Southfield Area Before 1700
In 1620, the site of Detroit was occupied by an Indian village, Teuch-so-Gion-die, and inhabited by a tribe which is today unknown. In the vicinity, however, were tribes of Hurons, Ottawas, Ojibwas, Pottawatomies, Ottagomies, Miscountins,and Twigtnees or Miamis. Here and there bands of Iroquois and other tribes also were scattered. Between 1649 and 1672, the Iroquois destroyed or sent into exile a number of tribes in the region.In 1694, Antoine de la Mo the Cadillac was placed in command of the French fort at Mackinac, then the most important post in the Northwest. In 1699, he visited France and proposed the establishment of a post at Detroit. Count Pontchartrain, the prime minister of French King Louis XIV, approved this plan and Cadillac landed in Detroit on July 24, 1701. The post he established there was first known as Fort Pontchartrain.
The first stable roads in the metropolitan area were Grand River and Woodward and the first road to pass through the area now known as Southfield was Shiawassee. In 1817, the area was surveyed according to the plan established by Governor Lewis Cass, dividing the state into counties, and counties into townships of 36 sections. Southfield was designated as Township 1N Range 10E, since it was the first township north of the base line (Eight Mile Road) and 10 ranges east of the meridian line.
Sections 8, 9, 30, and 31 were marked Indian Reservations. According to a treaty with Ottawa, etc., of 1807, these lands were given to two tribes of Pattawatmas. Each reservation was named for its Chief; the one in Sections 30 and 31 was called Tonquish; and the one in Sections 8 and 9 was called Segin Siwin. Early farmers found arrowheads in these areas, which coincides with the above information.