What was once the summer home of Chief Pontiac of the Ottawas is now the home of the Pontiac division of General Motors. A group of Detroit businessmen established a village here that became a way station on the wagon trail to the West. The Pontiac Spring Wagon Works, in production by the middle 1880s, is the lineal ancestor of the present industry. Today, a revitalized Pontiac is easily accessible by car or train; the Wolverine train travels daily between Pontiac and Chicago, making the town convenient for a weekend getaway to the Windy City. Pontiac is surrounded by 11 state parks, and 400 lakes are within a short distance.