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

465

This mill was operated with more or less continunity until I865, when
Messrs. Algor & Elliott replaced it by a larger and more modern plant,
which was kept busy for many years. In 1852 Mr. Orton built a small
feed mill near his sawmill, and in I856 erected a substantial flour mill.
The original property afterward passed into the ownership of M. H. Fillmore. Early Ortonville had the usual array of blacksmith shops, stores
and hotels. Its postoffice was established in 1855, and Mr. Orton was,
of course, postmaster.
In I864 a frame schoolhouse was erected in the village, which was
used until the district purchased the Seminary building. This private
school had been conducted since the winter of I867 by Professor Parker,
and along in the early seventies the property was taken over by District No. IO and a graded school formed. At that time the building was
deemed quite imposing, with its dome and pillared entrance.
In I866 Ortonville was platted by Hiram Ball, L. P. Miller, W. H.
Parker, Charles Herrington, George Wiggins, James Quill, William
Algor and N. K. Elliott. Its principal site is on section 7, with a few
blocks on section I8. In I902 it was incorporated as a village by the
county board of supervisors.
The village of Ortonville is a place of nearly four hundred people,
on the Flint division of the Detroit United Railway. It has several good
general stores, a flour and sawmill, and enjoys a fair trade with the
country around. Its banking is mostly done at Holly, ten miles to the
west, and its shipments through that place and Thomas, nine miles east.
The village enjoys the advantages of a graded Union school and of religious societies organized by the Methodists, Baptists and German
Lutherans.