Wayside Sign – Oakland County Boat Club: Centennial 1912-2012 … and Still Going Strong

Many founding members toiled long days in the early automobile factories to gather $500 to buy this site on Sylvan Lake. The first meetings were held in an old shed used for a boat livery. In 1916 the Boat Club was built with rooms for dining, dancing and meetings. The club’s prospects dimmed when returning World War I veterans abandoned their boats for the new automobile craze. Eventually automobiles and the trolley line brought new members to Sylvan Lake looking for relief from the crowded roads and city life.