novi, Michigan · United States