By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD TWP. — Oxford Township officials unveiled the first historical marker of the township’s new historical marker program with a ceremony at Stony Lake Twp. Park on Friday.
The first marker celebrates Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Ty Cobb, who visited Oxford and fished on Stony Lake. The marker is a bronze plaque mounted on an 11,800-pound boulder.
“(Cobb) began taking fishing trips to Oxford in 1906 and continued wetting a line here for more than a decade,” said C.J. Carnacchio, the township’s communications and grants manager. “Stony Lake – that big, beautiful body of water over there – was one of the spots he frequented. Over the years, Mr. Cobb made a number of friends in Oxford, including prominent businessmen like John G. Kessell, owner of the Oxford Opera House, and Charles L. Randall, who made his fortune in the produce business and helped oversee Oxford Bank for 41 years.”

Both the boulder and funding for the Ty Cobb plaque were donated by the Edward C. Levy Co., which has a large gravel mining operation in Oxford. Saradan Construction moved the boulder to the park and Oxford Twp. Parks and Recreation prepared the site and mounted the plaque.
The Ty Cobb marker is the first of 16-18 historical markers that Oxford Township is planning to place around the community. The markers will highlight people, places, structures and events that are significant in terms of local history. All funds and services are paid through donations and grants, so no tax dollars are used for the program.
Carnacchio, creator and administrator of the historical marker program, is soliciting donations and applying for grants to pay for the bronze plaques. They cost $3,435 each. He announced that Oxford Township will be installing at least three more historical markers this year thanks to generous donations.
A donation from the Michigan Aggregates Association will fund the marker honoring William O. Smith, the man who opened Oxford’s first gravel mining operation in 1912.
A donation from North Oakland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 334 will fund the marker honoring Oxford native Hilton Axford, a World War II veteran and pilot who served in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. It’s often referred to as WWII’s “forgotten theater.”
A donation from Oxford resident Ed Krawczuk will fund the marker honoring Marvin E. Coyle, a General Motors executive who led and shaped the Chevrolet Division through the Great Depression and World War II. He owned a 700-acre estate, known as Lakeview Manor, on W. Drahner Rd.
Going forward, all the boulders for the markers will be donated by Levy and Koenig Materials, Oxford’s other large and equally-generous gravel mining operation. Saradan Construction will continue graciously donating its manpower and equipment to move boulders from the mining sites to the marker sites. Oxford Township Parks and Recreation staff will continue mounting all the plaques.
“This is a true community effort and I greatly appreciate everyone who answered the call when I asked for help. It means a lot to me and it means a lot to Oxford,” Carnacchio said. “It is my distinct pleasure and honor to help preserve and promote our community’s heritage. Together, we will keep history alive while educating and inspiring future generations.”