USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County, Michigan, a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 52
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The Catholic church edifice of Royal Oak is located in district No. 6, in the northeast corner of section 15, on a quarter acre of ground given for the purpose by Edmund Loughman, and the first building was erected in the year 1868 under the direction of Rev. Fr. George Mivels, then in charge of the parish. In 1877 he was succeeded by Rev. Louis Hendricks, and the pastors who have had charge of this parish since Father Flen- dricks' time are as follows: Rev. Fr. John M. Schreiber; Rev. Fr. Jer- ome, O. M. C .; Rev. Fr. Paschal, O. M. C .; Rev. Fr. Aloysius, O. M. C .; Rev. Fr. Edward Clark; Rev. Fr. D. P. Coyle; Rev. Fr. J. F. Muer ; Rev. Fr. Luke, O. M. C .; Rev. Fr. Capistran, O. M. C .; Rev. Fr. Fa- bian, O. M. C .; Rev. Fr. Gaudentius, O. M. C. ; Rev. Fr. John F. Need- ham. The present church building was erected in 1889.
The German Evangelical Immanuel's church of Royal Oak was founded in 1880 by Rev. John Andres, who was pastor of the church from that year until 1883 when he was succeeded by Rev. Louis Bach, who served from 1883 to 1885. In 1885 Rev. Otto Keller assumed the duties of pastor of the parish and he has continued in that position up to the present time. In just what year the church was built is not clear, but it is known to be the oldest religious edifice in Royal Oak, first being owned by the Methodists, then the Baptists, then the Lutherans, and in 1880 became the property of the German Evangelical organization. The church has a membership of 50.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
ROYAL OAK SOCIETIES
In January, 1911, a number of Masons formed a corporation to be known as the Royal Oak Masonic Temple Association, and purchased a building which was converted into a Masonic Temple. The building is beautifully located on fine grounds consisting of six large lots at the corner of Fourth and William streets. They then proceeded to form a lodge. Birmingham released jurisdiction of the territory and granted twenty-six members certificates of permission to aid in promoting the new lodge, and on May roth of that year the Grand Lodge granted them a dispensation under which they are now working, and it is expected that the charter will be granted at the annual meeting on May 28, 1912. The following officers were chosen: Charles Hoodless, worthy master ; Louis A. Rickard, senior warden; John C. Mow, junior warden; Charles A. Crane, secretary; and Harry R. Brace, treasurer.
Soon after the organization of the Royal Oak Masonic Temple As- sociation, active measures were taken by the O. E. S. members residing in the village of Royal Oak to form a chapter, and on March 22, 1911, twenty-six members who had petitioned for a dispensation met the grand officers, Worthy Grand Matron Lizzie A. Harrison and Worthy Grand Patron John Rowson, who granted them a dispensation and installed the officers, with Nellie Blair, as worthy matron, and Maurice R. Blair, as worthy patron. Twenty-nine members were added between the granting of the dispensation and the charter, which was obtained on December 13. 1911, being presented by Grand Worthy Matron Emma C. Boice, and the present officers installed : Nellie Blair, worthy matron; James M. Mc- Vicar, worthy patron; Minnie Anderson, associate matron: Della Seig- man, conductress; Lizzie MeVicar, associate conductress ; Marie Clark, secretary ; Catherine Erb, treasurer; Dora Lamb, Adah, Bertha Rob- bins, Ruth; Lettie Russell, Esther; Pearl Lamb, Martha; Annie Har- vey, Electa ; Louisa Patterson, chaplain; Flora Allen, marshal; Julia Lakie. organist : Belle Welch, warder : Charles A. Allen, sentinel. The present membership of the chapter is 60.
Royal Oak Lodge No. 424, I. O. O. F., was instituted March 3, 1892, by Grand Master John Northwood. The first elective officers were as follows: Gilbert M. Newton, noble grand; Frank Norton, vice grand ; Thomas Bruce, recording secretary ; John Tillotson, financial secretary ; George Geddis, treasurer; Richard Rose, P. G.
The present officers of the lodge are: Albert Willson, noble grand; James Willson, vice grand ; Henry Wheeler, F. S. and R. S. ; Louis Storz, treasurer ; James Elsey, P. G.
