USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests Volume I > Part 27
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
The dates of the organization of the various townships of the county are given in the state census report of 1874 as follows :
Addison
1837
Oakland 1827
Avon
1835
Orion
835
Bloomfield
1827
Oxford
1837
Brandon
1837
Pontiac
1827
Commerce
1834
Rose
1837
Farmington
1827
Royal Oak
1832
Groveland
1835
Southfield
1830
Highland
1835
Springfield 1836
Holly
1838
Troy 1827
Independence
1836
Waterford
1834
Lyon
1834
West Bloomfield
1833
Milford
. 1834
White Lake
1836
Novi
1832
*ROSTER OF COUNTY OFFICIALS
From this time on, the civil government of Oakland county developed along the usual lines, and is largely a matter of dry records which are open to every citizen. The roster of county officials is given, as follows : County clerks-Sidney Dole, 1820 to January 1, 1827; Elias Comstock, 1827 to January 1, 1837; Horatio N. Howard, 1835 to January 1, 1837; Charles Draper, 1837 to January 1, 1839; Pierce Patrick, 1839 to Jan- uary 1, 1843; Joseph R. Bowman, 1843 to January 1, 1849; John T. Raynor, 1849 to January 1, 1853; Alfred Treadway, 1853 to January I, 1855; Edward W. Peck, 1855 to January 1, 1859; Charles V. Babcock, 1859 to January 1, 1861 ; Zepheniah B. Knight, 1861 to January 1, 1863; Phillip M. Parker, 1863 to January I, 1865; James D. Bateman, 1865 to January I, 1867; John Fitzpatrick, 1873 to January 1, 1875; Theodorus W. Lockwood, 1875 to January 1, 1877; Daniel L. Davis, 1877 to Jan- uary 1, 1881 ; Mark Walter, 1881 to January 1, 1883; Charles M. Fay,
* For prosecuting attorneys see Chapter IX.
Vol. 1-13
1
196
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
1883 to January 1, 1887; Charles P. Grow, 1887 to January 1, 1891 ; Frederick Wieland, 1891 to January 1, 1895; Frederick Harris, 1895 to January 1, 1899; George A. Brown, 1899 to January 24, 1910 (resigned) ; Floyd B. Backcock, 1910 to date.
Registers of deeds-Sidney Dole, 1820 to January 1, 1827; Thomas J. Drake, 1827 to January 1, 1831; Walter Sprague, 1831 to January I, 1835; Francis Darrow, 1835 to January 1, 1837; Morgan L. Drake, 1837 to January 1, 1839; Ransom R. Belding, 1830 to January 1, 1843; Thomas J. Hunt, 1843 to January 1, 1847; E. H. Budington, 1847 to January I, 1851; Theron A. Flower, 1851 to January 1, 1853; Robert W. Davis, 1853 to January 1, 1857; Joel P. Toms, 1857 to January 1, 1859; Charles A. Howard, 1859 to January 1, 1861 ; Daniel A. Button, 1861 to January I, 1869; Robert W. Davis, 1869 to January 1, 1871; Thaddeus A. Smith, 1875 to January 1, 1877; James H. Harger, 1877 to January 1, 1881 ; Ludovic R. Cole, 1881 to January 1, 1885 ; Daniel Morrison, 1885 to Jan- uary 1, 1889; Melvin D. Sly, 1889 to January 1, 1891 ; Gleason F. Perry, 1891 to January 1, 1895; William T. Mathews, 1895 to January 1, 1899; Albert G. Griggs, 1899 to January 1, 1903; George F. Brondige, 1903 to January 1, 1906; Charles H. Glaspie, 1906 to January 1, 1909; Harry S. Gardner, 1909 to date.
