Transportation transformed the landscape of rural West Bloomfield as electric trolleys and automobiles appeared around the turn of the 20th century. Many people traveled here for the first time from Detroit and Pontiac, and real estate developers sold lakefront lots. For easier access to beach communities north of the tracks, the Detroit United Railway (DUR) built an overpass to carry its trolleys to the other side of the Grand Trunk Railroad.

The trolleys made it easy to travel through the lakes of Oakland County. In the early 1900s people got off or waited at platforms that were built for access to the track. The Detroit United Railway (DUR) bought land from local farmers for the track and waiting platforms, but taxes on this property forced the railway to charge high fares that later contributed to the demise of the trolley system. Here, where Long Lake Road crossed over the parallel Grand Trunk and DUR tracks, are stairs like those that people used to get on and off the trolleys.

Many Detroiters escaped to nature on the trolleys of the Detroit United Railway (DUR) in the early 1900s. The Orchard Lake Beach stop was located here where the parallel Grand Trunk Railroad and DUR trolley tracks crossed Orchard Lake Road. It was a very popular stop for people enjoying day trips to Orchard Lake for swimming and picnicking. The DUR highlighted local attractions by building trolley stops at lakes, resorts and amusement parks. Over time, the trolley cars became more luxurious, featuring ornate interiors and dining cars. Fares averaged a penny a mile and the electric trolleys could reach fifty miles per hour.