Historical Markers in Oakland County, Michigan
100 Year Anniversary
1840 Van Hoosen Farmhouse
1850 Red House
1927 Van Hoosen Calf Barn/1927 Van Hoosen Bull Barn
1927 Van Hoosen Dairy Barn
911 Memorial...Never Forget
A City On Wheels
A Ford Village Industry
A Lake and a Trolley
A Piece of Novi's History / The Fuerst Farmstead
A Record Of Innovation
Aldrich House
American Legion Post 374 Veterans Memorial
Amos Orton's Grist Mill
An Advocate for Parks
An Advocate for Parks
Apple Island
Apple Island
Approaching "Novi Corners"
Arthur's Park
Automobile Financing
Axford-Coffin Farm
Barn Church
Battle Alley
Becoming Clarkston
Before lawn mowers...
Bell Building
Berkley Old Village/Fire Hall
Berkley School Cornerstone
Berkley Veterans Memorial
Billy McBride Building
Boorn-Halsted House
Botsford Inn
Buckhorn Corners
Building Bodies
Building Clarkston History
Building Trucks In Pontiac
Built for Fun
Carpenter-Rudd Mill
Carriage Barn Replica
Carver Elementary School
Chapman Pond
Charles Chapman Estate
Charles Wixom House
Chief Pontiac
Church of Saint Bede
City Hall
City of Farmington
City of Rochester, Michigan
Civil War Memorial
Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal
Colonel Samuel White / Samuel White Homestead
Commerce Roller Mill
Commerce United Methodist Congregation / Commerce United Methodist Church
Commerce Village Burying Ground
Conglomerate Boulder
Congregation Beth El / Temple Beth El
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Crapo Park
David Simmons House
Decker Settlement / Jesse Decker
Deputy Albert Anderson
Detroit Finnish Co-operative Summer Camp Association / Detroitin Suomailinen Kesaleiriyhdistys
Detroit United Railway
Detroit United Railway and Car Barn
Detroit Zoological Park
Disaster Strikes at Rochester Depot
Dr. Firman W. Clawson Homestead Site
Drawn by Water
Eaton Cabinet & Chair Factory
Eber Durham House
Edsel Ford's Leadership
Edward Beals House
Eli Stodgell House
Elizabeth Denison Forth
Emmendorfer House / Francis A. Emmendorfer
Evangelical Association / Ferndale Fun Fact #3 / Ferndale History
Farmington Masonic Temple and Farmington Township Hall
Farmington/Farmington Hills Baseline Obelisk
Farmington's First Post Office
Ferndale Center Building
Ferndale School
Ferndale State Bank / Ferndale Fun Fact #1 / Ferndale History
Field Building
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church of Royal Oak
First Methodist Episcopal Church
First Oakland County Explorers
First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church
First Quaker Meeting
Five and Dime
Ford Building
Ford Wixom Assembly Plant
Forestry Mowing for Habitat Restoration
Four Towns Methodist Church
Fractional District School
Franklin Boulevard Historic District
Franklin Cemetery
Franklin Community Church
Franklin Village
Franklin Village School
Fred A. Baker House
Freedom Acres
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry
From Sibley's Corners to Wixom
From Trail To Pavement
Fuller Grist Mill / Woolen Mill
Gateway to Nature
Genevieve Gillette
George Vandeventer House
Getting Here
Glen Oaks
Go in Peace
Goodenough - Spicer Stable
Gov. Fred M. Warner
Grand River Avenue
Grand River Bridge
Gray - Spicer House
Great Migrations
Green School Bell
Greenwood Cemetery
Hamilton Jones House
Harry Frink House
Hathaway-Hess Farm
Haven Hill Carriage House
Haven Hill Farm
Haven Hill Gatehouse
Haven Hill Lodge
Hazel Park Veterans Memorial
Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home, Inc.