County treasurers-William Thompson, 1825 to January 1, 1829; Samuel Saterlee, 1829 to January 1, 1835 ; James A. Weeks, 1835 to Jan- uary 1, 1837 ; John P. LeRoy, 1837 to January 1, 1839; Horace C. Thur- ber, 1839 to January 1, 1843; Bernard C. Whittemore, 1843 to January I, 1845 ; William C. Henderson, 1845 to January 1, 1849; Jacob Hendrick- son, 1849 to January 1, 1851 ; Samuel E. Beach, 1851 to January 1, 1857 ; Harry C. Andrews, 1857 to January 1, 1861 ; Erasmus E. Sherwood, 1861 to January 1, 1863; Robert Yerkes, 1863 to January 1, 1865; Charles C. Waldo, 1865 to January 1, 1867; Lysander Woodward, 1867 to January I, 1871 ; Hiram Voorheis, 1871 to January 1, 1873; Albert B. Simpson, 1873 to January 1, 1877; Alanson Partridge, 1877 to January 1, 1881 ; Erasmus E. Sherwood, 1881 to January 1, 1885; John Allen Bigelow, 1885 to January 1, 1889; George Killam, 1889 to January 1, 1893; James S. Gray, 1893 to January 1, 1895; H. Frank Stone, 1895 to January I, 1899; James L. Hogle, 1899 to January 1, 1903; Judson L. Sibley, 1903 to January 1, 1907; John Power, 1907 to January 1, 1910; George B. Richardson, 1910 to date.
Sheriffs-William Morris, 1820 to January 1, 1828; Schuyler Hodges, 1828 to January 1, 1829; Hervey Parke, 1829 to January 1, 1832; Orisen Allen, 1832 to January 1, 1837; Caleb Buckman, 1837 to January 1, 1841 ; Warren Hunt, 1841 to January 1, 1845; Edward Martin, 1845 to January I, 1849; Moses G. Spear, 1849 to January 1, 1853; Arthur Davis, 1853 to January 1, 1857 ; Clark Beardsley, 1857 to January 1, 1861 ; Austin N. Kimmis, 1861 to January 1, 1865; Samuel E. Beach, 1865 to January I, 1869; William Satterlee, 1869 to January 1, 1871 ; Edwin S. Harger, 1871 to January 1, 1873; Ahizah J. Wixom, 1873 to January 1, 1875; Edwin S. Harger, 1875 to January 1, 1877; Lovett W. Stanton, 1877 to January I, 1881 ; Hiram L. Lewis, 1881 to January 1, 1885; Christopher S. Voor- heis, 1885 to January 1, 1887; Salmon S. Matthews, 1887 to January I, 1889; Martin W. Bloomburg, 1889 to January 1, 1893; Hiram Killum,
197
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
1893 to January 1, 1895; John K. Judd, 1895 to January 1, 1899; Richard D. Belt, 1899 to January 1, 1901 ; William A. Brewster, 1901 to Jan- uary I, 1905; George Greer, 1905 to January 1, 1909; Chauncey A. Har- ris, 1909 to January 1, 1911; Arthur J. Tripp, present incumbent ( 1912.)
