How Did Royal Oak Get Its Name?

In the 1800s, what was then the Michigan Territory had earned the erroneous reputation of being uninhabitable because of its swampy conditions. This had come from the opinions of land surveyors, so in 1819, Michigan Gov. Lewis Cass set out to prove them wrong. The result of his efforts was the area that the intersections of Main, Rochester, and Crooks roads now are.

At the time of Gov. Cass's discovery, a large oak tree with a massive trunk and wide-spreading branches was there. The tree so reminded the governor of one that had been declared a "royal oak" by King Charles II back in the 1600s. Gov. Cass gave that tree the same designation, and the town was named so.

For more information on Royal Oak's history, you can contact the Royal Oak Historical Society at 248-439-1501.

http://www.ci.royal-oak.mi.us/portal/general-information/about-royal-oak/history