Court Pride of the Oak No. 24 of the Foresters of America, was organized on the 9th day of February, 1892, at Royal Oak, with the fol- lowing officers: C. F. Quick, chief ranger; R. M. MeClure, sub-chief ranger : George B. Hammond, secretary; Joseph Stauch, treasurer. The present officers of the lodge are : Louis Storz. deputy : William Wheeler. chief ranger: Fred Barnard, sub-chief ranger; Fred Puvogel, financial secretary; Louis Storz, recording secretary; Frank Laish, treasurer : John Schrandt, senior woodward; Fred Esoman, junior woodward; John Laich, junior beadle. Court Pride of the Oak No. 24 has 94 members
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
and meets on the second and fourth Tuesday in each month in Storz hall.
URBAN REST AND FERNDALE
About a mile southeast of the village limits of Royal Oak are two pretty suburbs, or summer resorts, by these names. The former lies partly in the southeast quarter of section 27 and partly in the southwest quarter of section 26, and adjoins Ferndale to the southwest, which is in the northeast quarter of section 34 on the Detroit United Railway. Quite a collection of pretty cottages has been built within the past few years, the owners including several citizens from Detroit and Pontiac.
ROSELAND PARK CEMETERY
Roseland Park Cemetery, rapidly developing into a beautiful home for the dead and a charming and restful breathing spot for the living, is located at the northwest corner of Woodward avenue and the Twelve Mile road, Royal Oak township. It was originally a part of the estate of Jolin Benjamin and was purchased in May, 1908. The cemetery is about equidistant from the city hall in Pontiac and that of Detroit and, lying as it does along Woodward avenue, is in direct line with the center of growth from either direction, and is readily reached by electric trans- portation.
Looking up the central esplanade, which is a concrete roadway, from the main entrance, there is a gentle rise to the undulating ground back as far as the northwestern boundary and the landscape artist has taken advantage of this to make the prospect one of beauty from any point of view. Next the central driveway on either side is a row of low grow- ing trees and shrubbery; a little farther stands a row of a class that develop to greater size and still farther representatives of the tall- est varieties, and the effect of the crescent sweep of foliage from the tops of the tallest trees on one side down to the driveway and up to the tops of the farthest row on the other side is decidedly creditable to the landscape artist. The planting plan throughout is a systematic at- tempt to express similar appreciation of beautiful natural details and the result as a whole is a harmonious, restful blending of art and nature singularly appropriate to a park of final rest.
The cemetery gates, twenty-five feet high and six feet square at the base, are of white Barre granite, and present both a beautiful and im- posing appearance. The entrance as a whole represents an expenditure of $20,000. The public mausoleum is of reinforced concrete construc- tion and is one of the largest in the country ; further, the park cemetery has complete water works and sewerage systems.
The authorized capital of the association is $300,000. Its stockhold- ers comprise nearly four hundred well known people, with the following officers : De Witt H. Taylor, president ; Dr. Angus McLean, vice presi- dent ; A. A. IIare, secretary ; Horatio S. Earle, treasurer ; and J. A. Wendorph, superintendent.
CHAPTER XXXI
ORION AND MILFORD TOWNSHIPS
ORION'S FIRST SETTLERS AND EVENTS-A TOWNSHIP OF LAKES-ORION VILLAGE CHURCHES-MILFORD TOWNSHIP FORMED-THE RUGGLES BROTTIERS-PIONEER MILES-THE PRESENT VILLAGE-MILFORD CHURCHES.
Orion is in the second tier of townships, directly north of Pontiac. and was therefore a part of the original Oakland township, which, by the proclamation of Governor Woodbridge of June, 1820, included the northern three-fifths of the county. It was one of the first sections to be settled.
ORION'S FIRST SETTLERS AND EVENTS
Judah Church and John Wetmore made an entry of land on section 19, in 1819, and Moses Munson, Powell Carpenter, Jesse Decker. Philip Bigler and others took up tracts in the eastern part of the township; buit actual settlement did not commence until 1825. In that year came the leader of all the pioneers, the Jesse Decker mentioned; Munson lo- cated on section 24 and Decker on section 25 in the southeastern portion of the township. The former built a sawmill, broke some ground and planted the first orchard. Although Decker did not arrive until after- ward and the two joined hands and fortunes, the latter proved the most energetic and a splendid "stayer," and the result was "Decker's settle- ment." around which clustered the earliest associations of Orion town- ship.
Mr. Decker was everything to everybody, as will be evident by a casual perusal of the following brief record of the early events and pioneers, prepared by William E. Littell for one of the first meetings of the County Pioneer Society: "I find that the first entry of lands was made in this township in 1819 by Judah Church; the next by Samuel Munson, in 1824, who in the following year built a sawmill on section 24. In the fall of the same year Jesse Decker, Philip Bigler. Jacob Big- ler and John Mc. Alvey settled in the town. Mr. Decker informed me that at the time the timber was very scattering. being oak openings ex- cept in low places, so that he could look over the country and see a deer run for miles.
