Royal Oak Township in Ferndale in Oakland County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School
Photographed by Brigitte Hall, July 21, 2023
1. Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School Marker, Side One
Extensive population growth in Royal Oak Township spurred construction of the Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School in 1926. The Ferndale School District created mandatory attendance areas that relocated many of the Black students in the district to Grant School. Prolonged periods of overcrowding became a recurring issue at the school. The Ferndale School District expanded Grant School infrequently and failed to transfer students to schools operating below capacity. From 1939 to 1941. the school operated at nearly 200 percent capacity and held half-day sessions to educate its students. In 1941 parents and teachers led a "stay away-from-school strike" that lasted three weeks-until the school board reinstated a full-time schedule and began constructing a four-room addition to the school.
In 1969 the Ferndale School District became the first school district in the North to be held in official violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The U.S. Department of Health. Education, and Welfare (HEW) found that the district had intentionally segregated the all-black Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School. HEW revoked the district's federal aid when it refused to provide a desegregation plan. Litigation lasted for more than a decade. In 1978 the U.S. District Court in Detroit mandated desegregating the school's faculty but found
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Erected 2023 by Michigan Historical Commission; Michigan History Center; sponsored by the Friends of Royal Oak Township. Inc. (Marker Number 760.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1926.
Location. 42° 27.037′ N, 83° 9.551′ W. Marker is in Ferndale, Michigan, in Oakland County. It is in Royal Oak Township. It is on Cloverdale Avenue near Glen Lodge Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8710 Cloverdale Ave, Ferndale MI 48220, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Carver Elementary School (approx. 0.3 miles away); Birwood Wall / Eight Mile-Wyoming Neighborhood (approx. 0.7 miles away); Ferndale Veterans Memorial (approx. one mile away); a different marker also named Ferndale Veterans Memorial (approx. one mile away); Ferndale World War I Memorial
Photographed by Brigitte Hall, July 21, 2023
2. Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School Marker, Side Two
More about this marker. This State of Michigan historical marker is located within the historic boundaries of Royal Oak Charter Township in Oakland County. While the mailing address reflects present-day municipal designations, the site is historically associated with Royal Oak Township, established in 1833 which once encompassed approximately 36 square miles and has since been reduced to approximately 0.55 square miles through a series of annexations. The marker placement reflects the historic geography of the Township and its relationship to the surrounding Eight Mile corridor.
Regarding Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School. Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School, established in 1926, served a long-standing residential community within Royal Oak Township, including African American families whose presence is documented in early 20th-century census records
Photographed by Brigitte Hall, 072123
3. Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School with Michigan Historical Marker #760 in the foreground.
A contemporary view of Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School showing the historic marker positioned in front of the original brick school building. This image visually connects the physical structure to its historical designation, representing both the legacy of education in Royal Oak Township and the sites role in civil rights history.
The surrounding area reflects a pattern in which established landholding communities existed prior to and alongside later subdivision development in adjacent Detroit neighborhoods, including areas commonly identified as Detroyal Park and Green Acres. Township records, school district mapping, and infrastructure development further support the presence of an established population during this period.
This submission is part of ongoing historical documentation and preservation work by Friends of Royal Oak Township, Inc. (FOROT), contributing to a broader effort to map and interpret the Townships historical development and community legacy.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Photographed by Brigitte Hall
4. Ulysses S. Grant Historical Dedication Program, April 27, 2024.
Official program produced by Friends of Royal Oak Township, Inc. announcing the April 27, 2024 dedication of the Ulysses S. Grant Michigan Historical Marker. The design incorporates historic imagery of the school circa 1941 alongside event details, reinforcing the connection between past and present.
Photographed by Brigitte Hall
5. Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School Marker Side #1 and #2 (1926 and HEW)
This two-sided Michigan Historical Marker commemorates Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School in Ferndale/Royal Oak Township, Michigan. The front side documents the schools construction in 1926 in response to population growth in Royal Oak Township and highlights overcrowding, segregation practices, and the 1941 student-led stay-away protest. The reverse side details the Ferndale School Districts 1969 violation of the Civil Rights Act, subsequent federal intervention, and the eventual integration of the school in 1981. The marker was sponsored by Friends of Royal Oak Township, Inc.
Photographed by Brigitte Hall, 042724
6. Community members gather for the Grant School Historical Marker dedication.
Community members, local officials, and descendants gather in front of Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School during the unveiling of the Michigan Historical Marker. This moment reflects intergenerational engagement and the communitys role in preserving and honoring its educational and civil rights history.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 19, 2026, by Brigitte R. Hall of Ferndale, Michigan. This page has been viewed 36 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 19, 2026, by Brigitte R. Hall of Ferndale, Michigan. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
