Metamora History
Metamora got its name from an Indian word meaning "Among the
Hills". This area was inhabited by many Indians and made for
more than one scary moment for the early settlers, most of
which were unfounded as the local Indians were very
friendly. One such account was told by Mrs. Arzelma
(Thompson) Fricke about an experience that happened to her
Great-Grandmother. Lucy (Carpenter) Hoard was left alone
with three small children at the Hoard House where they were
living as well as operating the hotel while her husband
Lorenzo, went into Pontiac, probably for supplies. The north
part of town was still all woods. She looked out the back
window of the hotel and saw an Indian there making motions
to her and she was very frightened. Finally she discovered
that he meant her no harm but had killed a deer north of the
village and had lost his hunting knife. Having no way to
dress the deer, he wanted to borrow a knife. When he
returned the knife, he also brought a quarter of the deer to
show his gratitude. Metamora got its start as it was on the
main trail from Fort Detroit to Fort Mackinac. It was first
recognized as a town in 1838 (although some references make
that 1836). One of the most famous settlers was Lorenzo
Hoard, he passed through Metamora in the late 1830's and
returned in the early 1840's and purchased land to establish
residency so he could get a license to run a hotel. In 1842
he purchased the original town store and enlarged and
outfitted it as a hotel. This became known as the Hoard
House and is now known as the White Horse Inn.
Today Metamora is Located about 1 mile East of M24 on Dryden
Rd. between Oxford and Lapeer. It is still a small town with
several unique shops including Design Works Custom Jewelry
Studio and Gallery, and of course the White Horse Inn. The
town is widely known for its Hunt Clubs and Balloon
Festivals and is rapidly growing, but still maintains its
small town feel. With its beautiful rolling hills, scenery,
and just a short commute to Detroit or Flint, Metamora is a
wonderful place to live.
4010 S. Main St.▲
Metamora▲MI▲48455▲Phone
810-678-3537
877-311-3537▲Fax 810-678-8023 |
