| Lake Orion, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
| Nickname(s): LO Town | |
| Location in the state of Michigan | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Oakland |
| Government | |
| • Village Council President | William Siver |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Land | 0.8 sq mi (2.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 984 ft (300 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,973 |
| • Density | 2,333.3/sq mi (900.9/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 48359-48362 |
| Area code(s) | 248 |
| FIPS code | 26-44940[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0629989[2] |
| Website | http://www.downtownlakeorion.org |
Lake Orion (pronounced OR-ee-un) is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census.[3] "Lake Orion" is often used to describe both the village and the much larger Orion Township, of which the village is a part.
The village and township are home to Lake Orion High School, Bald Mountain State Park, Indianwood Golf and Country Club, Canterbury Village, the Scripps Mansion, and a General Motors manufacturing plant, Orion Assembly.
Lake Orion originated as a resort town and over time has incorporated elements of a bedroom community. At the turn of the twentieth century, the town featured a small amusement park near Park Island on Lake Orion. It included a wooden roller coaster and carousel.
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Judah Church and Moses (or Samuel) Munson were among the first settlers. Munson, who arrived in 1824, built a sawmill in 1825, and planted the first orchard. Jesse Decker arrived from upstate New York with his wife, Mary, in 1825. Decker proved to be energetic and became "everything to everybody", so that the place soon became known as "Decker's Settlement".[4] The settlement grew into a bustling commercial center with a sawmill, tavern, post office, general store, blacksmith shop, school and cemetery.
In 1830, Jesse Decker raised the first frame barn in the area with the help of local Indians. The first post office was opened in 1832, with Decker as postmaster.[4] In 1835, a group of settlers gathered in his home and formed a township. By 1836, two persons were licensed to keep taverns in the town, one of whom was Decker.[4] By 1840 Decker owned 440 acres (1.8 km2) of land.
Decker was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1837, and also served as justice of the peace.
The township of Orion was approved by the Michigan Territory in 1835, the same year it applied for statehood. Jesse Decker became the first Supervisor of Orion, with a salary of $2.00 a year.
Another settlement nearby, New Canadaigua, was absorbed by Orion. This land later helped Orion to establish its first public school in 1859. Orion, already well-established, was platted and chartered, also in 1859. In 1862, a fire ravaged Orion, destroying nearly the entire town.[4] Despite this, the town was rebuilt. The railroad that was built in Orion paved the way to mass development in 1872. The great resort era soon followed after another incredible recovery from a fire in 1874. Orion became well known when lumberjacks bringing lumber to Detroit bunked there, and when Lapeer Road, a highway running through Orion, was paved in 1929, permanent residents moved in.
In 1929, Amelia Earhart visited Lake Orion and flew an experimental glider at Scripps Mansion.[5]
Lake Orion was served by trains on the Michigan Central Railroad and DUR interurban.[6] Today, the track east of M-24 has been removed, and the line now serves as the recreational Paint Creek Trail.[7]
The story of the Lake Orion Dragon says that sometime in the 1800s a group of local kids played a prank by building a fake dragon and launching it out in the lake. A number of people saw it and soon Lake Orion was known for its dragon. There are a number of stories around about who made it and how they built it but it is widely agreed that it was a prank.
"That same year [1894] the Lake Orion 'dragon' made its entrance into Orion history. First seen by two ladies near the present Robert’s Rondevoo cove, the animal grew in length as the story grew in listeners. What had started out as an average-sized lake monster was claimed by some to be at least eighty feet long. Detroit and other newspapers joshingly suggested, upon hearing of the behemoth, that Orion residents should 'drink more well water in the future.'"[8] The nickname of Lake Orion High School's sports teams (the Dragons) is derived from this.
Lake Orion is served by the Lake Orion Community Schools school district.
Lake Orion High School is home to a number of athletic and academic teams. The high school has had state champions in wrestling (1990), and baseball and girls golf (both in 2007). The school's robotics and forensics teams and the school band have also been state champions. The Powerlifting team is the only team in school history to have won consecutive and multiple state championships (in 2008, 2009, and 2010). The Lake Orion Dragon Varsity Football team made school history by being the first team in school history to make it to the State Final Game at Ford Field in 2008. In 2010, the Dragon football team won the Division 1 state championship at Ford Field against Plymouth, 21-13, to cap off a 13-1 season. The latest addition to Lake Orion's championship teams is the LOHS Winter Drumline, which competes during the winter season as an indoor unit. The winter line was first formed in 2009-2010 season, and they won the state championship their very first year. The high school's marching band is among the top ten marching bands in the state of Michigan. In 2002, Randy Frye was the Gatorade State Player of the Year (baseball). In 2003, Billy Weaver was the NSCAA State Player of the Year (soccer) and Mr. Soccer winner for Michigan.
The village, along with the township, offers a wide variety of activities and athletics for children as well as adults. Junior sports for the community include LOYBL (Lake Orion Youth Baseball League) and LOGSL (Lake Orion Girls Softball League), as well as the Orion-Oxford Youth Soccer League.
The high school has a football field and soccer-specific field, both with FieldTurf, several baseball and softball diamonds, and a large natatorium. The gymnasium has served as the location for many regional and state championship contests, as well as AAU and Special Olympics events. The "Dragon" is the mascot for all public schools within the district.
The demographics below are for the village only. Refer to Orion Township for the demographics of the entire township.
In the village the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $51,311, and the median income for a family was $71,250. Males had a median income of $51,012 versus $37,802 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,671. About 1.5% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.
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