Cindy La Ferle’s Home Officea window on the writing life

Hometown pride

Cindy on April 14th, 2010

There’s no place like home,
there’s no place like home,
there’s no place like home.
– L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz

When I started freelancing in the 1980s, I was lucky enough to meet one of my dearest friends, John Schultz, at my hometown paper. At the time, John was editor of the Daily Tribune‘s business section.

I was typically assigned to review plays and to cover local art events. But once a week, John would coax me away from the lifestyles section to write about small businesses in Royal Oak and nearby suburbs. From alternative clothing boutiques to quirky little diners that had been serving burgers since the 1950s, every one of those places had its own charm and a story. That’s how I earned my first weekly column at a daily paper — and I’m forever grateful to John for that chance. It was a terrific way to define my sense of place while learning more about my community.

Few journalists know the heart and soul of this community better than John Schultz. With co-author Maureen McDonald, John takes readers on a journey through our beloved town’s history in Royal Oak, a gorgeous new book in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America Series.

A longtime Royal Oak resident, John told me that researching material for the book was almost like tracing his own family’s roots. He and Maureen (photo below) spent months poring over historic photos and researching records from our public library, the Royal Oak Historical Society, and the Daily Tribune.

Brimming with vintage photos, their book explains how Michigan’s first governor, Lewis Cass, signed a treaty with the Chippewa in 1819 and rested nearby with companions under a swamp oak a few miles north of Detroit. The area eventually became a village in 1891. Named for the oak tree rooted in its early history, Royal Oak was officially a city in 1921 — just five years before my own house was built in this neighborhood.

“Royal Oak is a town that has endured,” John reminds me. “It’s a place kids love growing up in and one adults wished they had.”

Today, as John likes to boast, our “City of Trees” is home to William Beaumont Hospital (one of the nation’s top-rated medical centers) as well as a world-class zoo. We’ve also got a lively downtown arts community, the coolest sidewalk cafes, and dozens of restaurants to choose from. And as if that’s not enough, there’s the historic Hermann’s bakery, where you can sample the best oatmeal cookie in the Midwest. Can you tell I’m proud — of my town and my friend?

To learn more, you absolutely have to buy the book. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll visit your local library to read as much as you can about your own hometown and neighborhood. Nurture your sense of place and celebrate the gifts of community. Learn the stories and pass them on. — Cindy La Ferle

For more information on the new Royal Oak book, and to purchase copies, contact John Schultz at johnsschultz@sbcglobal.net or look for “Royal Oak history book” on Facebook. If you live in the area, don’t miss these book signings: April 26 at the Royal Oak Public Library (7 p.m.); April 30 at the opening of the Royal Oak Historical Society Museum (7 p.m.); May 2 at the Royal Oak Historical Society Museum (1-5 p.m.). See you there!

Tags: Arcadia Publishing, City of Royal Oak, Daily Tribune of Royal Oak, hometown memories, Images of America Series, John S. Schultz, Maureen McDonald, Michigan writers, Midwest living, Midwest towns, Royal Oak Historical Society Gala, Royal Oak Michigan, sense of place, William Beaumont Hospital
Read More Comments (9) Events & news