Four Towns, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Four Towns, Michigan
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 Four Towns, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Oakland |
| Townships | Commerce, Waterford, West Bloomfield, and White Lake |
| Settled | 1830 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
48327 (Waterford)
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| Area code(s) | 248 |
| FIPS code | 26-84240 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627218 |
Four Towns is a small, unincorporated community in Oakland County, Michigan. It's special because it's located right where four different townships meet. These townships are Commerce, Waterford, West Bloomfield, and White Lake. Since it's not a city or a village, Four Towns doesn't have its own official borders or population count. It uses the same ZIP Code as Waterford, which is 48328.
Contents
Early Days in Four Towns
Who Settled Here First?
The first person to settle in the area that became Four Towns was Harley Olmstead. He came all the way from Rensselaer County, New York, in 1830.
Two years later, in 1832, John K. Dewey arrived from Windsor County, Vermont. He built the very first frame house in Four Towns. That same year, Nathan R. Colvin moved his family from Clarendon, Vermont. He built a farmhouse in Four Towns too.
Four Towns Post Office
Four Towns had its own post office for many years. It opened in 1856 and closed in 1902. It was called "Four Towns P.O." because it was located where the four townships met. Squire Cooley was the first person to be in charge of the post office.
The Church and Schoolhouse
Four Towns Methodist Church History
The first church in Four Towns was the historic Four Towns Methodist Church. In 1866, a schoolhouse was built on land given by Nathan R. Colvin. This building was located at 6451 Cooley Lake Road in Waterford Township, Michigan.
From 1866 until 1930, this building was used as both a school and a church. After 1930, it was mainly used for church activities. When Four Towns was very small, church services were held every two weeks. Sunday school was held every week during the summer. Today, the church is officially known as Four Towns United Methodist Church.
The First School Buildings
The very first schoolhouse in Four Towns was made of logs. It was built on the town line, on part of H.L. Hunt's farm. Soon, the log schoolhouse became too small for all the students.
So, a bigger schoolhouse was built in 1866. This new building was on land that Nathan R. Colvin donated. This schoolhouse is still standing today and is used as a church. You can find it on Cooley Lake Road and Lochaven Road.
Four Towns Cemetery
Nathan R. Colvin also gave some of his land for a cemetery. The first recorded burial in the Four Towns Cemetery happened in 1839. It was for a baby named Martha A. Coyles, who was only 7 months and 18 days old.
As of 2016, there have been 286 burials in the Four Towns Cemetery. Many early settlers and their families are buried there. This includes Nathan R. Colvin (who lived from 1792 to 1873), Harley Olmstead (1803–1885), and John K. Dewey (1796–1887).
