Royal Oak Michigan

Royal Oak is a suburb in Detroit that is a part of Oakland County in Michigan. It’s a city with 57, 236 residents according to the 2010 US census, ranking as the 8th largest municipality in the county and the 27th largest municipality in Michigan.

French Canadians primarily shaped its foundation; they settled in the city trading with the Sauk and other Native Americans who resided in the area. Most of the early settlers came from New York and were farmers who cleared a large portion of the wooded forests to cultivate the land and build their homes. Upon the completion of the railroad system, it brought hundreds of migrants into the city. The railroad system also brought milling, logging, and other industries into the city which helped it thrived for decades. One of the most notable residents, Orson Starr became the first ever manufacturer of cowbells.

Unconvinced with the previous land survey, Michigan Governor Lewis Cass along with other people explored Michigan in 1819. They disputed the earlier surveys that the area was swampy and uninhabitable. During the beginning of their exploration, proved the earlier claims of the territory as swampy, but as they pushed further on with their journey, they reached an area ideal area where land can be cultivated for farming. It was the area near Main, Rochester and Crooks Roads where oak trees are considerably wider than the usual.

The appearance of these large oak trees reminded Governor Cass of the legend of the Royal Oak tree which Charles II of England took refuge in 1660. Cass and his companions named this part as Royal Oak, hence the birth of its name.

The town steadily grew and by 1891, Royal Oak was considered a small village with just a few hundreds of residents. Within a decade, the population grew more than 1,000 and ballooned to 6,000 by the time it received its new designation as a city in 1921. The flourishing auto industry was mainly responsible for generating new jobs in the city.

The completion of Woodward Avenue paved the way to for more people settling into the city. The avenue replaced Saginaw Trail, an old Indian road. This provides easy access between vital cities in and out of Royal Oak including, Detroit, Pontiac, Saginaw, and Flint. Woodward Avenue serves as an important part of the city’s history as it houses 42 churches as well as 350 historic sites.

Court House

44th District Court – Royal Oak
400 E Eleven Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067, USA

Police Department

Royal Oak Police Department
221 E 3rd St, Royal Oak, MI 48067, USA

Famous Attractions

Arctic Ring of Life
8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067, USA

Cotton Family Wolf Wilderness
W 10 Mile Rd, Huntington Woods, MI 48070, USA

Stagecrafters Baldwin Theatre
415 S Lafayette Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067, USA

Red Oaks Nature Center
30300 Hales St, Madison Heights, MI 48071, USA