I HAVE SPENT THE VAST MAJORITY OF MY LIFE IN AND AROUND OAK PARK, and I consider myself blessed to represent my neighbors, friends, and family that reside in this community.

Growing up, I regularly visited my grand-parents who chose Oak Park as their home when they relocated from Canada in 1969. My grandfather, a union electrician, moved here with my grandmother to work on the Fermi plant. But it was the people of Oak Park and the sense of community that inspired them to stay. The kindness of residents, the beauty and affordability of neighborhoods, and the quality public amenities kept my grandparents in Oak Park for the duration of their lives.

The teachers, neighbors, and friends I met in Oak Park helped shape me into the person I am today; from the educators at Norup to my neighbors on Harding Street. As an adult, I owned my first home in Oak Park because I was drawn to the diversity of the city’s residents, neighborhoods, and businesses; I knew that Oak Park would be a perfect community for me to thrive.

AS I REFLECT ON OAK PARK IN HONOR OF OUR 75TH BIRTHDAY, I have fond memories that span the course of my lifetime, and I look forward to sharing them with my own children. I am humbled and honored to serve all Oak Park residents – my neighbors and friends – as our state representative in Lansing. My passion for public service and helping others is undoubtedly a result of my upbringing in and around Oak Park, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Happy Birthday, Oak Park! You’ve never looked better!

Robert Wittenberg
State Representative

MY FAMILY HAS DEEP ROOTS IN AND AROUND OAK PARK.

My grandfather owned the Sunoco gas station at 8 Mile and Coolidge for several decades, which became an Oak Park landmark known for its reliable service and hard-working mechanics. My father paid his way through college as a mail carrier up and down the streets of Oak Park neighborhoods and my mother was a summer counselor at Oak Park Parks & Recreation in the 1970s.

ONE OF MY EARLIEST MEMORIES GROWING UP WAS WALKING WITH MY GRANDPARENTS from their Southfield home down to Oak Park Boulevard to play on the trains at Oak Park Park. When I ran for State Senate in our district in 2018, it was an incredibly nostalgic feeling to canvass in the neighborhoods around what is now Shepherd Park and passing by those same trains. I’ll admit that, even as an adult, I had to climb onto those trains to relive that experience I had as a little kid.

Oak Park is renowned in our region as a strong community with vibrant neighborhoods, friendly residents, and an honest government.

Growing up around a community with these attributes have shaped my desire to serve and it is an honor to advocate for our shared values every day in the State Senate. I’m proud to represent this community as it celebrates its 75th birthday and am excited to join with Oak Park community members as we usher in the next 75 years! n

Jeremy Moss
State Senator
Michigan’s 11th District
Representing Southern Oakland County
Assistant Democratic Leader

FOR THE PAST 16 YEARS, NANCY QUARLES HAS REPRESENTED OAK PARK in a variety of capacities, including in the Michigan state legislature and as county commissioner for Oakland County’s 17th District.

“Electric ideas have transformed Oak Park in the last few years. That, and the residents’ sense of community will ensure success into the future,” Quarles said, as she looks forward to the city’s 75th Anniversary and anticipates the city’s COVID-19 pandemic recovery. “We will move forward again with our positive momentum because of strong leadership and our community base.”

Quarles points to the balance between the social and residential aspects of the city that Oak Park has worked so hard to achieve. She sees economic development and the residents’ connection to the city as the foundation for success for the next 75 years.

“We will get back to growing our small businesses and restaurants, which were thriving before COVID-19,” she said. “We have been drawing a new energy from our sister cities, and we have done well keeping our sense of community

HISTORICALLY ONE OF THE METRO DETROIT AREA’S BEDROOM COMMUNITIES, Oak Park has been growing into more of its own. Since Quarles was elected Oakland County Commissioner for the area in 2010, she has seen new elected officials come in with ideas and energy for change. They have prioritized teamwork with the community, anchored by neighborhood block clubs.

Quarles has witnessed the difference block clubs have made and the way they add vibrancy to the community.

“They hold festivals and picnics, as well as beautification projects and Music in the Park concerts that benefit all of Oak Park,” she said. “They always have something going on. I have always loved the fireworks in Shepherd Park.”

“One of my favorite events is the Fourth of July parade,” Quarles remembered. “Residents line the streets and everyone gets involved – from the kids in the school bands, to the classic car lineups to the organizations, like the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association, that march each year. It is the epitome of community.”

The Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, sponsored by the Oak Park Board of Education, is another event that demonstrates a spirit of community, according to Quarles. It draws people together and gets school kids involved in celebrating King’s philosophy. She said, “It’s a very special event.”

EMBRACING THE CITY’S DIVERSITY, including its strong Jewish, African-American, Chaldean and Arab populations, is another essential factor in Oak Park’s success. They bring a rich, eclectic mix, and according to Quarles, “they have a lot of respect for each other’s traditions and cultures, for diversity.”

