John Trowbridge opened a store in 1832 or 1833, near the site of the High School. John Thomas opened a tavern on the northeast corner of Ten Mile Road and Lasher, about this same time. This location became known as Crawford's Corners. In 1833, the Southfield Post Office, opened in the tavern and Thomas was elected Post Master. Township meetings were also held at the tavern and the Michigan Militia trained here. Amos Davis opened a professional weavers shop nearby.
With the opening of the gristmill in 1837, other settlers were attracted to the area. Cornelius Lawrence built a large frame house and opened it as a hotel and tavern. In 1838, John Trowbridge closed his store, and moved his mercantile business and the Post Office nearer to the mill. This settlement became know as The Burg, but later gained the official name of Southfield Center. In 1877, the village contained a flour mill, a Post Office, 2 wagon shops, a Town Hall, and the Methodist Church. The saw mill, which had been built in 1829, changed hands many times. In 1842 Chester Reynolds built a carding and fulling mill as an addition and later, Roberts put in machinery and turned out cloth for a year or two. In 1877, the building was known as Erity Mill.
