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.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

191

William Thompson was appointed judge of probate; and the first
probate court was held at the house of David Stannard, in Bloomfield,
on the I5th day of June, 1822. Application was made for letters of administration upon the estate of Eliphalet Harding.
OAKLAND COUNTY UNDER THE TERRITORY
During the time we were under a territorial government the office of
judge of probate was successively held by William Thompson, Nathaniel
Millard, Smith Weeks, Gideon O. Whittemore, William F. Moseley,
Ogden Clark and Stephen Reeves. Sidney Dole was the first county
clerk, first register of probate and clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, and one of the first justices of the peace. The first case
which was brought before him as a justice of the peace, and it is presumed to be the first brought before any justice of the peace in the
county, was that of Thomas Knapp against Ezra Baldwin. The summons was issued on the I5th of June, and the judgment rendered on the
2Ist day of August, I820.
Mr. Dole was a cautious man: He usually carried the papers of each
case in his hat from the commencement to the termination, and after
hearing the evidence, seldom rendered judgment until he had consulted
the authorities in Detroit. Few men enjoyed a higher degree of public
favor than did he. In connection with Mr. Moseley, Mr. Dole represented
the county of Oakland in the second legislative council. He died at his
residence in this village on Sunday morning the 2oth of July, 1828.
"In the beginning of our territorial existence and up to the 7th of
June, 1824," says Judge Drake, "whatever of legislation we had, was by
the governor and judge, or by the governor in the form of a proclamation. By the acts-of congress, the governor and judges had power to
adopt such laws or parts of laws from the states of the Union as they
might deem applicable to the territory. But they had no power to originate any law, and at this day it is difficult to find any warrant for many
things which the governor and judges did, in the way of law-making;
and the executive proclamations organizing counties, and again altering
their boundaries and establishing seats of justice, though they tended to
the public good, were wholly without authority.
TERRITORIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
"On the 7th of June, 1824, a legislative council convened at Detroit,
consisting of nine members. The mode by which they were selected,
may not be known to you all. An act of congress authorized an election to be held in the territory for members of the council. The people
voted for whom they pleased, and the result at the various polls was certified to the secretary of the territory: A board of canvassers then'ascertained the number of votes given for each person. The names of eighteen
persons having the highest number of votes were certified to the president, and from that list he selected nine persons and nominated them to
the senate. After their confirmation they were commissioner members
of the legislative council, and held their office for two years. The sessions of the council were limited to sixty days in each year."