Henry C. Bach House
Hibbard Tavern
High Performance Legend
Historic Green
Historical Marker
Holly's Town Hall
Howard & Howard
Howarth School
Huston Building
In Good Company
In Memory of Vincent Chin
Indian Trail
Inspiration Road
Intersecting Lines
John Garfield House
Johnston-Shaw Building
Kelley-Fisk Farm
Ken and Dorothy Stewart
Kirby White House
Knapp Cemetery
Kreger Farm Buildings
Lake Norcentra
Lake Orion Methodist Church
Lakes and Attractions
Lakeville Auxiliary Hall
Lakeville Cemetery
Lawrence Institute of Technology
Lawrence Simmons House
Learning and Growing
Lemuel Botsford House
Little Village Chapel
Made in Pontiac
Making Tracks on Main Street
Mann School
Many Friends, Many Flags
Mary Thompson Farm
Mary Thompson House
Masonic Block
McCabe Funeral Home
Meadow Brook Hall
Memorial Marker
Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church of Highland Station
Michigan's Auto Industry
Michigan's First Tri-level Intersection
Milford at Work
Milford Rural Agricultural School
Milford's Water Works Building
Molten Metal
Mont Eagle
Motley Lights
Mount Avon Cemetery
Nardin Park United Methodist Church
New Life for Children
Newman African Methodist Episcopal Church
North Farmington
North Farmington Cemetery
Notable Neighbors
Novi Baseline Obelisk
Novi Cemetery
Novi Township Hall
Novi's Crucial Crossing
Oak Grove Cemetery
Oak Hill Cemetery
Oak Hill Cemetery
Oakland County Boat Club
Oakland County Fallen Heroes Memorial
Oakland County World War I Memorial
Oakwood Cemetery
Orchard Lake Chapel
Orchard Lake Schools / Joseph Tarr Copeland
Ordered by Mail - Sent by Rail
Orson Starr Home
Ortonville Methodist Episcopal Church
Ortonville Veterans Memorial
Ortonville World War I Memorial
Outdoor Attractions
Outstanding Architecture
Oxford Savings Bank
Oxford Vietnam Memorial
Oxford World War II Memorial
Paint Creek Cemetery
Paint Creek Cider Mill
Paint Creek Millrace
Parades and People-Watching
Pasadena Park
Pavilion Shore Park
Pettibone Creek Hydroelectric Station
Pettibone Creek Mills
Pettibone Grist Mill 1846
Phelps Saw Mill and Distillery
Pioneer & Merriman Apartments / Ferndale Fun Fact #2 / Ferndale History
Pioneer Cemetery
Polar Bears
Pontiac Monument
Pontiac Public Library
Pontiac Thrived
Pontiac's Coach Builders
Predmore House
Presbyterian Church
Priscilla Calkins Prior House
Quaker Burial Ground
Rapid Transformation
Remembering Historic Railways
Remembering Historic Railways
Ridge Road
Robert E. Cornillie's Vision
Rochester
Rochester Opera House
Rochester Paper Mill
Rochester Train Depot and Rochester Elevator
Rollin Sprague Building
Roseland Park Mausoleum
Rowe House
Royal Oak Methodist Episcopal Church
Royal Oak Post Office Tragedy
Royal Oak Township Cemetery / Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery
Royal Oak Volunteer Fire Department
Royal Oak Woman's Club
S.S. Kresge Company
Saginaw Trail / John Almon Starr House
Samuel Davis House
Sashabaw Cemetery
Sashabaw United Presbyterian Church
Settling the Dust
Seymour Lake Methodist Episcopal Church
Shane D. Carter
Sharing the Bounty
Sharing the Ride
Shiawassee Indian Trail
Slater-Montgomery Family Chapel
Sleepy Hollow
Southfield Cemetery
Southfield Center
Southfield Centre
Southfield Methodist Episcopal Church
Southfield Town Hall
Southfield Township Site
Southfield Township Volunteer Fire Department
Southfield United Presbyterian Church
Spicer Barn
Spicer House
St. Patrick Church
St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center
St. Vincent de Paul Church
St. Vincent De Paul World War II Memorial
Stephen Yerkes Rodgers House
Stonecrest
Stoney Creek School
Stoney Creek Village
Stony Creek Cemetery
Stony Creek Masonic Lodge No. 5/Mount Moriah
Sylvan Lake Inn
Territorial Road
The Academy of the Sacred Heart
The Badder Building
The Birmingham Theater Building
The Castle
The Chene House
The Courthouse / Oakland County
The Covenanter Church / The Underground Railroad
The Crow's Nest
The Erity-Nixon Building
The Flumerfelt Barn
The Great Blues
The Great Escape
The Hammer
The Harger House
The Haven Hill Getaway
The Inter-Urban Railcar - Detroit United Railway
The Kresge Foundation
The Lux Building
The Maxon Estate
The Minnow Pond
The National Bank Building
The Nelson Clark Home
The Oak Leaf
The Old Mill
The Orchard Lake Museum
The Paint Creek Cider Mill
The Pettibone House
The Philbrick Tavern
The Polar Bears
The Potawatomi Indians of Farmington
The Professional Building
The Quarton Building
The Royal Oak
The Shain Townhouses
The Torch
The Utley Cemetery
The Village Center
The Village Of Highland Station
The Walker/Wixom Tavern
The Worker's Camp
Theron Murray House
This is the Site of the Holly Milling Co.
