City of Hazel Park history

Hazel Park School District, which was formerly known as School District Number 8, was founded in 1884.

The shrubbery was mentioned to also be around Pontiac in the 1912 History of Oakland County, and per some accounts, to be quite abundant around Royal Oak Township’s lowlands.

The area remained relatively rural until Henry Ford's Highland Park plant started operations about 1914.

The area where I-75 lies today was also purchased and developed by B.F. Stephenson, as an area where the Stephenson Line trolley was created around 1916.

Until arrangements were made in the spring of 1921 to hold meetings in the Hazel Park Lacey School house, a small group of believers met in the home of Mr. and Mrs.

Attendance to the Bible School grew rapidly and by the winter of 1923 a wood framed 30’x60’ chapel was dedicated as Nine Mile Baptist Mission.

Funds were raised and in late 1925 a permanent brick building was erected along 9 Mile Road west of Berdeno Road.

The trolley reportedly used to fall off the tracks around Goulson Street, according to some accounts. It was removed after 1931, after the closing of the Highland Park Ford plant.

The church continued under this name until 1939 when the name of the ministry was changed to First Baptist Church of Hazel Park.

The museum itself is located in what was the city’s first library, built in 1940.

In 1945, following the end of World War 2, the church found itself without a pastor as the previous pastor Rev.

The first council meeting was held in the foyer of the Hazel Park City Library (which was renamed the John E Erickson Memorial Library after John E. Erickson’s death in 1948).

In 1954, an annex building was added which housed classrooms and office space.

Designed by Josh Machida of Machida and Associates, both buildings were finished by 1970.