Coroners-This office was filled by appointment until October, 1825, when it became elective. The records show the following incumbents : S. V. R. Trowbridge and Joseph Morrison, 1829; S. V. R. Trowbridge, 1832; Pierre Patrick, 1835; Leonard Weed and Orange Foote, 1836; William Terry and Nathan Herrick, 1838; Nathaniel A. Baldwin and Benjamin Marcer, 1840; Daniel V. Bissell and John Vincent, 1842; Jonathan T. Allen, 1844; Jonathan T. Allen and Jacob Loop, 1846; Bela Coggeshall and William R. Marsh, 1848; Elias S. Woodman and Bela Coggeshall, 1850; Archibald Waterbury and Everett Wendell, 1852; Ziba Swan and Harrison Smith, 1854; Charles V. Babcock and Benjamin V. Redfield, 1856; Francis B. Owen and Hosea B. Richardson, 1858; Hosea B. Rich- ardson and Zuriel Curtis, 1860; Stephen Reeves and Corydon E. Fay, 1862; Orrin E. Bell and Abram Miller, 1864; Archibald H. Green and Orange Culver, 1866; Curtis Babcock and John Campbell, 1868; David A. Wright and Carlo Glazier, 1870; Ira Goodrich and John Highfield, 1872; George P. Hungerford and George E. Proper, 1874; George P. Hunger- ford and David A. Wright, 1876; John Lacy and Alexander H. Culver, 1878; George D. Cowdin and John Highfield, 1880; George Niles and Carnot N. Northrop, 1882; Andrew J. Culver and Allen P. Wright, 1884; Andrew J. Culver and George Niles, 1886; Andrew J. Culver and Joseph W. Seeley, 1888; John Lessiter and Nathan J. Smith, 1890; Elbert J. Kelly and John Lessiter, 1892; Chauncey Brace and Charles D. Howard, 1894; Chauncey Brace and Elbert J. Kellogg, 1896; Chauncey Brace and Mason N. Leonard, 1898; Chauncey Brace and Clark J. Sutherland, 1900; Ora C. Farmer and John W. Fox, 1902; Ora C. Farmer and Chauncey Brace, 1908, present incumbents (1912).
County surveyors-Previous to the organization of the county, the ter- ritorial surveyors had run it into townships. Colonel Wampler, Hervey Parke and Horatio Ball had been the most prominent who worked in Oak- land county, and their labors have already been noted. Mr. Ball surveyed the road from Detroit to Pontiac and marked the "royal oak" with the letter "H." The bulk of Captain Parke's work was accomplished in 1821- 9, as is evident from his interesting personal narrative, published else- where.
John Mullet was the first district surveyor and appointed Captain Parke his deputy in 1822. The surveying was in charge of district sur- veyors until 1833, when a county surveyor was elected. Calvin C. Parks held the office in 1833-4, and Captain Parke was elected in the following year ; then came John Southard, in 1837-8; Captain Parke again in 1839- 40, and Mr. Southard in 1841-2. Since 1842 the county surveyors regu- larly elected have been as follows : Hiram Barritt, 1843; Algernon Merri- weather, 1845 and 1847; Sloane Cooley, 1849; John Southard, 1851; Carlos Harmon, 1853; Henry Nicholson, 1855; Hervey Parke, 1857; Reuben Russell, 1859; Hervey Parke, 1861 ; Sloane Cooley, 1863; Elias C. Martin, 1865; Reuben Russell, 1867; Horatio Merryweather, 1869; Julian Bishop, 1875 and 1877; Hiram Terry, 1878; Quincy A. Thomas,
198
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
1880; Joseph Rennier, 1882; Sloane Cooley, 1886; Reuben Russell, 1888; Samuel J. Serrell, 1890 and 1892; Reuben Russell, 1894 to 1902; Frank- lin A. Slater, 1902, present incumbent (1912).
ASSESSMENTS AND TAXES
In 1876 the total assessment and taxes for the twenty-five townships of Oakland county and Pontiac city presented the following exhibit :
Townships
Assessment
*Taxes
Addison
$ 241,440
$ 3,359.52
Avon
542,470
8,735.16
Bloomfield
534,920
8,351.71
Brandon
222,200
4,464.38
Commerce
321,480
4,944.99
Farmington
534,100
9,069.90
Groveland
204,910
3,484.49
Highland
272,010
3,926.83
Holly
330,195
8,428.15
Independence
368,000
6.097.23
Lyon
410,IIO
5,792.59
Milford
420,408
8,539.35
Novi
438,225
6,917.20
Oakland
366,195
5,195.27
Orion
278,110
4,336.99
Oxford
330,750
5,539.66
Pontiac township
368,845
4,645.72
Pontiac city
891,315
34,472.06
Rose
225,890
3,374.39
Royal Oak
285,680
5,384.74
Southfield
375,370
5,712.65
Springfield
260,340
4,081.05
Troy
510,730
6,882.03
Waterford
375,900
6,534.69
West Bloomfield
323,880
5,153.05
White Lake
222,180
3,793.90
Total
$9,655,733
$177,217.70
Following are the figures for October, 1880, showing the real and personal property of Oakland county by townships and the city of Pon- tiac, as equalized by the committee appointed for that purpose by the board of supervisors :
Townships
Real Estate
Personal
Total
Addison
$ 484,620
$110,445
$ 595,060
Avon
1,058,650
296,080
1,354,730
Bloomfield
1,083,950
194,040
1,277,990
Brandon
467,750
92,600
560,350
* State, county, town and school.
