Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,959 at the 2000 census, making it the 12th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the second-largest city in Oakland County after Farmington Hills. Troy has become a business and shopping destination in the Metro Detroit area, with numerous office centers and the upscale Somerset Collection mall.
In 2008, Troy was ranked 22nd on a list of "Best Places to Live" in the United States by CNN Money, using criteria including housing, quality of education, economic strength, and recreational opportunities. In 2008, Troy ranked as the fourth most affordable U.S. city with a median household income of $90,000.
The first land purchases in what became Troy Township were recorded in 1819 in section 19. The first settlement, known as Troy Corners, originated two years later when Johnson Niles purchased 160 acres in what is now the north-central portion of the city. Four years later, Ira Smith built the first house at Big Beaver Corners, and the first public school opened at Troy Corners. Troy Township was organized on May 28, 1827. The City of Troy was incorporated in 1955, mainly as a way to prevent neighboring cities (Clawson, Royal Oak, and Birmingham) from incorporating any more of its land into their cities.
In 1966, I-75 was completed in Troy, which increased access to and from the city. This gave a major boost to Troy's economy, leading to the development of its civic center, school district, and recreation system.
The Troy Historical Museum is a free-to-the-public, town-square-like museum chronicling the different stages of Troy's progression from first inhabitation to the city it has become today. Located at the corners of Livernois Road and Wattles Road, the museum is located behind the old city hall building. Open year round, the museum has ten original, complete structures which patrons may enter and observe how they functioned in the past and how they were decorated, as all buildings are full of artifacts from that period. Each structure is original and was painstakingly moved from its original location to the museum intact. Starting with a log and mud structure used by the first settlers, there is also an 18th century schoolhouse and estate, a general store, a blacksmith's shop, a church along with the pastor's home, and the old city hall, which acts as a general museum. There is a gazebo in the center of the square which will host parties and period bands during annual festivities. Many schools from around the area plan field trips to the museum, and the church is also available for weddings.