I found the following article clipping attached to a page at the beginning of the first volume of deed books for Oakland County, Michigan. While I already knew some of the information that was contained in the article, I thought it was an interesting find so I made a copy of it. Here is a digital version of the article, along with a transcription.
I have no idea when the article was written, nor what paper it appeared in. But, since additional cities were incorporated after 1958, I assume the article was written after this date but before 1966 when Rochester incorporated as a city.
List of Important Dates in Our County’s History
Date: A southern fruit; also the easiest thing to forget.
The dates most frequently asked in Oakland County are when the county itself, also when our township, villages and cities were organized. So, I looked up all of them, and here they are. Clip this out for future reference.
Our county was organized in 1820. Pontiac was incorporated as a village “whers the Saginaw Indian Trail forded the Clinton River” in 1837, the same year that Michigan [tossed?] off its territorial swadling clothes and became a state.
The dates of the organization of our 25 townships follow: Pontiac, 1827; Bloomfield, 1827; Troy, 1827; Oakland, 1827; Farmington, 1827; Southfield, 1830; Royal Oak, 1832; West Bloomfield, 1833; Novi, 1833; Waterford, 1834; Milford, 1834; Commerce, 1834; Lyon, 1834, Avon, 1835; Orion, 1835; Highland, 1835; Groveland, 1835; White Lake, 1836; Independence, 1836; Springfield, 1836; Oxford, 1837; Rose, 1837; Brandon, 1837; Addison, 1837; and Holly, 1838.
Oakland County’s 20 cities, most of which had previously been organized as villages, were incorporated as cities as follows: Pontiac, 1861; Royal Oak, 1921; Ferndale, 1927; Farmington, 192[8?]; Pleasant Ridge, 1928; South Lyon, 1930; Bloomfield Hills, 1932; Berkley, 1932; Birmingham, 1933; Clawson, 19[33?]; Hazel Park, 1941; Oak Park, 1945; Sylvan Lake, 19[46?]; Lathrup Village, 1953; Keego Harbor 19[54?]; Walled Lake, 19[54?] ; Madison Heights, 1955; Northville, 195[5?]; Troy, 195[5?], and Southfield, 195[8?].
Our county’s 13 villages were incorporated: Lake Orion, 1859; Holly, [1865?]; Rochester, 186[9?]; Milford, [1869?]; Oxford, [????]; Clarkston, 18[??]; Leonard, [????]; [Ortonville], [????]; Orchard Lake, [????]; [?], [????]; Franklin, [????]; Wolverine Lake, [????]; and Bingham Farms, [????].
[The last sentence is unreadable.]
1 comment:
At my daughter's house in Oakland County as I read this. Very timely for me! Thanks.
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