199
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
Townships
Real Estate
Personal
Total
Commerce .
$ 634,610
$ 142,130
$ 776,740
Farmington
1,048,550
188,750
1,237,300
Groveland
447,980
47,020
495,000
Highland
620,860
53,170
674,030
Holly
664,450
167,590
832,040
Independence
750,560
134,940
885,500
Lyon
843,060
167,430
1,010,490
Milford
884,830
192,010
1,076,840
Novi
916,155
134,945
1,051,100
Oakland
751,580
142,290
893,870
Orion
562,580
88,480
651,060
Oxford
741,413
152,617
894,030
Pontiac
745,040
110,070
855,IIO
First ward (Pontiac)
278,855
120,515
399,370
Second ward (Pontiac)
298,435
77,105
375,540
Third ward (Pontiac)
434,090
153,760
587,850
Rose
476,280
79,460
555,740
Royal Oak
637,060
54,450
691,510
Southfield
775,090
164,390
939,480
Springfield
574,310
82,460
656,770
Troy
1,039,930
134,580
1,174,5IO
Waterford
755,100
130,320
885,420
West Bloomfield
681,260
127,210
808,470
White Lake
493,660
96,820
.
590,480
Totals
$19,716,188
$3,900,042
$23,616,230
As thus equalized the total taxes levied in the county amounted to $68,888.54, of which the state tax was $33,534.63 and the county $35,- 353.91.
Within the next decade, as shown from the same source for 1890, the real estate of the county had reached a valuation of $19,062,090 and the personal property was assessed at $3,937,910. In 1891 the taxes were apportioned as follows: State tax, $37,821.19; county tax, $41,000.
In 1900 the real estate, as equalized, amounted to $22,084,805 and the personal property, as assessed at $6,695,778; total, $28,740,583. The committee on ways and means apportioned the taxes thus: State, $78,- 961.56; county, $35,000.
For purposes of comparison with the figures of 1880, the value of the real estate, as equalized, and of personal property, as assessed, is given for the year 1911 :
Townships
Real Estate
Personal Property $ 108,755
Total
Addison
$
637,500
$ 746,255
Avon
1,822,950
450,150
2,273,100
Bloomfield
2,400,180
669,750
3,069,950
Brandon
711,205
241,715
952,920
Commerce
661,800
1 50,800
812,600
Farmington
1,405,800
459,450
1,865,250
Fourth ward (Pontiac)
564,680
265,170
829,850
200
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
Townships
Real Estate
Personal
Total
Groveland
$ 515,090
$ 84,175 $
599,265
Highland
748,640
175,375
924,015
Holly
1, 166,325
306,125
1,472,450
Independence
774,200
238,100
1,012,300
Lyon
987,870
255,600
1,243,470
Milford
943,290
170,120
1,113,410
Novi
951,650
136,750
1,088,400
Oakland
757,635
149,450
907,085
Orion
1,001,300
210,235
1,211,535
Oxford
1,193,750
360,930
1,554,680
Pontiac township
834,060
88,170
922,230
Pontiac City
7,392,000
4,703,000
12,095,000
Rose
629,330
87,570
716,900
Royal Oak
1,850,395
331,790
2,182,185
Southfield
1,044,525
168,650
1,213,175
Springfield
588,250
130,400
718,650
Troy
1,222,270
246,450
1,468,720
Waterford
850,960
162,310
1,013,270
West Bloomfield
1,061,975
551,680
1,613,655
White Lake
546,130
94,200
640,330
Totals
$32,699,080 $10,731,700 $43,430,780
As assessed on the equalized valuation the taxes were apportioned for 1911 as follows : State tax, $128,294.08; county tax, $85,670.
