Mill Town Heritage of Rochester and Avon Township The real estate professional’s mantra that “location is everything” was as true in Rochester’s pioneer days as it is today. Long before the James Graham party led white settlers to today’s Oakland County, its hospitable lakes and streams and the excellent fishing they offered drew native people to the area. Water also attracted the Grahams and those who followed them. It was an essential element to sustain life, and it would power the new … [Read more...]
The Native American Indians of Michigan and their Connection to the Rochester Area
November 20, 2017 by 4 Comments
As Rochester marks the 200th anniversary of its founding this year, have you ever wondered about the native people who lived here before white settlement? According to The Atlas of Great Lakes Indian History, our area’s indigenous population was very small two centuries ago. By the time that James Graham’s family and other pioneers settled Rochester and Avon in 1817, many of the Native American residents of the area had already moved on. Most European-ancestored settlers did not venture … [Read more...]
Founders Day Kicks Off the Bicentennial Year for City of Rochester with VIDEO
March 16, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Founders Day, an annual event, was extra special this year. A larger-than-normal crowd gathered at the Rochester Hills Museum, not only to recognize six new "founders," but also to kick off the start to the City of Rochester's 200th year celebration. Founded on March 17, 1817 by James Graham, Rochester has grown, keeping up with the times, yet holding on to its past. "Small town feel" is alive and well in Rochester. This year's event was held in the 1927 Calf Barn of the Rochester Hills … [Read more...]
Who was James Graham, the Founder of Rochester
March 15, 2017 by 7 Comments
An 1877 Oakland County history book records that on March 17, 1817, a small band of emigrants followed the Clinton River inland from Mount Clemens and stopped at the place we know today as Rochester. Here they founded the first non-native settlement in what would later become Oakland County. The group included James Graham, his wife Mary Vandemark, their son Alexander and his wife, their son Benjamin, and Christopher Hartsough. Descendants of the Graham patriarch would remain in the greater … [Read more...]
Pixley’s Rochester Roots Run Deep
August 15, 2016 by 6 Comments
The Pixleys Come to Rochester In 1831, a farmer from New York State named Jonathan Pixley decided to move his family westward to Michigan. He settled near what we know today as the corner of Avon & John R roads, just 14 years after James Graham founded the first non-native settlement in Oakland County. Today, his descendants operate one of Rochester’s longest-lived family businesses. Vern Pixley feels privileged to run Pixley Funeral Home in association with his son, Andrew. Together, … [Read more...]