Three-faced Clock
Township Hall
Traces of History
Tracks Over Tracks
Travel Through Time
Troy Corners
Troy Township
Validation Testing
Van Every Gristmill
Versatile Vehicles
Waiting for the Trolleys
Waiting Room and the "Wye"
Walled Lake
Walled Lake Casino
Walter Flanders / Flanders Garage
Ward Eagle Home
Warming House Renovation
Washburn School
Water Wheel
Wattles House
WB Parks Kiosk
Welcome to Beaudette Park
Wells Brothers Foundry
Wessen & Bagley
West Bloomfield Trail
West Farmington Cemetery
West Highland Cemetery
Westacres
Westacres Community
Western Knitting Mills
Western Knitting Mills and Boarding Houses
Western Knitting Mills Dam and Michigan Central Railroad Bridge
What Happened Here?
Where Farmington Began
White Lake Cemetery
White Lake Township Hall
William E. Scripps
Wisner Stadium WWII Memorial
Wixom Cemetery
Wixom-Wire House
Wolverine Lake
Wood-Hubbell House
Worth the Drive
Yates Cider Mill
Yates Cider Mill
"Body by Fisher"
"Motoring" to Pine Lake
"Pine Grove"
"The Stuart Little Pond"
"Witch's Hat" Depot
"X" Marks the Spot
About Oakland County
Oakland County Timeline
Oakland County, located in the southeastern part of Michigan, has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. The area was originally home to Native American tribes, such as the Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Huron peoples. European settlers arrived in the late 18th century, with the first permanent settlement established in what is now Pontiac in 1818.
During the 19th century, Oakland County saw rapid growth and development. The construction of the Clinton River and Oakland Plank Roads in the 1840s and the arrival of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad in the 1850s helped facilitate transportation and economic prosperity. Agriculture, logging, and mining were key industries during this time, with farming becoming the dominant livelihood for many residents.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw Oakland County transform into a major industrial hub. The rise of the automobile industry in nearby Detroit had a significant impact on the county, leading to the establishment of numerous automotive suppliers. The county also experienced suburbanization, as more people moved out of the overcrowded city and into the expanding neighborhoods of Oakland County.
Today, Oakland County is known for its vibrant communities, excellent schools, and robust economy. It has become one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, attracting businesses and residents from all over. The county continues to evolve, with ongoing efforts to balance urban development with the preservation of its natural beauty and historical sites.
During the 19th century, Oakland County saw rapid growth and development. The construction of the Clinton River and Oakland Plank Roads in the 1840s and the arrival of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad in the 1850s helped facilitate transportation and economic prosperity. Agriculture, logging, and mining were key industries during this time, with farming becoming the dominant livelihood for many residents.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw Oakland County transform into a major industrial hub. The rise of the automobile industry in nearby Detroit had a significant impact on the county, leading to the establishment of numerous automotive suppliers. The county also experienced suburbanization, as more people moved out of the overcrowded city and into the expanding neighborhoods of Oakland County.
Today, Oakland County is known for its vibrant communities, excellent schools, and robust economy. It has become one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, attracting businesses and residents from all over. The county continues to evolve, with ongoing efforts to balance urban development with the preservation of its natural beauty and historical sites.
Oakland County Timeline
This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Oakland County, Michigan.
- 1819 - Oakland County is officially established by the Michigan Territorial Legislature
- 1820 - The first county seat is established in Pontiac
- 1827 - The first courthouse is built in Pontiac
- 1831 - The village of Auburn is founded
- 1843 - The Michigan State Fair is held in Auburn Hills for the first time
- 1850 - The villages of Waterford and White Lake are established
- 1862 - The Detroit and Bay City Railroad reaches Pontiac, boosting economic development
- 1875 - The city of Royal Oak is incorporated
- 1928 - Construction of the Highland Park Ford Plant begins
- 1950 - Population of Oakland County exceeds 500,000
- 1967 - The Detroit riots have an impact on Oakland County, leading to an increase in suburbanization
- 1970 - The Detroit Lions football team moves to Pontiac and becomes the Detroit Lions
- 1985 - The Palace of Auburn Hills, an indoor sports and entertainment venue, opens
- 2000 - Oakland County reaches a population of over 1 million
- 2013 - The city of Pontiac files for bankruptcy