History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

INTRODUCTION
We present this history wilh pleasure, because it deals with a pleasant subject-Oakland county. There is another reason for this attitude toward our subject:-the cooperation of contributors and of citizens has been so general and hearty that the historical work required
has been transformed from a task into a labor of love.
Oakland county is peculiarly fortunate in the variety of her charms
and riches, to which truth these pages bear witness. With her landscape beauties and sunny lakes, she is drawing thousands to her who
seek restful homes and profitable investments. At the same time, her
soil is fertile and invites the practical farmer, dairyman and horticulturist, while in the urban centers, the industrial and commercial interests have obtained a firm foothold and assure livelihood and profit to
the citizen. No county in the state has better schools, and, as will be
made plain in the progress of this history, in no section has woman had
a more extended or elevating influence. In a word, Oakland is unexcelled as a home county; no more need be said to the good American,
whether of native or foreign blood.
As to the collaborators on the history, too much cannot be said
of the quantity and quality of the assistance rendered by Hon. Aaron
Perry. In those homely words which so truly express our feeling toward
him-"what could we have done without him!" Also as to Miss Martha
Baldwin and Mrs. Lilian Drake Avery-"what could we have done without them,' especially in setting forth the scope of woman's work, and
the splendid part taken by the pioneers of the county in laying the
foundation upon which the later generations have builded their comfort and prosperity. Thanks are rendered all our associate editorsFred M. Warner, Thomas L. Patterson, Harry S. Gardner and Samuel
W. Smith, for their willing and effective cooperation. The county
and village officials, business men, farmers and manufacturers-all, in
fact, who have worked to make Oakland county what it is today and are
laboring for its greater future-have our sincere thanks, both for what
they are doing toward the progress of this favored section of the state,
and for what they have done in enabling us to picture it in this history
of Oakland county. THADDEUS D. SEELEY.