Situated in Oakland County, Lake Angelus, Michigan completely surrounds the body of water with the same name.
The city is bordered by Pontiac to the south, Auburn Hills to the north and east, and by Waterford Township to the west.
Lake Angelus is a 470-acre private lake surrounded by a 500-acre nature preserve. It is the first in a chain of lakes leading to the Clinton River. An island, known as Welcome Island, is near the center of the lake.
With a current population of just over three hundred, the city's population peaked at 573 in 1970. Although it is the smallest city in Michigan, Lake Angelus has the fifth-highest per capita income of any city in the state.
Besides Auburn Hills and Pontiac, cities and villages within twenty miles of Lake Angelus include Sylvan Lake, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Lake Orion, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Oxford, Franklin, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Walled Lake, Troy, Ortonville, Wolverine Lake, Utica, Wixom, Lathrup Village, Clawson, and Milford. Detroit is about thirty miles to the south. No major highways enter the city limits of Lake Angelus, but I-75 is to the north, and US-24 (Dixie Highway) is south.
The community was founded in the early 1900s by a group of men who included Elmer Gallogly, Fenn J. Holden, Neil C. McMath, Charles Roehm, Charles Staff, and Hiram Walton, apparently as a religious community. Originally, the settlement was known as Three Mile Lake, which represented the approximate size of the lake from its eastern show to the west.
In the 1920s, Mrs. Sollace B. Collidge led a campaign to change the name of the lake and community to Lake Angelus
Many of the early landowners in Lake Angelus were from Detroit, especially those connected to the auto industry. In the interest of preserving the land and waters of Lake Angelus, these largely summer residents agreed on a set of rules, regulations, and restrictions, in an effort to govern the lake community separate from the surrounding communities.
In the face of threats of annexations by a couple of established cities, the state legislature granted home rule status for Lake Angelus, and the community was incorporated as a village in 1930. In 1984, Lake Angelus became a city.
In 1930, Francis C. McMath, the father of Neil C. McMath, and his brother, Robert R. McMath, partnered with Henry S. Hulbert to build an observatory, a project that Neil eventually joined. Research continued at the observatory until 1979, when the University of Michigan ceased its support for the project.
Today, Lake Angelus is primarily a private residential community. Many of its streets, and the lake itself, are open only to property owners.
Due to the size of the city, it does not provide a large number of services, relying primarily on the private sector and surrounding townships. Its city hall was built at a school building in 1917, but was repurposed as a police station and meeting hall in 1961.
The city does maintain about a hundred acres of public land that includes Welcome Island, Staff Reserve, Sleepy Hollow, the dam that maintains the level of the lake, and a boat launch. The Hulbert Wildlife Shelter is in the eastern portion of the city, near the town hall.
The focus of this category is on the City of Lake Angelus, Michigan. Topics related to the municipality or any businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, or events within the city are appropriate for this guide.
Recommended Resources
Formed around the lake by the same name in Oakland County, Lake Angelus is the smallest city in Michigan, by population, with just over three hundred people. The official municipal website offers an overview of the community, its public safety and building departments, as well as public notices, meeting schedules, agendas, and other documents. Ordinances and the city charter are published not the site, and contacts for the city hall, police department, and assessor are included.
https://www.lakeangelus.org/
The LAYC is a non-profit social organization created to promote recreation, community sailing, boating safety, and pleasure among its membership, which is open to any resident of Lake Angelus, Michigan. Active and social family memberships are available, and dues may be paid online. Featured are a schedule of events, race results, weather, a weekly newsletter, and a photo gallery. The organization's leadership, general contacts, and a contact form are posted, and a private login is available.
https://www.lakeangelusyachtclub.org/
McMath-Hulbert Astronomical Society, The
Established in 1929 as a private observatory by Francis Charles McMath, Robert Raynolds McMath, and Judge Henry Hulbert, the facilities were operated by the University of Michigan from 1932 to 1979, after which it was sold into private ownership again. Staffed by a small, not-for-profit organization of amateur astronomers, the observatory is in Lake Angelus, Michigan. The facilities are highlighted, and membership information is set forth, along with ways to contribute.
http://www.mcmathhulbert.org/
