Detroit Alabama was established in the 1870s, Detroit was originally called Millville for the many mills in the area. The first post office was established in the 1880s in the first store to open in the town, which was owned and operated by brothers Jim and Howard Davidson. The town's name was changed at that time to Detroit to avoid confusion with another Alabama town named Millerville. The town built a high school in the 1890s. Businesses in the area included a flour mill, a grist mill (operated until 1939), a sawmill (operated until 1934), and a cotton gin (operated until 1927). The town also had several stores, a salon, a tannery, and a blacksmith shop. Detroit was incorporated in 1955. At about the same time, a textile mill located in the area and employed about 100 people. Oil was found near Detroit in 1970, one of several strikes in Lamar County. Today, the town has its own water system, a volunteer fire department, and a rescue squad. (http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3561)