"Elijah B. Clark and others settled in 1831, and a little later the MeVeans and others, and in 1836 there was a heavy immigration in the tow11.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
"In 1820 the township was made a part of Oakland, which then com- prised about three-fifths of the county. In 1828 it was made a part of Pontiac township, and in 1835 was organized as a separate township and named Orion.
"Jesse Decker was one of the assessors under the territory and had to go clear to Saginaw in making his assessment on (here and there ) a settler. He was also the first supervisor of the town. There have been twelve supervisors in all elected in the town, seven of whom are known to be living (1879).
"The first general election in the town was held October 5 and 6, 1835, at which Stevens T. Mason received 36 votes and John Biddle, 7. The first schoolhouse was built in the town in 1834; the first frame barn in 1830, by Jesse Decker, which the Indians helped raise. The first store was opened in 1834 by John Hawkinson; the first postoffice in 1832, Jesse Decker, postmaster ; the mail route was from Royal Oak to Lapeer. Roxanna Bigler was the first person who died in the town in 1828. In 1836 two persons were licensed to keep tavern in the town- Jesse Decker and A. Bernethy.
"In 1842 it was resolved by the electors 'to pay a bounty of ten dollars for every wolf, half grown or over, killed in said township.' The township expenses in 1835, the first year the town was organized. amounted to $36.14.
"Orion used to be a great place for lawing. Jesse Decker informed me that while acting as justice he had issued as many as forty-two summons in one day. So much lawing, and so independent was the court, that it gained for the place the appellation of The United States of Orion.' The first church edifice was erected in 1854; the first grist- mill in 1836; the first railroad was built in 1872, since which time we consider ourselves quite modernized."
As stated, Orion was separately organized in 1835. In 1836 the township was divided into four districts and log schoolhouses erected to accommodate them. Later, the village of New Canandaigua ( Orion ) built its first schoolhouse-quite a pretentious frame honse for those times ( 1844).
A TOWNSHIP OF LAKES
Orion is one of the great lake townships of Oakland county, the estimate being that seventeen hundred acres are covered by them ; when to this area is added seven or eight hundred acres of low, or marsh land, it is evident that considerable of the surface is untillable. But, as has been fully demonstrated in the opening chapter of this history, the pretty lakes and ponds of any section have long since been figured as a valuable asset for the people in the way of a basis for the settings, or prime attractions, for summer resort improvements. What has been accom- plished on the shores of beautiful Lake Orion has already been de- scribed.
Among other lakes well known and appreciated by lovers of the great out-of-doors are Judah, Voorheis, Mill, Sixteen (in that section ), Square, Long and Buckhorn. The chain of lakes in Orion township stretches generally from southwest to northeast, with Paint creek as a common
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SCENES ALONG PAINT CREEK
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
outlet ; little and big they number nearly thirty. One of them, Buck- horn, has no visible outlet.
The land surface of Orion township was originally covered with timber, principally oak. This was quite heavy along the water courses and lighter on the more elevated grounds, often terminating in openings. Quite an area was also covered with pine. Generally speaking, the sur- face may be said to be broken by hills. A "spur" of Bald mountain pro- jects into sections 35 and 36, in the southeastern part of the township, and has an elevation of several hundred feet. Mt. Judah is in the south- western part, about the middle of section 32, and, with the lake, a short distance to the northeast, derives its name from Judah Church, who is credited with having made the first land entry in the township, as has been noted.
Lake Orion, formerly called Canandaigua lake, is the largest in the township, and contains some seventeen islands from a few rods to about forty acres in area. Their natural growth was of oak, pine and cedar, and the beauties which nature lavished upon them has been taken full ad- vantage of by modern "promoters" of summer homes.
ORION VILLAGE
The original village plat of Orion is comprised of forty acres and was laid out in 1836 by James Stillson, a traveling auctioneer. As the lake was then called Canandaigua, he christened the place as "Canan- daigua City." Although Stillson's paper town crumpled, the beauties of the locality were not forgotten; and when Needham Hemingway platted the east half of the southeast quarter of section 2, in 1838, and John Perry an addition to it, a few of the settlers commenced to be drawn thither, especially as the surrounding country had quite a sprink- ling of farms and the neighborhood trade was considerable. Thomas Abernathy put up a frame building and opened it as a hotel, and David Shadbolt established the "Orion House." In 1838 Robert Jarvis and Paul Rice opened the first general store, the former being then post- master of "New Canandaigua." In 1854 the name of the postoffice was changed to Orion. Thus the name was fixed upon the map.
