The area that became Keego Harbor was first named around the turn of the century by an early real estate entrepreneur, Joseph E. Sawyer, a former Pontiac lawyer, who had visions of a "dream community" that would become the working-class man's version of Florida's Miami Beach. In the 1920s, Sawyer published a book, Keep Your Eye on Keego Harbor that was used to promote his community and entice prospective buyers to settle on this land surrounded by beautiful lakes. In addition to platting the area on the south side of Orchard Lake Road into the Keego Harbor subdivision, Sawyer also built a canal from Cass Lake to Dollar Lake, creating a harbor. The name, Keego, is an Indian word meaning, "big fish," and the waters surrounding the community of Keego Harbor-Cass, Pine, Orchard, Elizabeth, Sylvan, and Hammond lakes-are full of slender Keego fish and more. Excerpt from the Song of the Heron: Reflections on the History of West Bloomfield by Charles Martinez.