West Bloomfield, MI

West Bloomfield is a city located in Oakland County, Michigan. The population was 73,527 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area. The city's name comes from its location on the west side of Bloomfield Hills.

The history of West Bloomfield dates back to 1817 when General Henry Proctor and his troops camped on what is now known as Proctor Road just outside the city limits. In 1837, Dr. David Dunbar established a homestead on land that would later become part of West Bloomfield Township. In 1851, Dr. Dunbar sold his farm to James McMillan who built a sawmill and gristmill on the property which became known as " McMillanville." In 1853, McMillanville was platted and named for James McMillan, one of the township's early settlers. The first post office opened in McMillanville in December 1853 with John Wittenmyer as postmaster.

In 1861, after the outbreak of the American Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman marched through West Bloomfield during his historic march from Detroit to Chicago. On July 24th, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered an address at McMillanville while he was on his way to visit General Sherman at Camp Douglas outside Chicago. The speech is now known as "The Great Emancipator's Second Inaugural Address."

In 1865, after the war had ended and West Bloomfield had been annexed into Detroit proper, construction began on what would become Central High School (now Central Michigan University). The school opened its doors in September 1865 with an enrollment of 248 students; it grew rapidly over time and by 1903 had an enrollment of 1,500 students. Central High School played a significant role in shaping West Bloomfield's identity as a center for education and culture in southeastern Michigan; many well-known figures such as Albert Einstein attended Central High School or graduated from nearby universities such as Wayne State University or Michigan State University (MSU).

In 1923, Ford Motor Company opened its first factory in North America at Highland Park just north of West Bloomfield Township; Ford continued to grow rapidly throughout the 1920s and 1930s and by 1945 employed 10% of all workers in Oakland County - more than any other company - making it one of Ford's key strategic locations for manufacturing cars throughout North America. However, by 2000 Ford had ceased production at its Highland Park plant leaving behind acres upon acres of vacant industrial land which has since been redeveloped into new homesites including Willow Brook Estates (one subdivision), Crossroads Village (another subdivision), Arbor Ridge Estates (yet another subdivision), Country Club Hills Estates (a gated community), Whispering Woods Estates (a golf course community) among others; all located within close proximity to each other within walking distance or minutes away via car or bus transportation from downtown West Bloomfield Township.. . . Today there are still several factories located within city limits including Lear Corporation which manufactures automotive parts; BorgWarner Corporation which produces automotive components; DTE Energy which provides electricity to residents and businesses throughout Oakland County; Quicken Loans Inc., one of America’s largest online mortgage lenders with more than 2 million customers nationwide headquartered within city limits; along with several other smaller businesses that contribute significantly to both job growth and tax revenue for City government.. . . Overall economic development has been strong over recent years with numerous new businesses locating within city limits including restaurants such as Pita Pit & Wingstop along Woodward Avenue near I-75/M-10 interchange ; retail stores such as Macy’s & Target along Orchard Lake Road near M-10 interchange ; medical offices including Spectrum Health System , McLaren Regional Medical Center , St John Hospital & Medical Center , UnityPoint Health - Southwestern Campus , Spectrum Health - Midtown Campus ; technology companies like Rackspace Hosting Inc.; banks like Comerica Bank NA ; insurance companies like MetLife Insurance Co., Ltd.; law firms including Foley Hoag LLP ; engineering firms like AECOM Technology Partners LP ; architectural firms like HOK LLC ; landscaping services providers such as Jardiniere Landscaping LLC .....and so much more!