POPULATION FOR NINETY YEARS
The population of Oakland county since its organization, according to the decadal enumerations of the United States census bureau, has been as follows :
1820
330 1870 40,867
1830
4,910
1880
41,537
1840
23,646
1890
41,235
1850
31,270
1900
44,792
1860
38,261
1910
49,576
For purposes of more detailed comparison the following table com- prising the last three enumerations of the national census, is herewith presented.
19IO
1900
1890
Oakland county
49,576 44,792 41,245
Addison township, including Leonard village. Leonard village
1,043
1,116
1,139
313
335
276
2,657
2,584
1,946
Avon township, including Rochester village. Rochester village
1,516
1,535
900
Bloomfield township, including Birmingham village. 2,833 Birmingham village 1,607
2,296
2,044
Brandon township, including Ortonville village.
1,129
1,179
1,260
Ortonville village
377
. ...
1,170
899
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
201
Commerce township
986
1,124
1,113
Farmington township, including Farmington village.
1,788
1,753
1,639
Farmington village
564
530
320
Groveland township
772
828
917
Highland township
1,040
1,142
1,393
Holly township, including Holly village.
2,278
2,266
2,120
Holly village
1,537
1,419
1,266
Independence township, including Clarkston village. Clarkston village
345
360
387
Lyon township, including South Lyon village. South Lyon village.
615
657
707
Milford township, including Milford village.
1,660
1,866
1,962
Milford village
973
1,108
1,138
Novi township
1,226
1,245
1,306
Oakland township
702
870
896
Orion township, including Orion village. Orion village
717
756
522
Oxford township, including Oxford village.
1,934
1,990
2,080
Oxford village
1,19I
1,172
1,128
Pontiac city
14,532
9,769
6,200
Ward I
1,858
Ward 2
3,264
Ward 3
2,97I
Ward 4
4,452
Ward 5
1,987
Pontiac township
953
1,016
947
Rose township
842
862
958
Royal Oak township, including Royal Oak village .. 2,80I Royal Oak village.
1,07I
468
Southfield township
1,288
1,378
1,444
Springfield township
821
906
1,064
Troy township
1,507
1,527
1,470
Waterford township
1,065
1,079
1,163
West Bloomfield township
I,II3
999
1,229
White Lake township.
642
718
857
....
The relative rank among the counties of the state has been : 1840,
second, being only exceeded by Wayne, with Washtenaw a close third ; 1850, still second (gaining faster than Washtenaw and being left rapidly behind by Wayne) ; 1860, yet second, but being hard pressed by Lena- wee county, and having only about half the population of Wayne; 1870, fourth, having been overtaken by Kent and Lenawee counties and run- ning neck and neck with Saginaw; 1880, sixth, being exceeded by Wayne, Kent, Saginaw, Lenawee and St. Clair, in the order named, and having about one-fourth the population of Wayne; 1890, eleventh, its ten pre- decessors being Wayne, Kent, Saginaw, Bay, St. Clair, Lenawee, Jack- son, Calhoun, Washtenaw and Berrien (by only 40) ; 1900, twelfth, with some changes in the relative position of Calhoun (seventh), Ber- rien, Jackson and Washtenaw and the displacement of Bay as fourth by Houghton county ; 1910, thirteenth, the order of the counties being
1
1910
1900
1890
1,144
1,19I
1,297
1,427
1,569
1,660
1,393
1,507
1,297
2,012
1,844
202
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
Wayne, Kent, Saginaw, Houghton, Bay, Genesee, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Berrien, Jackson, Huron, St. Clair and Oakland.
