Editing Novi, Michigan (section)

==History==
[[File:Novi Special Water Tower.JPG|thumb|left|Water tower in Novi, noting "Birthplace [[Novi engine|Novi Special]]"]]
Novi was organized as a township in 1832, on land taken from [[Farmington, Michigan|Farmington Township]]. The name Novi was offered by resident Dr. J. C. Emery, at the suggestion of his wife. Residents were reportedly looking for a shorter name than Farmington.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last = Seeley |editor-first = Thaddeus D. |year = 1912 |chapter-url = http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;sid=eee1b119eae8784addfac0cfaf2bb1c8;q1=Novi;cite1=Oakland%20County;cite1restrict=title;op2=and;op3=and;rgn=full%20text;idno=bad1028.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000534 |chapter = Chapter XXXVII: Novi and Waterford Townships |title = History of Oakland County, Michigan V1: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests |page = 482 |via = [[University of Michigan]] }}</ref>

A local account has said that it was named after the sixth toll gate (No. VI) on the [[Grand River Avenue|Grand River Road]]. However, the township was named in 1832 and the toll road was not constructed until the 1850s. Another account said that it was the sixth stagecoach stop outside Detroit. Similarly, the township was said to be stop six (or VI) on the railroad, but the [[Holly, Wayne and Monroe Railway|Holly, Wayne & Monroe Railway]] (now [[CSX Transportation]]) was not constructed through the township until 1870–71, almost 40 years after the organization and naming of the township.<ref>{{cite web |last = Martin |first = Lou |url = http://www.novi.org/Special/novis-name.htm |title = A Brief History of Novi's Name |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110727131436/http://www.novi.org/Special/novis-name.htm |archive-date = July 27, 2011 |publisher = The Novi Information Network |access-date = October 1, 2016 }}</ref>

Novi was incorporated as a city in 1969 after the approval of a city charter on February 18, 1969, by Village of Novi voters. Charter approval followed an election on May 20, 1968, in which voters approved the incorporation of the city: the vote was 694 in favor and 283 votes against. The charter became effective on February 24, 1969. There had been several previous attempts by organizers to incorporate as a city.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://cityofnovi.org/Community/History.asp |title = History |publisher = City of Novi |access-date = May 2, 2009 |archive-date = July 25, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725173239/http://www.cityofnovi.org/Community/History.asp |url-status = dead }}</ref> The city was incorporated along the boundaries of the existing Village of Novi, and grew quickly in the latter half of the 20th century as second- and third-stage waves of [[white flight]] from the [[Detroit|City of Detroit]] and older suburbs resulted in more extensive [[urban sprawl]] in the region.

===Historic sites===
*The historic Township Hall was originally located on Novi Road, south of Grand River. It was moved to the Novi Library property in the 1980s. It was recently relocated again onto the property that was the site of the [[Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst Farmstead]].
*[[Tollgate Farm]]<ref>[http://tollgate.msu.edu/ About the MSU Tollgate Education Center], Michigan State University Extension</ref> is a 160-acre (650,000m<sup>2</sup>) farmstead and educational center.
*The [[Colonel Samuel White Homestead]] site <ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.michmarkers.com/pages/L0891.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010228021301/http://www.michmarkers.com/Pages/L0891.htm |url-status = usurped |archive-date = February 28, 2001 |title = Colonel Samuel White Homestead |work = Michigan Historical Markers }}</ref> is identified by a Michigan Historical Marker.
*A portion of the original Novi Depot<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Stations/CountyStations/OaklandStations/NoviMI.htm |title = Station: Novi, MI |work = michiganrailroads.com |access-date = May 2, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080513073601/http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Stations/CountyStations/OaklandStations/NoviMI.htm |archive-date = May 13, 2008 |url-status = dead }}</ref> was constructed in 1871 for the Holly, Wayne and Monroe Railroad (now absorbed by [[CSX Transportation]]).
*The [[Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst Farmstead]] was a historic site<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.michmarkers.com/Pages/L2083.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030514093059/http://www.michmarkers.com/Pages/L2083.htm |url-status = usurped |archive-date = May 14, 2003 |title = Jacob and Rebecca Fuerst Farmstead |work = Michigan Historical Markers }}</ref> listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The City of Novi demolished the Fuerst Farmstead in order to develop the site for other historic uses.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.fuerstfarmnovi.org/ |title = Fuerst Farm Novi - Preserving Novi's Past for Novi's Future |work = fuerstfarmnovi.org |access-date = April 15, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110709004929/http://www.fuerstfarmnovi.org/ |archive-date = July 9, 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The north barn was destroyed on July 16, 2008. The farm house was demolished in August 2008.  The south and east barns were dismantled and removed from the site. None of the original buildings of the Farmstead was preserved on the site. But the historic Township Hall was relocated to this site.