South Lyon
Its railroad roots, the unmistakable "Witch's Hat" depot, a historic village in the park, and a laid-back small-town feel at the metro's western edge.
The story
South Lyon started in 1832 as “Thompson’s Corners,” named for a widow named Mrs. Thompson and her son William, who bought land and set up a homestead in what was then dense forest. When the surrounding township was named Lyon — after Lucius Lyon, a Michigan statesman and U.S. senator — the little village took its name from its spot in the south end of it. For decades it was a quiet farming settlement with a general store and not much else.
Then came the trains. In the 1870s and 1880s, three separate rail lines pushed through South Lyon, and the sleepy crossroads became a genuine hub — hotels, grain elevators, and a steady stream of freight and travelers. The railroad was the lifeblood for decades. Today the town’s most beloved landmark is a relic of those days: the “Witch’s Hat” depot, a Queen Anne station with a steep conical turret roof that looks exactly like — well, you can guess. When the rail era faded, the community fought to save it, moved the whole building to McHattie Park, and built a little historic village around it. South Lyon’s the kind of place that survived fires, moved entire buildings to preserve them, and kept its identity intact since 1832.
Did you know?
- The “Witch’s Hat” depot — a 1909 Queen Anne railroad station — gets its name from the steep conical roof on its turret, which looks just like a witch’s hat. It’s the town’s signature landmark.
- South Lyon was originally called “Thompson’s Corners,” after the family that homesteaded here in 1832.
- Three different rail lines once ran through town, turning a small farming village into a busy railroad hub in the late 1800s.
- McHattie Park is home to a whole historic village — the depot, a 1907 schoolhouse, a 1926 caboose, and a 1930s chapel — most of it moved here and lovingly preserved.
- One of the old rail lines is now the paved Huron Valley Rail Trail, a popular route for walking and biking right through town.
Notable locals
South Lyon’s a small railroad town, so its most famous “local” is really a building — the Witch’s Hat depot, which is genuinely one of the most recognizable small-town landmarks in the state.
The town’s named (indirectly) for Lucius Lyon, a U.S. senator and one of the founding fathers of Grand Rapids, though he never lived here. Sometimes a town’s character lives in its landmarks and its history more than its celebrity roster — and South Lyon’s a good example.
