Orson Starr Home
Orson Starr (1803-1873) and his wife, Rhoda Gibbs Starr (1806-1853), built this home in 1845. Five generations of the Starr family lived here until 1964. The house was purchased by the city of Royal Oak in 1976. Orson Starr came to this area in 1831 and began manufacturing cowbells in a factory located just north of this site. He continued this trade for forty years. The cowbells, products of Royal Oak’s first industry, were stamped with Starr’s trademark and are now prized by collectors.
Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Marker data: Michigan History Center
See your own family's places through time.
Start with your family tree