Oxford Township’s post office opened in 1839, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns · #163 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Most of Oxford Township was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1995. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 34 buildings. Below: maps from 1943 on and the census since 1880.
The Oxford Township post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name. Four smaller post offices, Demingsburgh (1834), Mount Pleasant (1837) and North Oxford (1854), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 851 in 18802020 census: 22,419187 years
How historic is Oxford Township?
A−
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Oxford Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Oxford Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Oxford Township is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #163 of 701 in Michigan. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Oxford Township’s overall grade.
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 Oxford Township’s 15.0 sits above most of its state (86% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 34 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Oxford Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
During the early 19th century the northeast Oakland County area was largely avoided by the early settlers because it was believed to be nothing but impenetrable swamp land. The area was, at that time, nicknamed "The Barren Plains of Oxford." It was called this primarily because of a report made in 1812 by the U.S. Surveyor General that described the area as a poor, barren, sandy land, on which scarcely any vegetation could grow with the exception of some very small scrubby oaks. It was concluded in the surveyors' report there was one acre out of one hundred that appeared to be eligible for cultivation. Any hope for crop production was thought to be preposterous. At this point, the area was deemed worthless, and discouragement of any hope for development by forthcoming settlers was inevitable.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oxford Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943Oxford sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Oxford Township.
People over time
Oxford Township, census by census
Between 851 and 3,540 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Oxford Township’s Wikipedia page.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Oxford Township post office opened in 1839, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Oxford Township rank for history?
Oxford Township is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #163 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 Oxford Township?
Two places: the Indian Lake Road Stone Arch Bridge (listed 2005) and the Oxford Downtown Historic District (2019).
How old are the homes in Oxford Township?
6% of Oxford Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1995.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
