History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

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January I, I886, to May, 1889; Rev. A. G. Cameron, November 3, 1889,
to October II, 1891; Rev. T. S. Woodin, January 3, 1893, to November I,
1897; Rev. F. B. Cutler, November 28, 1897 to January I, 1907; Rev. F.
Dewey Ehle, January I, 1908, to April I, 1909; Rev. Franklin Galloway,
April I, 1909, to October 30, I9IO; Rev. K. N. Morrell, December 4, I910,
and still pastor of the church.
In I906 the church society replaced the old building with a fine new
structure, suited in every way to the demands of the congregation. The
present church membership is one hundred and thirty-five.
NEWSPAPERS AND SOCIETIES
Oxford has two newspapers. The Leader is an independent Republican weekly and issued its first number April 12, 1879. Its proprietors
are now E. H. Congdon and A. B. Glaspie. John Cannon is editor and
proprietor of the Globe, a more recent addition to the list of Oakland
county newspapers.
Oxford is represented by a number of secret and benevolent organizations-Masons, Knights of Pythias, Knights and Ladies of Maccabees,
Order of the Eastern Star and Pythian Sisters. The Masons are so
strong that they are about to erect a $14,ooo temple, the building to be
given over to business purposes as well as to the accommodation of the
different Masonic bodies.
OXFORD INDUSTRIES
The development of the industries of Oxford form an interesting
recital, in view of its present substantial standing from a manufacturing and industrial viewpoint, and the early activity of the place in that
respect dates back to 1838. In that year Isaac Annice, a blacksmith, located in Oxford. He was the first man to establish a smithing business,
and was for many years the principal blacksmith of the village. In 1840
Robert Haines came to the village and built a shop, being the first wagonmaker to do business in Oxford.
In I840 Daniel F. Ingals and Benjamin Knight built a small foundry
at Oxford, where they made plows, sleigh-shoes and did repair work for
farmers. An interesting piece of work carried out in their little shop was
the making of a gun, which one of the local citizens wished to help celebrate the nation's natal day. Knight & Ingals undertook to cast one at
their foundry, and Perry Ball made the model. The work of casting was
sufficiently simple, but it was found a somewhat difficult matter to drill
the bore. It was finally accomplished by sinking the gun into the ground
in an upright position, and then, by the aid of sweeping levers to which
drills were affixed, carried round and round like the levers of a threshing
power, four men did the work, which required several days. After the
work was done they were afraid the gun would burst if used, and to test
its strength they tied it to a stump, and putting in a heavy charge, were
gratified to find it equal to the strain. This novel piece of ordnance was
used to announce the advent of Independence Day in 1841, and has subsequently been employed on many similar occasions.