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BHistory
History · Green Oak Township

Green Oak Township’s post office opened in 1834, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #312 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

Most of Green Oak Township was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Its Register listings are the Alonzo W. Olds House and the Bingham House. Its Register listings are the Alonzo W. Olds House and the Bingham House. Below: 2 old photos and papers and maps from 1902 on.

1834first post office
2on the National Register
3%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Green Oak Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Green Oak Township began

When was Green Oak Township founded?

1834

The Green Oak Township post office opened in 1834, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 2005. Three smaller post offices, Green Oak (1834), Green Oak Station (1871) and Rushton (1884), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

2020 census: 19,539192 years

How historic is Green Oak Township?

B

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Green Oak Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 2005.
History grade

What drives Green Oak Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Green Oak Township is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #312 of 701 in Michigan. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Green Oak Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1834, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19402.7% of homes (±0.9) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register2 listings, 1.0 per 10,000 residents · typical MI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 56%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 56%

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Green Oak Township’s 1.0 sits above most of its state (66% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 2005.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Green Oak Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Green Oak Township, and 5 old place names are still on the map.On the map since 19024 editions of the USGS map, 1902 to 1983. Watch Green Oak Township change.Deep rootsA post office since 1834: 192 years of Green Oak Township.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Green Oak Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Green Oak Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewGreen Oak Charter Township, MI location: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Green Oak
1834–1906
Green Oak Station
1871–1882
Rushton
1884–1935
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Green OakRushtonStarlight Mobile Home ParkUniversity Mobile EstatesWhitmore Lake
Gone or out of use
Green Oak Post Officepost officeRushton Post Officepost officeRushton Stationlocale
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Green Oak Township
Green OakGreen OakHayesLakeviewOld IrishSaint Benedict's

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the map

Green Oak Township on the map, 1902 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Green Oak Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Green Oak Township on the 1902 USGS mapGreen Oak Township on the 1965 USGS mapGreen Oak Township on the 1973 USGS mapGreen Oak Township on the 1983 USGS map1902South Lyon sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Green Oak Township.

The story so far

Green Oak Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Green Oak Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Green Oak Charter Township is a charter township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 19,539. In September 2005, the township board voted to incorporate as a charter township, becoming the second charter township in Livingston County.

Its first post office opened in 1834. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 17,476 to 19,539 (+12%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Green Oak Township, 1834 to 1935

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1834Post officeThe Green Oak post office opens
  3. 1837Born hereElon J. Farnsworth is born here
  4. 1869Born hereJud Smith is born here
  5. 1871Post officeThe Green Oak Station post office opens
  6. 1882Post officeThe Green Oak Station post office closes
  7. 1884Post officeThe Rushton post office opens
  8. 1895In the archiveStandard atlas of Livingston County, Michigan - including a plat book of the villages, ci…
  9. 20th century
  10. 1902On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1906Post officeThe Green Oak post office closes
  12. 1935Post officeThe Rushton post office closes
By decade

Green Oak Township, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1890s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s1 item
Standard atlas of Livingston County, Michigan - including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the coun…1895Standard atlas of Livingston County, Michigan - inclu…Map
1900s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Date unknown1 to date
Green Oak Charter Township, MI locationDate?Green Oak Charter Township, MI location
Today20 recent
Lake Nichwagh, Green Oak Township, Michigan2013Lake Nichwagh, Green Oak Township, MichiganWoodland Center Correctional Facility Entrance Green Oak Township Michigan2012Woodland Center Correctional Facility Entrance Green …Rural Residence, Rushton Road, Green Oak Township, Michigan2012Rural Residence, Rushton Road, Green Oak Township, Mi…Not Eminem's Eight Mile Road Northfield and Green Oak Townships Michigan2012Not Eminem's Eight Mile Road Northfield and Green Oak…Mallard Lake Green Oak Township Michigan2012Mallard Lake Green Oak Township MichiganHuron River from Bridge on Kensington Road Green Oak Township Michigan2012Huron River from Bridge on Kensington Road Green Oak …Huron River Viewed from Bridge on Fieldcrest Drive, Green Oak Township, Michigan2012Huron River Viewed from Bridge on Fieldcrest Drive, G…Hammond-Lintner Historic Farm, (1831), 119 Rushton Road, Green Oak Township, Michigan2012Hammond-Lintner Historic Farm, (1831), 119 Rushton Ro…Green Oak Township Fire Station -832012Green Oak Township Fire Station -83Centennial Village Pond Green Oak Township Michigan2012Centennial Village Pond Green Oak Township Michigan5-H Farms Produce Stand, Green Oak Township (South Lyon), Michigan20125-H Farms Produce Stand, Green Oak Township (South Ly…Kohler urinals Island Lake Recreational Area Green Oak Township Michigan2011Kohler urinals Island Lake Recreational Area Green Oa…Con-way Freight truck Whitmore Lake Michigan2011Con-way Freight truck Whitmore Lake MichiganWhite House-Black Market store Green Oak Village Place2010White House-Black Market store Green Oak Village PlaceGreen Oak Village Place2010Green Oak Village PlaceGreen Oak Township Hall Michigan2010Green Oak Township Hall MichiganDress Barn store Green Oak Village Place2010Dress Barn store Green Oak Village PlaceDSW Shoes store Green Oak Village Place2010DSW Shoes store Green Oak Village PlaceChico's store Green Oak Village Place2010Chico's store Green Oak Village PlaceAmerican Eagle Outfitters store Green Oak Village Place2010American Eagle Outfitters store Green Oak Village Pla…
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Green Oak Charter Township, MI location
Retake this viewGreen Oak Charter Township, MI location

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Green Oak Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Green Oak Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Alonzo W. Olds House
Alonzo W. Olds HouseBingham House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Log Cabin1
Alonzo W. Olds HouseGreek Revival
Bingham HouseLog Cabin

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Green Oak Township

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Elon J. FarnsworthUnion Army General · b. 1837
Jud SmithAmerican baseball player · b. 1869
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Hamburg TownshipIts storyC−Brighton Township1 historic placeB−Brighton1 historic placeBLyon TownshipIts storyCSouth LyonIts storyC+Northfield Township8 historic placesA−Whitmore LakeIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Green Oak Township’s history

What year was Green Oak Township founded?

The Green Oak Township post office opened in 1834, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 2005.

How does Green Oak Township rank for history?

Green Oak Township is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #312 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Green Oak Township?

Two places: the Alonzo W. Olds House (listed 1972) and the Bingham House (1972).

How old are the homes in Green Oak Township?

3% of Green Oak Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1991.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (22), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.