Thomas and Oakwood continued to prosper until May 1896, when they were largely devastated by a monster tornado which traveled across the entire north end of Oakland County. The tornado killed 41 people and injured 46 others in northern Oakland and southern Lapeer counties. Seventeen of the fatalities were in the northern portion of Oxford Township, from the Oakwood village area to Thomas. While many of the homes in Oakwood and Thomas were rebuilt, the two communities were never again centers of commerce. Railroads were largely responsible for change and continued growth in the Oxford area. No longer isolated from Detroit, and now joined with communities to the north, Oxford's commerce thrived. In addition to its businesses and factories, agriculture was a mainstay for the community. At one time in the 1880s, Oxford earned the nickname, Bagatown, from the large number of rutabagas shipped out by train.