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.

CHAPTER VII

PIONEER RECORDS
COUNTY PIONEER SOCIETY FOUNDED-THE SUPERVISORS' PICNICS-BETTER PRESERVATION OF RECORDS-SOCIETY INCORPORATED-PIONEER
WOMEN-OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY-PIONEER RELICS IN THE COLIECTION OF THE SOCIETY
*As each year carries away the settlers of our county, it is important
and interesting to our students, statesmen and politicians that recollections of the early events that characterized the pioneers of Old Oakland
county be gathered and transmitted to our successors. After much anxiety and deep thought of how to arrest and retain the interest of the
younger people and of those who were coming from other states, it became impressed on the minds of a few public spirited citizens that a
society should be formed for the purpose of preserving the records that
related to the early settlements of the county. Therefore, on January 6,
I874, a call was issued for organizing an Oakland County Pioneer Society.
COUNTY PIONEER SOCIETY FOUNDED
On January 2Ist, at a meeting held at the court house, a committee
was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws and report at a subsequent meeting to be held February 22d. At this meeting, the requirements
were approved and adopted, clearly explaining the aim and object of the
society. None of the officers were to receive any compensation; labors
performed during session and out of it were to be gratuitous. It was
decided to hold an annual meeting on February 22d and a semi-annual
meeting September Ioth, each year, at Pontiac.
A meeting of the pioneers was held on Friday, February 27th, with
President Henry H. Waldron in the chair. Rev. T. J. Joslin offered a
short prayer, the volunteer choir sung "America," and the Hon. T. J.
Drake then offered the following resolution which was unanimously
adopted: "The pioneers and early settlers of the county of Oakland
in convention assembled at the courthouse in Pontiac, on the
2Ist of January, I874, unanimously resolved to form themselves into a
society to be called the Pioneer Society of Oakland County.
"It is declared to be the intent and object of the society to gather up
* In the preparation of this chapter many obligations are acknowledged to Miss
Anne E. Jewell, niece of Ezra W. Jewell, president of the society.
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