Independence Tutors Come To You

About forty minutes north of Detroit on Interstate 75, Independence Charter Township, Michigan is in Oakland County. Aptly named, Oakland County was mostly wooded forest and swampland before widespread American settlement in the years after the building of the Erie Canal in 1825. The first American to purchase land and settle in Independence Township was probably John Wheeler Beardslee who acquired land in 1826 and moved his family from New York in 1831. Beardslee settled on the Sashabaw Plains (now the name of a public park). Beardslee’s family included his wife Elizabeth and four children with two boys and two girls. Elizabeth Beardslee is credited with building the first haystack in the area and was known by other settlers as a good “helpmate.” Beardslee and his family prospered over the years and John lived to be 83 years old. He is buried in the Sashabaw Cemetery. Until the Civil War, Independence was sparsely populated with small farms and residences. After the war, the area became popular as a tourist destination for Detroit vacationers because of its many lakes and streams. Farming, however, continued to be the major economic driver in Independence and by 1877 most of the area’s swampland had been drained to make way for tilled fields. As with many small towns after World War II, the introduction of the interstate highway system brought both commercial and residential development to Independence Township. Today, Independence is a middle-class community with a median household income of $80,000 a year.

It is certain that an Independence Charter Township tutor will keep you caught up on your most demanding academic subjects so you can take time away from the books to enjoy the many things to do in the township. At more than 1,200 acres, Independence Oaks is Oakland County’s largest public park. Independence Oaks offers a variety of recreational activities including boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and athletics. The park has twelve miles of natural and paved trails. It features 68-acre Crooked Lake which is an outstanding site for weddings and special events. In the winter months, the park is open for ice skating, cross-country skiing, sledding and tobogganing.

For winter sports enthusiasts, Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard Resort has 17 ski runs and six chair lifts on 1,200-foot Pine Knob Hill. The resort is home to “The Wall,” considered “most difficult” by skiers, with a totally vertical 330-foot slope. While “The Wall,” “Shaboom,” “Bumper” and “Phase I” cater to the most experienced (and crazy) skiers, Pine Knob also features slopes for intermediate and beginning skiers. The resort hosts annual events and regular racing leagues. The Pine Knob area is also home to a 27-hole championship golf course.

Originally known as Pine Knob Music Theatre and located next door to the ski resort, the DTE Energy Music Theatre is a premier entertainment destination in Michigan. The theatre’s website boasts that DTE is considered “among the top amphitheaters in the world.” Billboard magazine rates DTE as the nation’s most attended amphitheater. The music season kicks off each Memorial Day with a top national touring act. Recent renovations include an updated lawn sound system, video screens and state of the art acoustic paneling.