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.

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

There was a gradual growth of the smaller industries incidental to the
development of an agricultural center, and it was not until I869 that the
manufacturing interests began to locate in Oxford, since which time the
growth in that line has been constant and extensive. The Oxford Valley
Mills were established in I869, and were used for some years as a planing
mill, later being reconstructed and used as a gristmill. In I865 John
Clemons established the Oxford Carriage Factory, which has since done
a thriving business in the manufacture of carriages, phaetons and other
light vehicles. Mitchell, Williams & Company organized the Oxford
Agricultural Works, which absorbed a large number of smaller shops
and foundries in 1873 and gradually became an extensive factory. It
specialized in the manufacture of farming machinery. The Oxford
Machine Works were established in I869 by Nichols & Cushing. In
1873 the Oxford Marble Works came into existence, its proprietors
then being Brown & Morton. A carriage manufactory was established
in October, I876, by McKenzie & Titus. The Oxford Vinegar Factory was organized in 1876, and produced pure cider and wine vinegar.
The Oxford Brewery was erected in September, I876, with William
Finden as proprietor. The Oxford Steam Planing Mill was built in
1877 by Alexander Johnson. In 1859 G. J. Whitcomb and H. Baldwin
established a furniture and cabinet shop, they being the first cabinetmakers in the village; they also did a general furniture and undertaking
business. Most of these plants have disappeared, the flour and feed
mills, planing mill and carriage and wagon factory having been burned
within recent years. A pure food factory is also one of the recent industries which has gone up in flames and smoke.
MICHIGAN PRESSED BRICK COMPANY
The Michigan Pressed Brick Company is one of the substantial
enterprises of which Oxford has so many, and a branch of it has been
in operation here since I908, in which year W. O. Smith developed a
crushing plant. This was operated independently until the spring of
I9II, when his crushing plant and gravel interests, which he had acquired at Oxford, were consolidated with the Michigan Pressed Brick
Company (a corporation) of Detroit. After that consolidation the
stone and gravel end of the business was brought to a more advanced
state of development, and is now doing a splendid business, furnishing
employment to about twenty men. The company manufactures Sand
Lime Brick at Detroit-hence the name of the company-the Oxford
end of the business being confined to the handling of stone and gravel.
Through the efforts of W. O. Smith, manager of the stone and
gravel department, and one time owner of the Oxford plant, which he
purchased from George S. Germain, has been developed the crushing
plant from a forty-ton daily capacity to a capacity of two hundred and
fifty tons of crushed granite and four hundred yards of A-I concrete
gravel,-a circumstance which causes this plant to be no small factor in
the industrial prosperity of Oxford.
The firm is composed of Frank W. Hubbard, president; J. H.
Schluchter, manager brick department, and J. T. Hadwin, secretary and
treasurer.