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

435

In 1877 the township had eight good and comfortable frame schoolhouses and nine schools in district No. 6, which embraced the village of
Royal Oak, two schools, a primary and a grammar school, all causing
a total annual expenditure of $2,950. No. 6 was by far the largest of
the districts, having an average attendance of about Ioo pupils and in
this district was the best of the school buildings. District No. 9 also had
an exceptionally good school building, built in place of one destroyed
by fire in I873.
At this writing (July, 1912) the average attendance at the union
school is 415, the high school embracing 65 pupils. Fourteen teachers
are employed. The curriculum is fully up to the modern standard, music
and drawing being included in the special branches. In I902 was erected
the substantial brick schoolhouse now occupied. The expansion of
school population made a two-room addition necessary in I907-8, and
the overflow has also forced the erection of a small building on the
grounds (comprising about five acres). The estimated value of buildings and grounds is about $25,000. E. J. Lederley is superintendent
of the school.
ROYAL OAK CHURCHES
Royal Oak village supports churches of the Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, Catholic and German Lutheran sects. The first organization of the Methodists took place a short time before that of the Baptists in 1838. Their first meetings were held in the old schoolhouse
near the south end of the village. Among the first of their settled pastors was Rev. J. M. Arnold, and their first house of worship was completed in I843. The society now numbers about 200 members and the
church building in which it worships was erected in I894. In I9II
repairs upon the church and parsonage were made at a cost of some
$2,400. Since I876, or within the past thirty-six years, the following
have served the Royal Oak Methodist church as pastors: G. W. Owen,
S. E. Warren, L. H. Dean, H. N. Brown, Eugene Yager, T. C. Higgins, B. B. Rogers, D. M. Ward, W. H. Benton, Appleton Smith, A.
Wood, W. J. Clark, F. D. Ling, James Jackson, H. S. Shaw, Attree
Smith, O. W. Willits and H. H. Hough (present incumbent).
The Baptist church'of Royal Oak was organized under the charge
of Elder Stephen Goodman, of Troy, in January, I839, the original
members being Henry Stephens and wife, William Bettes and wife, Dr.
L. C. Rose and wife, Chester Morgan and wife and Amelia Nichols.
For some time previous to the organization these and a few other devout
ones had been accustomed to meet in the schoolhouses and sometimes at
dwellings, and there to hold religious worship under the preaching of
Elders Goodman, Buttolph, Keys, and such other preachers as from time
to time chanced to come among them. Mr. Goodman continued to labor
among them for several years. After him came Rev. Avery Dennison
and Rev. Samuel Jones of Grand Blanc. Then Mr. Goodman returned
and he was followed by the second pastorate of Mr. Dennison. Other
preachers who came later were Revs. Isaiah Fay, James Ward and 0.
E. Clark; Henry Pearsall, Chenowith and Silas Finn, the last named
coming to the service of the church in I87I. The first church edifice
Vol. 1-28