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In 1850 a young man named
William Peters came to Columbiaville to work for the Nivers in
their sawmill. In 1852 he concluded to engage in business for
himself and built a two story building at the corner of Lapeer and Middle
Street, which he opened the first store.
There after, Mr. Alfred Pettit builds a
wagon shop, and later Reuben McArthur erected a building at the north end of
of Lapeer Street for a store but did not use it. It was sold to John and
Peter VanDyke who enlarged it and fitted it for a hotel. It was later sold
to a man named Farrel and thus became called Farrel House. Later the name
was changed to the Columbiaville Exchange owned by Elson Walt, later a
Lapeer County Sheriff.
The village continued to grow with the inclusion of a large Steam Grist and
Flouring Mill, built by William Peters. The Detroit and Bay City
Railroad chose to route through Columbiaville and was opened to the public
in 1872. The first depot was a wooden structure located on the east side of
the track at Pine Street. In 1893 the brick depot was erected by William
Peter, with the provision is the deed that all passenger trains were to stop
in Columbiaville. The railroad provided great means of transportation and
opportunity for the village.
In 1892 the Peters along with
Toledo workmen, built the William Peters Mansion. They moved into the
sixteen room Mansion in 1896. Mrs. Peters stated that the location of the
home was chosen for convenience of being right downtown in the center of
activity. Peters soon after became ill and died on October 23, 1899, at age
75. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.
The first automobile traveled
into the village in 1903, and was not initially well accepted by all
residents. The first gas station in the village was established in the early
1900's by Standard Oil Company. Early automobile dealers were Roy
Osborne, who built a large garage and dealership display on Water Street in
1920. Thomas Ward established Willey's Overland Garage in the 1920's.`
The Columbiaville Rotary Club
was chartered on September 8,1947 and was sponsored by the Lapeer Rotary
Club. Lewis Wood, Superintendent of Schools, was the first President. In
1960 the club purchased the Depot, remodeled it for use as a meeting place
and made it available to the public. Through contacts in Rotary, the Modern
Manufacturing Company moved it's factory into the Woolen Mill facility which
has provided employment and has been a great asset to the community. The
Rotary Club has participated in many activities in the community.
Columbiaville has grown to
become a close community with devoted residents, numerous family
events, beautiful scenic views, and a great history, truly making it a 'nice
place to have roots'.
Information gathered from :
'Footsteps Into the Past - A
history of the Columbiaville Area'
Written by Robert L. Blue
and sponsored by the
Columbiaville Historical Society
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