INCORPORATED MUNICIPALITIES
From the last "Michigan Manual" is condensed the following re- lating to the incorporation of the cities and villages of the county :
Pontiac-Incorporated as a village by the state legislature, 1837; amended, 1838, 1842, 1843, 1845, 1850. Incorporated as a city by legislature, 1861; act relating to, 1861 ; charter amended 1865, 1869, 1871, 1877, 1881, 1885, 1889, 1905, 1907.
Birmingham-Incorporated as a village by Board of Supervisors in 1864; limits extended by legislative act, 1883; reincorporated by act of legislature, 1885.
Clarkston-Incorporated as a village by Board of Supervisors in 1884; reincorporated by legislative act, 1889.
Farmington-Incorporated as a village by state law in 1867; charter amended in 1869, 1875; reincorporated in 1887; amended, limits ex- tended, 1891.
Holly-Incorporated as a village by state law, 1865; charter revised, 1873; amended, 1893.
Leonard-Incorporated as a village by Board of Supervisors in 1889; reincorporated by act of the legislature, 1893.
Milford-Incorporated as a village by state law in 1869; charter amended in 1871; reincorporated, 1881.
Orion-Incorporated as a village by state law in 1859; charter re- pealed by legislature in 1863; reincorporated by state law, 1869; amended by legislative act, 1879, 1889; reincorporated by act of legislature, 1891.
Ortonville-Incorporated as a village by Board of Supervisors in 1902; by legislative act, 1903.
Oxford-Incorporated as a village by Board of Supervisors in 1876; reincorporated by legislative act, 1891.
Royal Oak-Incorporated as a village by legislative act in 1891.
South Lyon-Incorporated as a village by state law in 1873; and by legislative act in 1885; reincorporated by legislative act in 1891.
THE COUNTY COURTHOUSES
The $100,000 courthouse, which is the home of the government and judiciary of Oakland county, is a gem of taste and an ideal of con- venience and comfort among the public buildings of southern Michigan. Its cornerstone was laid by the grand lodge of Masons of the state of Michigan, August 30, 1904, and the civic ceremonies included addresses by James H. Lynch, president of the day, Daniel L. Davis and others, and music by the Pontiac band. The new court room was dedicated November 1, 1905, the address of welcome being by George W. Smith, circuit judge, and the dedicatory address by Andrew L. Moore. John H. Patterson spoke on "Our Beloved Country," and Chief Justice Joseph B. Moore indulged in a series of interesting "Reminiscences."
The public exercises on November 2d embraced a military parade
203
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
101
OAKLAND COUNTY COURTHOUSE
.
204
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
and exercises at the Howland Opera House. Aaron Perry presided over the latter and delivered an interesting and finished address of welcome. Mrs. Sybil B. Cleary accepted the rest rooms in the basement of the courthouse in behalf of the ladies of Pontiac and Thomas E. Bark- worth delivered the dedicatory address.
The address of welcome to the members of the bar delivered by Judge Smith was so alive with facts and manly sentiment that the chief portion of it-that is, the part which deals more especially with the history of the courthouses which had been the scenes of so much which was dear and important to the profession and the people-is here re- produced : "The first term of court in this city was held in an old log building which stood near the site of the present Hotel Woodward, in the year 1820. Judge Crofoot, in describing this building, spoke of it as without door, floor or chimney. In 1824 a courthouse and jail com- bined was built on the lot where the present jail stands. The first story constituted the jail and was constructed of squared logs. The cells for prisoners were made of six-inch plank sawed at the village of Rochester. The second story was a framed structure and contained a court room with a sheriff's residence adjoining it. No room for offices existed in this building.