Orion was incorporated as a village in 1859, but its charter was re- pealed by the legislature in 1863, as during the previous year nearly the entire town was swept by fire. Recovering from that blow, the village was reincorporated in 1869. Its charter was amended several times and it was again reincorporated in 1891.
It is a pretty little village, on the Michigan Central Railroad,, and depends for its local trade both on its considerable influx of summer visitors and the productive surrounding country, which yields fair crops of grain, fruit, potatoes and general farm produce. It has two good banks, a well organized union and high school, and a firmly established newspaper, which never fails to "push a good thing along"-meaning Orion. The Orion Review was founded in 1881 and is published by Neal & Wieland.
The first schoolhouse in the village was a frame building, erected in 1844. In 1868 a substantial brick structure was erected at a cost of $4.000.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
ORION CHURCHES
The pioneer missionary made his first appearance among the settlers of Orion as early as 1825. Elder Warren, a Baptist, Elder Warren, a Methodist, and Elder Earl, of the Protestant Methodist faith, are remembered as being among the first to proclaim the gospel among these sparsely-settled regions of the country, their meetings being held in the houses of the most prominent settlers in different localities.
In 1831-32, Reverend Frazer, a Methodist minister of the Ohio con- ference, preached regularly in Orion. He was followed by Rev. L. Hill of the same conference, who, in 1833, organized the first Methodist class in Orion, at the home of Hiram Barnes. The class comprised four- teen members, they being: Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. Job Sherman and their daughter Ellen, Thomas J. and Juliette Car- penter, Samuel Eaton, Mr. and Mrs. Joel Eaton and their daughter Jane, William Merchant and wife and Elizabeth Wyckoff. The class was regularly supplied from the time of organization, and services held in the schoolhouse in the east part of the town.
In 1872, while the church was in charge of Rev. A. Laing, steps were taken to build a Methodist church at Orion, and the corner-stone was laid in June that year. On the with day of January, 1873, while Rev. J. R. Cordon was in charge, the lecture room was dedicated. and on June 1.4. 1874, the entire house was formally dedicated by the Rev. Dr. Ives of New York. It is worthy structure, built of wood, thirty-eight by sixty feet and thirty feet high, surmounted by a spire of one hundred and four feet. It has three rooms below and a handsomely finished au- dience room above. The complete cost of the building was about seven thousand dollars. In 1877 the church had eighty-five members.
In 1870 the Methodists organized a Sunday-school, which met in a hall until the completion of their church. Vincent Brown was the superin- tendent and the membership of the school at that time was one hundred.
The names of the pastors who have served in the church since its organization in 1832 are as follows: Reverends T. Shaw, Ezra Brown. William Sprague, Frazer E. Hill, Earl Britton, John Cogart, William Mothersill, Hiram Lane, T. B. Granger, Solomon Steel, John Gray, C. C. Woodward, F. C. Britton, Andrew Bell, B. F. Pritchard, L. T. Lee, John Gray, Thomas Seeley, William McKibbon, J. G. Whitcomb. J. R. Noble, A. Minnis, Samuel Bessey, C. T. Jfiggins, Samuel Bird, B. H. Hedger, .A. R. Laing. J. R. Cordon, D. Whitely. F. Wilkinson, Seyman Barnes, Francis Berry, J. G. Whitcomb, L. N. Moon, W. M. Gifford, G. H. Kennedy. R. N. Mullholland, E. Sedweek, Franklin Bradley, Wil- liam IJ. Lloyd. A. J. Rice, C. E. Stedman and George E. Durr-the last named being the present incumbent of the pastorate.
About 1833 the Congregationalists formed a society at the house of N. Hemingway, then living in Oakland township. It was styled the "Congregational Church of Paint Creek." and Rev. J. W. Ruggles was its first pastor. This was the germ of the society organized at Orion village in January. 1853, by Mr. Ruggles. D. L. Eaton, P. R. Hurd, and H. A. Reed. A church edifice was built in 1854 and the society, at times. has greatly prospered. At present (October, 1912) it is without a pastor.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
OTHER STATIONS
Outside of the village of Orion, there is no settlement of any account in the township. The only railroad stations are Eames and Cole, on the Pontiac, Oxford & Northern line, the former in the southern part of the township, and the latter just northeast of the center. Mahopac is a little plat which has been laid out south of Mill lake in section 20.
