Royal Oak was originally settled in 1835, incorporated as a village in 1891 and as a city in 1921. It is located on the D. & M. division of the Grand Trunk Railawy system on the Pontiac, Flint and Almont divisions of the County, 13 miles southeaast of Pontiac, the judicial seat, 5 miles from Birmingham and 10 from Detroit.

Although 100 years old, The Royal Oak of today is something of recent growth. Its development as an atractive home center for hundreds of Detroit office and factor workers has been forced along by the rapid expansion of Detroit. But 100 years ago Royal Oak was a long way from Detroit, and it was a long and tedious trail down through the quagmire and sand of the Saginaw trail, which was later called Woodward Avenue.

The Southeastern section of what is now Oakland ocunty was an uninviting area, traversed by countless sandy ridges which held back the drainage water and turned large areas into swamps. The early Saginaw trail followed one of these ridgesthrough what is now royal Oak City In 1818 a military trail was begun from Detroit and extended three miles. In 1820 a military road to Saginaw was authorized and following this settlers began to venture into the territory. The fact that part of this original Saginaw military road extended along the present site of Woodward Ave. Between Ten-Mile Road and the city of Detroit, is the basis of contention for several prominent road authorities holding that the government should pay the expense of widing Woodward avenue between the Ten-Mile road and Detroit.

Jabez White, a shoemaker, is credited with being the first white settler of Royal Oak. He first settled at Ridge and Nine-Mile roads, just west of the present site of Ferndale, in 1821 The following year, according to data in the hands of the Oakland County Historical Society, White removed to the present site of Royal Oak and constructed a log cabin.

General Lewis Cass caused the naming of Roayl Oak. In a tramp through the wilds, nightime overtook Cass at what is now Main street and Catalpa drive. The General made a bed under a majestic oak tree and there spent the night. Upon awakening, he beheld the tree rising nearly a hundred feet above him and declared,"Oh, what a Royal Oak." This point was marked in 1917 by a rugged boulder upon which is surmounted a grantie tablet. On the tablet is the inscription: "Near this spot, stood the oak tree named by General Cass 'The Royal Oak,' from which Royal Oak Township received its name, erected by Royal Oak Woman's Club, 1917."

The village of Royal Oak was platted in 1838, but until Detroit's great industrial boom, the village was a struggling hamlet. The population in 1866 was 200. In 1900 was 288; in 1910 was 1,072 and in the 1920 census was given as 6,007. The present limits are very restricted so that the population of the community is about 7,000.

Roayl Oak faces a tremendous building program as it departs on the second century of its growth. Largest, by far, oa all items on Royal Oak's commercial and civic expansion program is the plan of building a sewerage and sewweage disposal system to cst $274,270. The system calls for a sanitary sewer trunks, pumping station, disposal plant and an adequate sanitary and storm sewer system capable of caring for a city of 25,000 immediatley, and with few extensions a city of twice that size. The system will cover an area of eight and a half square miles. The disposal plant will be built at Twelve-Mile and Campbell roads at the cost of $102,600. Complete general plans include provisions also for territory between the Twelve-Mile road and Red Run Creek on the north, Campbell road, on the east Nine-and-a-Half-Mile road on the south, Scotia road on the west

This is a part of Royal Oak's contemplated million dollar building and public improvement program for the present year. The largest single item on the 1921 program was the first State Bank Building at Washington avenue and Fourth street. The structure, which is of white stone, cost, $240,000. The Baldwin Theater was next on the list, with the cost of $150,000. Other buildings constructed during the year which improved the city's "sky line" and enhanced the commerical status were: First Baptist Church, $100,000; Eckstein-Lakie Company, auto service station, $50,000;Royal Oak Theater, $30,000; D. U. R. waiting room, $15,000; reconstruction of the post office building, $45,000; erection of a group of stores at Main street and Catalpa drive by former Village Manager george Weitzel, $35,000; Campbell building, Fourth street, $45,000.

Plans for 1922 include a new city hall to cost between $50,000 and $75,000; new Washington School, $80,000; Masonic temple, $100,000; Royal Oak savings bank building, $100,000, and a group of stores to be built at a cost of $50,000. This is already the contemplated program, totaling nearly $400,000. Builders and civic organizations are determined Royal Oak shall accomplish the million dollar goal.