"In 1848, there was erected upon the front portion of the present site, a long one-story building with a roof sloping towards the front, with a balustrade on which was painted in large letters the words, 'Oakland County Offices.' In 1858 the courthouse of 1824 and this long, one-story building were abandoned for the courthouse, we of the present generation know as the immediate predecessor of the present building. The cost of that building was $12,000, and of the fire-proof vaults placed therein in 1875, $5,000. Its was dedicated on March 18, 1858, with considerable ceremony and with an eloquent address by Judge Crofoot. Its court room was the home of the circuit court for the county of Oakland until May 20, 1904. On that date the old court room was formally abandoned. Hon. William W. Stickney, of Lapeer, and Justice Joseph B. Moore, of Lansing, ex-judges of this court, were present. Also the members of the Oakland county bar, and a large number of representative citizens. A scholarly and most appropriate address, one that ranks well up with that of Judge Crofoot, was de- livered by the Hon. Aaron Perry, president of the bar, and the next day the beloved portraits that had so long been a part of the room were taken down from its walls.
"In speaking of this room, Mr. Perry said: 'During the last forty- six years this room has on many occasions resounded to the melodious cadences and fiery appeals of eloquent advocates, as well as to some speeches that have been dull and commonplace-to speeches that have fired the jurors with indignation, or suffused their eyes with tears- and to some that have lulled their wearied minds to involuntary slumber.'
"It was never well arranged for a court room and it had no archi- tectural beauty. But what the old room lacked in beauty, it made up in size. Besides being the home of the court, it was used in the early years for singing schools, lectures, school exhibitions and school elec- tions, and political meetings and farmers' meetings of all kinds. All
205
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
county political conventions were held in it, and there were many times when it was packed to the limit as rival candidates struggled for places upon the county ticket. It is almost literally true that forty-six years of the history of this county was made in that old court room. With it are associated memories of some of the most notable trials, civil and criminal, in the history of the state. With it are associated memories of some of the most diligent and forceful lawyers and judges of the state. I omit their names because others today are likely to refer to them by name.
COURTHOUSE OF 1857-8
"Merely as a matter of future history, it should be stated that from May 20, 1904, to the present time, the county officers, with their files, books and records, have been quartered in the Davis block (so-called) and the sessions of this court were held in the basement of the Con- gregational church. During that time, many have attended church who had sadly neglected that duty. It is to be hoped that the religious sur- roundings and appropriate mottoes of that basement Sunday school room have not been entirely lost upon the jurors or upon the members of the legal profession. I am quite sure that they failed to sufficiently influence some of the witnesses.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
"To the older members of this bar, the old court room brings back many splendid and precious memories. Its surroundings and the work done there almost became a part of their daily lives. Its splendid his- tory moved them to zeal and activity. The portraits on its walls of the eminent judges and lawyers seemed to inspire as to imitate them not only in professional skill, but in professional courtesy and professional honor. And after all,-what is professional skill to the lawyer, if he has not also professional courtesy and professional honesty? Profes- sional skill alone is merely the power to earn money from the profes- sion of law, and it leaves its possessor without honor, without conscience, without the respect of the community in which he lives, and without the love and confidence of his brethren of the profession.
"And now after forty-six years in the old room and seventeen months of boarding out, we are about to begin life in this new home. The old room is but a memory. The new is a reality. We are not here merely to cherish a memory, but to engage in the activities of the present and to prepare for those of the future. My pleasing duty is to wel- come you to the new room-to rejoice with you because of the new home."
The following history of the movement which resulted in the erec- tion of the beautiful courthouse which has been the home of county affairs since 1904 is thus given by the official publication issued by the board of supervisors under the title "Memorial of the New Oakland County Building:" "It has taken more than three and a half years to evolve the idea and to complete the construction of Oakland county's magnificent temple of justice and place of business for the people. Prior to the spring of 1902, for a long period there were resolutions introduced before the board of supervisors to submit the proposition to the voters of the county.
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