“In my 16 years representing Oak Park, it has been my privilege to see all of the positive growth and changes that have brought us to this 75th anniversary,” she said. “If I had one wish for the future, I would like the citizens to continue their strong sense of community. Oak Park will continue to thrive because of its people.”

By Mayor Marian McClellan, City of Oak Park, Michigan

THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA NOW KNOWN AS THE CITY OF OAK PARK WAS ONCE described as “worthless, not fit for habitation.” Oak Park used to be one large marsh, complete with murky waters, abundant plant life, and Michigan swamp creatures.

HOWEVER, DESPITE ITS EARLY, UNDESIRABLE FEATURES, THE AREA WAS INCORPORATED AS A VILLAGE in 1927, with fewer than 1,000 residents, and incorporated as a city 75 years ago in 1945.

Prior to World War II, Oak Park was considered unfit for development. While Detroit suburbs flourished along the Woodward corridor and west of Greenfield, in 1945 Jewish land developers eyed Oak Park with interest as the war ended.

Some thought it would be a great place for an airport, while others considered building a racetrack (which eventually happened but in Hazel Park). Builders, however, felt it would attract Jewish residents to the suburbs where there were no land covenants restricting homeownership due to race and/or religion.

Before WWII, 20,000 pieces of lumber were required to build one new frame house, restricting contractors to building only one or two homes per year. Prebuilt, ready-to-use modules made popular in the war, made it possible for one contractor to build 22 houses per year. Young families raced to occupy bright, new, modern homes in the suburbs.

IN ADDITION TO PLENTIFUL HOUSING STOCK, THREE MAIN FACTORS drove Oak Park’s rapid and unique growth: 1) Accessible home financing through the military GI Bill for veterans; 2) Newfound housing opportunities for religious and racial minorities; and 3) Sound decisions by early city officials.

Some families moved to Oak Park to be nearer Northland Shopping Center, which was one of the first outdoor malls in the United States. However, the majority of Jewish families settled in the area due to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veteran Administration (VA) rules for returning Jewish war veterans which required that they live in new construction outside of Detroit. This became the prevailing impetus for early Jewish settlement in both, Oak Park and Southfield.

Elected mayor in 1949, Gerald Kent had the foresight to hire a City planner to develop Oak Park’s first Master Plan, which, with recent modifications, still provides the basis for community development today. In 1951, Oak Park City Council combined policing, firefighting, and emergency medical services into one, innovative Public Safety Department, which became a national model.

Oak Park Schools Superintendent James Pepper spearheaded new construction of eleven, state-of-the-art public schools within twelve years to match the City’s tremendous 565% population growth, of which 43 percent were school-aged children. By 1960 there were 10,000 children attending Oak Park schools annually.

OAK PARK BECAME KNOWN AS THE FASTEST-GROWING CITY IN AMERICA, expanding from 2,000 to 37,300 residents between 1947 and 1963. Between 1950 and 1960, Oak Park became home to seven synagogues, five churches, a dozen baseball diamonds, a public swimming pool, a library, a recreation center, an ice rink and two parks. In 1960, the City introduced its first Independence Day Parade.

In the 1970s, white residents began moving away from Oak Park as black families moved into the City (a racist trend known as ). Oakland County encouraged urban sprawl, prompting families to move further out into the northwest suburbs. Many Jewish families stayed loyal to Oak Park, however, and welcomed the diversity. This transition period resulted in declining municipal revenues and, once again, destabilized Oak Park’s economy.

In the 1980s and 1990s, however, the City of Oak Park began bouncing back. The Jewish Federation started the Neighborhood Project in 1988, which provided Jewish families in Oak Park with interest-free loans for home-buying or improvements. Once again, Oak Park returned to being one of few stable, diverse communities in America.

AT THE ONSET OF THE CITY’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY, the State of Michigan and federal government proposed a project that threatened to destroy the community. The plan involved slicing the city in half to accommodate the construction of Interstate 696.

The Honorable Charlotte Rothstein, the first woman mayor of Oak Park elected in 1981, went to Washington, D.C. to lobby the federal government for assistance in building a pathway over the expressway so that families on either side could attend religious services. Mayor Rothstein’s dedication to literally building bridges helped stabilize Oak Park and maintain our diverse culture. Today, we celebrate the beautiful parks and crossways that run over the freeway and connect our community.

The Great Recession of 2007 had a devastating impact on Oak Park property values, as many residents lost their jobs and their homes. Caught in the back-draft of the worst economic crisis in 70 years, Oak Park had 100 vacant commercial and industrial properties. Property tax revenues fell by 50 percent, while Oak Park’s state revenue-sharing model plummeted by $5M as compared to the previous decade.

In November 2011, however, changes in Oak Park’s leadership initiated the City’s comeback. Once again, a series of sound government decisions rescued the City from potential bankruptcy and set Oak Park on a growth trajectory.

Today, Oak Park is progressing again relative to residential and business growth. In keeping with our history of resilience, Oak Park remains one of few stable, inclusive communities in the nation.