HISTORY OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF ROYAL OAK

Part 2 of 2

 

 

The African-American population within the City increased dramatically in three different waves before World War I, with industrial expansion following both World Wars.  Coming from the rural south, many African-American families seeking escape were attracted to the Eight Mile area because of their desire to replicate an open rural environment, which they had left.  Many of the homes were built with sweat equity on a payday-to-payday basis, resulting in what might have been described as a “shack town.”  Many homes were constructed of makeshift materials.  Around 1925, the portion of this area lying south of Eight Mile Road was annexed by the City of Detroit and became subject to the housing and building controls enforced by the City.  The area north of 8 mile within the Township, subsequently felt the housing pressures exerted on African-American families seeking other residential options than those offered by the City of Detroit.

 

With the need for emergency housing during World War II, the federal government for temporary wartime housing acquired much of the available land in this part of Royal Oak Township.

 

 The dramatic increase in population created burdens for the Township including burdens on the existing housing stock.  Because of the war effort, many of the homes were overused with families doubling up.   Garages, sheds and attics were also pressed into use as housing.  In 1944, the population of this segment of the Township was only 2,989 persons.  Temporary housing added 1,464 families by 1945 or an increase of 5,500 persons.  In 1950, the population rose to 10,508 and a special census in 1956 indicated a population of 11,000, which appeared to be the saturation point for the one-half square mile area.  By 1959, 1,708 or 75 percent of the approximately 2,300 units in the Township were adjudged dilapidated.

 

Beginning in the 1940’s while the Township was feeling the deterioration pressures, the surrounding areas were being built up by an affluent white population whose exodus from the City of Detroit had grown to the Township’s border.  The African-American segment of Royal Oak Township thereby effectively became an isolated and deteriorated community in the midst of an affluent white area.

 

Taking advantage of the Housing Act of 1954, the Township in 1959, finally approved an urban renewal project covering most of the Eight Mile Segment.  The project area, encompassed all of the area east and west of Wyoming, north of the north end, plus a couple of adjacent blocks.  Activities were carried out over a 16-year period in accordance with the officially adopted urban renewal plan.  The project (which had been officially amended for the seventh time by 1972) was terminated under “close-out procedures”, as a federally supported urban renewal project as of 1975.  Project activities remaining to be completed now fall to the Township’s community development department.

 

After the annexation of the north end of the Township to the City of Oak Park, the current population is approximately 2,840 people.

THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF ROYAL OAK

21131 GARDENLANE – SECOND FLOOR

FERNDALE, MI  48220-2266

To contact us:

 

Phone: 248-547-9800

Fax: 248-547-1415