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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east of Birminghlam, either of which places afford banking accommodations.
The third postoffice and settlement in Troy township is Clawson, near
the southern line, four and a half miles southeast of Blirmingham, at
which its merchants bank, and itself located on the line of the Detroit
United Railway. At Clawson, or near it, are saw, grist and cider mills,
and it has a fair trade with the neighboring farmers and fruit growers.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF TROY
The United Presbyterian church of Troy was organized in I850 in
the Troy schoolhouse, and Rev. Brownlee was the first pastor. Not
until I855 was a church built. After Rev. Brownlee's term of service
as pastor, the following ministers served the church in that capacity:
Rev. Smealie, Rev. Robertson, Rev. Patterson, Rev. L. P. Gibson, Rev.
John Sherard, Rev. A. H. Orr, Rev. M. B. Maxwell, Rev. J. W. Lood,
Rev. R. J. Pinkerton, and Rev. Wilson Reid, the present pastor.
In 1894 a part of the Troy congregation organized another body in the
town of Birmingham,. both congregations continuing under the one
pastorate. A beautiful house of worship has been erected and a flourishing congregation exists today in Birmingham. The pastors of the Birmingham church thus far have been Rev. A. H. Orr, Rev. M. B. Maxwell,
Rev. J. WV. Lood; Rev. R. J. Pinkerton and Rev. Reid, now in charge.
OAKLAND TOWNSIIP IN GENERAL
The original civil divisions of Oakland county, made in 1820,
through the proclamation of Governor Cass, allotted the upper three
fifths to Oakland township. In 1827, soon after settlements had actually
commenced, it was organized as a separate political body, although its
limits then embraced what are now the six northeastern townships with
the exception of Pontiac. In 1828 Orion was annexed to Pontiac; in
1835 Avon was set off as a separate town; and in 1837 Addison and
Oxford were organized, leaving Oakland township as at present.
The township is well drained in the west and southwest by its principal stream. Paint creek, a tributary of the Clinton river into which
it flows finally toward the south. Stony creek, to the east flows through
the more central sections, and connects a few unimportant lakes. Both
of these streams have good currents, and have afforded power for a
number of sawmills and gristmills. Altogether the township is remarkably well drained and offers many advantages to the raiser of live
stock.
Most of the first land entries, in 1819-1825, and the first settlements,
which commenced in 1826, were made in the southern sections of the
township-33, 35, 29, 30, and 31, about in the order named. Asa
Baker, Benedict Baldwin, Needham Hemingway, Josiah Dewey, Jeremiah Hunt, Joel Potter, Samuel Tower and James Coleman, nearly all
from Chili, AMonroe county, New York, are credited with being among
the first to actually locate, build houses and plant themselves as permanent citizens.