Lyon Township

Lyon Township and the unincorporated hamlet of New Hudson are nestled in the southwest corner of Oakland County. They have a rich history of agricultural production. Early 20th-century records show that farmers and families socialized closely with their neighbors in the nearby village of South Lyon when the hard work of the day was done. New Hudson supported two general stores, a tavern, a post office, schools, and churches. However, the start of the I-96 expressway in the 1950s took commuters off the streets and away from local businesses, causing some to close. By the 21st century, the tides turned again, when the proximity to the expressway brought attention to the community and heralded in a new construction boom, earning Lyon Township the distinction in 2012 as one of Michigan's fastest-growing communities.

Author John Bell has been a Lyon Township resident since 1975 and a volunteer since his retirement from Ford Motor Company in 2000. He served on the Lyon Township Planning Commission, Library Board, and Downtown Development Authority. Bell founded the Lyon Kite Festival that draws thousands of people annually to the community. Author Diane Andreassi is a reporter for the South Lyon Herald and has worked as a writer for a number of newspapers and magazines. She is the author of Images of America: Maltese in Detroit, also from Arcadia Publishing. Hugh D. Crawford represents the 38th District in the Michigan House of Representatives.