The Beautiful City Of Royal Oak, Michigan
General Information Royal Oak, Michigan is a nice small city that has its own little downtown area with numerous things to do. The city is north of Detroit and it is 11.29 square miles and has an estimated population of 59,000 people. It is also near Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. For such a small city, it has over a dozen churches, 13 public elementary schools, 2 middle schools, two high schools, a Community College, and much more. The city is a municipality, which means that it has corporate status and a local government. The mayor of Royal Oak, MI is Mike Fournier. The small city does not have much, but being a suburb of Detroit, it is a nice place to get away from the craziness. Royal Oak Official Site: https://www.romi.gov/
Royal Oak Michigan’s Shocking History
Before The City Of Royal Oak Michigan became a thought, the area that occupies right now use to a disease-filled swamp; that is really not a surprise considering that the city is close to what is now Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. The first time this area was document was in 1819, but it was not until 1832 when settlers from New York came and made it their home. Orson Star was the first manufacturer of the area by making and selling animal bells. In 1835, a young man by the name of Sherman Stevens bought a total of 120 acres to finally plan out an actual town; the town would be named the village of Royal Oak. Under Stevens' leadership, the town was able to build a railroad that connected to Detroit, which made the town more accessible. In 1891, the state of Michigan finally made Royal Oak part of the state, and in an election in 1921, it officially became a city.
Things to Do in Royal Oak
Probably the most popular thing to do in Royal Oak, Michigan is to go to the Detroit Zoo. Even though it's part of the title, the zoo itself is not in Detroit, but in Royal Oak. It is a great place to walk around and see animals you wouldn't be able to witness in everyday life. In the zoo, it has the National Amphibian Conservation Center, which is the first of its kind. Much like any other founding member of a city, you can visit the house and farm of Orson Star and see where his business grew. It is a historic site, so come and see where it all began. It also has the Starr Jaycee Park, which is famous for its disc frisbee golf course; the park is also flat, so you do not have to worry about elevation when you are playing or if you just want to take a walk.
Famous People From Royal Oak, MI
It is not surprising that a small city like Royal Oak would not have a lot of well know people. However, there are a couple of people who have made a name for themselves. First celebrity is Bruce Campbell, is a well-known actor who has been in a good amount movies and TV shows. He was recently on Burn Notice as Sam, Michael Weston's (main character) best friend. Campbell was also in the Evil Dead movies. Speaking of Evil Dead, Sam Raimi, who directed and wrote the movies, is also from Royal Oak. Raimi also wrote and director the first Spiderman Trilogy with Toby Maguire. He also just produced the recent thriller, Don't Breathe.