MILFORD TOWNSHIP FORMED
On December 30, 1834, the congressional township of Milford was detached from Novi and erected into a separate body politic, Alfred Hayes being its first supervisor and John Vincent, the first township clerk.
REASON FOR NAME
The Huron river, which flows from a series of lakes in the adjoin- ing township of Commerce to the east, enters Milford at about the middle of section 13, passes northwest and west through the village by that name, and thence, in a generally southwesterly direction into Ken- sington lake which stretches over the southern line into Lyon township. Within the corporation of Milford, the Huron river receives Pettibone creek from the north, which is the outlet of Pettibone lake in this and the adjoining township of Highland. In its entire course through Mil- ford township, the Huron is unobstructed by lakes, and has therefore a strong and unimpeded flow: Pettibone creek is fed from the lakes and highlands of the north, and the two streams were the means of fur- nishing such valuable water powers as to give both the village and the township its name.
The first entry of land in Milford township was made by Amos Mead in 1827. This was the west half of the northwest quarter of section 10, and constitutes that portion of the village of Milford lying north of the quarter line and west of Main street. Mr. Mead made the entry for Levi Pettibone, from which fact originated the name of the lakes and the creek.
THE RUGGLES BROTHERS
Elizur Ruggles purchased lands of the government in 1831 and in the following year, with his brother. Stanley, located on what afterward became known as the Armstrong addition of Milford village, in 1832, Henry, the third brother, joining them in the following year. As Elizur Ruggles was a bachelor and Stanley a widower, the two boarded with a family named Parks, who moved into the township about the same time. To accommodate them all a log house was built-the first in the township.
PIONEER MILLS
In 1832 Elizur and Stanley Ruggles built the first sawmill at Mil- ford, on the Huron river. They operated it until 1839, when it passed into the possession of Stephen and John L. Armstrong. The Arm- strongs retained and operated the plant until 1853, when, with the water power. it was purchased by Major Hughes. The dam created so much
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TYPICAL OLD GRIST MILLS
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
stagnant water that the people along the banks suffered year after year with various complaints which could be directly traceable to the nuisance. Finally it became unbearable and in 1856 the farmers of the vicinity took matters into their own hands and, in 1856, while Major Hughes was absent on a business trip, they leveled the dam to the mudsills. That heroic measure ended the trouble, as far as the health of the community was concerned, although it dragged its way through the courts for sev- eral years thereafter.
Luman Fuller erected the first gristmill in 1836, and in the summer of 1839 the Armstrongs built their flouring mill on the old Ruggles prop- erty west of the river, which they had purchased with the original saw- mill. The Pettibone mills were put up by W. B. Hebbard in 1846. Mr. Hebbard and George Davis completed a woolen mill in 1850, this estab- lishment turning out quite a line of "Kentucky jeans" at one time. In 1865 Joseph Vowles established his cultivator works for the purpose of manufacturing his own patent, P. F. & D. W. Wells having been engaged in that line many years before in a small factory opposite the Pettibone gristmills. The Wells Cultivator Company was the successor of the original enterprise, and the Milford Milling Company of the old gristmills established by the Armstrongs and W. B. Ilebbard.
The most prosperous period in the history of Milford was during the years 1850-1856. In the latter year the Detroit & Milwaukee Rail- road was completed and, in a large measure, drew away the trade of the village to other points. From that time, also, it commenced to de- cline as an industrial center. It was not until 1871 that the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad was built to the village, after which there was a period of revival, but nothing of a permanent nature. For about twenty years previous to 1900 the village virtually held its own at a popula- tion of some 1.100; since then it has declined, if anything, the census of 1910 giving it a population of 973.
THE PRESENT VILLAGE
The present village of Milford is a station on the Pere Marquette Railroad, with a productive grain, produce and fruit country around it, as is evidenced by its grain elevator, and general stores which deal largely in beans, potatoes and apples, and the several houses devoted to agri- cultural implements. It has a substantial private bank ; a graded union school founded in 1869; electric light and water works; a library con- ducted by a ladies' association, and churches and societies for all. Re- ligious bodies of the village and vicinity have been organized by the Baptists, Methodists, Catholics and Presbyterians. Of the societies, the Masons are in the majority.
MILFORD CHURCHES
The pioneer religious organization was a Methodist class formed in 1836, with Truman Fox as leader and Washington Jackson as preacher. About that time a second class was formed called the "English class." from the fact that the preacher and all the members were emigrants from
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