Royal Oak

Book features Royal Oak, metro area's longtime 'epicenter'

By Jeremy Carroll
C & G Staff Writer

ROYAL OAK — From early pictures of the city’s founding fathers to recent images of downtown Royal Oak and some of its most famous residents, journalists Maureen McDonald and John Schultz chronicle the city’s history in a new book, “Royal Oak.”

Recently released, the 128-page book features myriad photos, including present-day pictures of the city. It is published as part of the Images of America series through Arcadia Publishing.

“Royal Oak has been the epicenter for people to come to for years and years,” McDonald said. “Part of it has been its trees, and part of it is that it’s friendly.”

The book starts with some of the early history of Royal Oak, including Orson Starr and pictures of the cow bells that made him the city’s first famous resident. Through a variety of images, it follows the growth of the city, including the opening of the Detroit Zoo, the attraction of Father Charles Coughlin, the general growth of the city mid-century, the beginnings of Beaumont Hospital, and the construction of I-696 amid protest.

McDonald, 60, a local journalist from Southfield, said there was a fear of what would happen to Royal Oak and Pleasant Ridge after I-696 was completed, but the fears were never realized after it opened in 1989, following years of debate.

“It brought people in,” she said about the expressway. “The downtown really began to flourish after it was done. The very thing we fear most is perhaps something we shouldn’t fear at all.”

Schultz, 58, of Royal Oak, said he was interested to learn the details of Coughlin, who built a massive following at the National Shrine of the Little Flower on Woodward Avenue. Coughlin, who was controversial for some of his social views, had a radio program that was broadcast throughout the country, and people came from far and wide to hear him speak.

“He reached 30 million with his sermons every Sunday,” said Schultz, also a journalist. “By today’s standards, that’s quite a number.”

Royal Oak endured while many other small communities floundered, Schultz said, and it was because of smart planning.

“They had good city fathers that did really good planning,” he said. “They left land for parks, which made for nicer neighborhoods.”

The city has more than 50 designated parks today. The book also covers the city’s connection with trees, including the cover shot, which shows an acorn tree being planted in  Royal Oak.

McDonald said in addition to the interesting historical photos and stories behind them, they also wanted to tell the story of some of the city’s weirdest moments, including the shows outside of Noir Leather in downtown Royal Oak in the 1990s. The book also features a page about the postal shooting at the Royal Oak post office in 1991 and a photo of one of the city’s most infamous residents, Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

“We really tried to get a variety of things to tell the city’s story,” she said.

A portion of the proceeds of the book’s sales will go toward the Royal Oak Historical Society, which supplied many of the images for the book.

McDonald and Schultz will discuss the book at 6 p.m. April 26 at the Royal Oak Public Library, and plan appearances at Barnes and Noble and Five15 in downtown Royal Oak.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jeremy Carroll at jcarroll@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1110.