Waterford Hill (Michigan) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waterford Hill
Waterford Hill Location in Michigan
Highest point
Elevation	1,150 ft
Geography
Topo map	USGS 7.5' topographic map Waterford Hill, Independence Township, Michigan
Geology
Mountain type	Summit

Waterford Hill is a cool spot in Independence Township. This area is part of Oakland County, Michigan. It's about half a mile north of Waterford Village.

Waterford Hill is known as a summit, which means it's a high point. It stretches out quite a bit! You can find it from Dixie Highway in the east to Maple Lane in Moon Valley in the north. To the west, it reaches Parview Drive and Greens Lake. To the south, it goes all the way to Van Norman Lake.

This hill stands at 1,150 feet tall. That makes it the second highest spot in Independence Township. The very highest point is Pine Knob, which is 1,201 feet tall. Pine Knob is only three miles away from Waterford Hill.

How Waterford Hill Was Formed

Waterford Hill and other hills in the Great Lakes region were created a long time ago. This happened about 14,000 years ago. Back then, huge sheets of ice called glaciers covered the land.

As these giant glaciers slowly melted and moved back, they left behind lots of dirt and rocks. These piles of debris are called moraines. The moving glaciers also helped form more than thirty lakes in the township.

Waterford Hill's History

The first person to buy land in Independence Township was John Wheeler Beardslee. He came from New Jersey and bought his land in 1826. He then moved there in 1831.

By 1834, almost all the land in the southern part of Independence Township was bought. This included the areas that later became Waterford Hill.

Over the years, many different people owned parts of Waterford Hill. One of them was Stephen Moon. He owned 120 acres on the north side of the hill from 1854 until he passed away. The area where his farm was is now called Moon Valley.

In the 1870s, Moses Beardslee owned a large apple farm on the south and west sides of Waterford Hill. He had 162 acres and also ran a cider mill there.

Jeremiah Ganong owned 155 acres on the eastern side of Waterford Hill.

From 1886 to 1912, Zenas Van Norman owned a lot of land along the southern side of Waterford Hill. A pond in that area was later named Van Norman Lake after his family.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Ernest W. Seaholm owned 135 acres on the southern side of Waterford Hill. He was an important person at Cadillac cars. He also helped plant the many pine trees that you see on the hill today. Birmingham Seaholm High School is named after him.

Developing Waterford Hill

Before homes were built, Waterford Hill had two fruit tree farms. In 1956, Samuel W. Leib bought most of the southern side of the hill. He worked with Donald E. White to build homes there. They named the new neighborhood Waterford Hill Manor.

The first part of this development included building streets like Balmoral Terrace and Wellesley Terrace. Olympus Circle, which is at the very top of Waterford Hill, is the highest street in Independence Township.

In 1969, more streets were added in the second part of the development. This allowed even more homes to be built.

By 2013, there were 265 homes in Waterford Hill Manor. In 2016, about 609 people lived there.

In 1987, another building project started on the northern side of Waterford Hill. New streets were built, and condominiums were added. These homes were called Clarkston Bluffs.

Lakes Around Waterford Hill

The Clinton River flows around Waterford Hill. It connects four lakes that surround the hill:

• Greens Lake is 117 acres big and 55 feet deep. It was named after John Green, who owned a farm along its eastern shore.
• Lester Lake is 12 acres big and 25 feet deep. It was named after William Lester, an early settler.
• Van Norman Lake is 66 acres big and 90 feet deep. It was named after Zenas Harvey Van Norman, who owned land along its northern shore.
• Townsend Lake is 26 acres big and 55 feet deep. It was named after Townsend Carpenter Beardslee. He was the first white child born in Independence Township.