Milan Area Historical Society
Milan Area Historical Society
Milan, Michigan
Oakville
Pages 410-411 of Walter Romig's
Michigan Place Names says:
"Oakville, Monroe County:
Cyrus Everett built the first home in the area in 1831, the same year
that Asa H. Reading and David Hardy built their water-powered saw mill;
Ichabod S. Nelson became the first postmaster on May 7, 1834; the office
was closed on Nov. 24, 1834, but was restored, with Mr. Nelson again
its postmaster, on Jan. 21, 1835; with Asa H. Reading as postmaster,
the office was renamed Readingville on May 2, 1835; with Mr. Nelson again
the postmaster, the office was renamed Nelsonville on June 18, 1836;
it was again renamed Oakville on Jan. 3, 1837, and remained so until it
was closed permanently on Feb. 29, 1904; it was in the records of
Washtenaw County as Readingville, the village being near the Monroe-Washtenaw
County line [GSM 1838; Pageant of Monroe History; PO Archives]."
Oakville is located about seven miles east of Milan. Oakville was named for the many Oak
trees that grew in the area. The trees were cut down for use on the Plank Road that ran near Milan.
1950 - 2000
In the early days the post office was actually located in Augusta Township, Washtenaw County
run from the postmasters home. I grew up in this area in from 1950 to 2000 and consider
the center of the Oakville area to be the intersection of Milan-Oakville (changes to Oakville-Waltz)
road and Tuttle Hill road. From this center I would go out about one mile in all directions.
The north side of Oakville was in the Augusta Township area and had a few farms.
There was a short strength of Tuttle Hill road in London Township and had the following families:
- Robert Morawski family - Worked at the Ford plant in Ypsilanti and later started a roofing business.
- The Oliver family - their home burned down in the 1960's
The south side of Oakville on Tuttle Hill road had the following businesses:
- The Oakville school was a one-room brick school house that closed around 1954.
- The Brainard school was a four-five room school building at 135 Tuttle Hill that was opened in 1955
and housed students that used to attend four or five one-room schools (Oakville school;
Palmer school - wooden building with out-houses, and several other schools.
- General store run by the Riley family.
- Meat Processing Store - many hunters brought their deer here to be processed; and they also stored meat for a price.
- One family used there garage to do body work on damaged cars.
Some of the families in this area were:
- Clark family
- Sweet family
- Sackett family
- Riley family
- Albert and Helen Greshaber family
- Ted Niga Family - Worker at Ford Plant in Ypsilanti
- Denhart Family
- Riley family
The east side of Oakville can be considered the Oakville-Waltz road from Tuttle Hill road east to
where the road splits and Oakville-Waltz goes to the left (north-east toward Willis)
and Palmer road (south-east toward Maybee).
In this area we had the following businesses:
- A junk yard (with a German shephard dog that barked at bicycle riders).
- A lumber business that manufactured pallets.
- Shield's Greenhouse;
- A general store (with gas pump) run by Frank Millard and his wife.
- Galanti and Sons Paving Company
- The London Aggregate gravel pit.
Some of the families who lived in this area were:
- Leonard Garlick family - Farmers
- Downing family - Mrs. Downing was a school teacher in the Milan School District.
- Robert and Margaret Kilpatrick family. - Margaret was a school bus driver.
- Ralph and Dolores Morey family - They both worked at the Ford Plant in Ypsilanti.
- Albert "Butch" and Hester Morey family - Hester married John Reid after Butch died.
- The Gram family - farmers who later leased out their farm land.
- The Sanford family - Farmers who later had problems and had to sell off their land.
- The Galanti families
- The Fulcher family
- The Elliott family
- The Stan and Mary Gasilo - Stan worked at the Ford plant in Monroe.
One year we built a baseball diamond behind his house for the neighborhood kids.
- The Adams family
- Jim Chambers family
- Oliver Atchinson family
The west side of Oakville can be considered the Milan-Oakville road from Tuttle Hill road west to
Whittaker Road. The businesses in the area are:
- The Oakville Auto Parts (with junk yard) near the intersection of Milan-Oakville road and Whittaker Road.
- Auto Repair shop including body work near Tuttle Hill Road.
Some of the families in this area were:
Last Change on August 10, 2005 by Ronald R. Morey.