5 Berkley History Facts You Should Know

"Images of America: Berkley" brings to life the city's history, from the 1800s through the present, with photos and rich accompanying text.

The 127-page history book is the crowning of achievement of authors James Jeffrey Tong, Susan Richardson and Steve Baker, who have compiled a treasure trove of facts including the following:

1. As recently as 100 years ago, farmers tilled fields along Twelve Mile Road using horse-drawn tillers.
2. Vinsetta Garage – now a popular restaurant – opened as a service station in 1919, when steam trains traveled Woodward Avenue.
3. Two tracks, one for a train and one for an interurban transit system, ran along what is now Woodward Avenue in Berkley during the 1920s.
4. A plan in 1964 to build the "Berkley Center" on 30 acres of land never came to fruition. The shopping center was intended to compete with Northland Center and other enclosed malls.
5. The last movie shown at the Berkley Theater, whose marquee remains a downtown landmark on Twelve Mile Road, was Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1993. The art deco building, which was constructed in 1941, is now a drug store.

All proceeds from "Images of America: Berkley" will benefit the Berkley Historical Committee and the Berkley Historical Museum. The book costs $21.99 and is available at the following locations.

• Berkley Public Library
• Berkley Historical Museum
• Berkley City Hall
• Berkley Book Corner
• Durst Lumber
• Barnes & Noble
• Amazon.com
• Costco