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.

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HIlSTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

At a special election held July 8, 1901, for the purpose of authorizing the city to raise $50,000 for improving the waterworks, the proposition was carried by a vote of 757 to 121.
The rapid growth of Pontiac is illustrated in no more forcible way
than in the increased demands of its people for adequate water supply,
and by I909 the cry for an extension of the system was loud and insistent. On September 2oth of that year the common council therefore resolved to submit to voters a proposition to issue bonds in the
amount of $25,00oo0 for the extension of the water-supply system. As
advised by the board of public works, the improvements comprised the
following: The construction of a two million-gallon reservoir at a cost
of $25,000; sinking and equipment of eight additional wells, $5,600;
purchase and installation of 1,600 feet of 24-inch suction, $7,200; one
five million-gallon pumping engine, with foundation and pipe connections, $28,200; to provide for adequate extension of the water mains,
auxiliary force mains and pumping engines to Bagley street, $56,907.22,
and to purchase land for additional wells, $2,092.78. Making a total of
$125,o00.
Later, the board of public works cut down their estimate to $8I,907.22-that is, $25,000 for the reservoir and $56,907.22 for the auxiliary
force mains and extensions.
Therefore, the question before the voters at the November election
was that of raising bonds in the sum of $82,000, bearing date from
January I, I9IO, not in excess of four and a half per cent interest, to
be paid in twenty-one annual assessments beginning with the year I918.
The proposition carried by 557 to I66.
TELEPHONE SERVICE UP-TO-DATE
On June II, I900, the franchise was granted to Joseph W. Martin
as the Oakland Telephone Company, and the same was later acquired
by the Oakland County Telephone Company. The common council
passed an ordinance, December 8, I91o, providing that if the Michigan
State Telephone Company should purchase the property and franchise
of the Oakland County Telephone Company and operate the system, all
rights should pass to the new corporation. This property and franchise were offered for sale by a decree of the circuit court on December
9, 190o, and were purchased by the Michigan State Telephone Company.
The purchase was duly confirmed on the 29th of that month, and the
latter thereby entered into possession of the plant of the Oakland County
Telephone Company.
On January I, I9II, the Michigan State Telephone Company took
over the Oakland County Telephone property. On assuming control
of the business, they erected a fine new building at a cost of about
$I5,oo0, which came into use on January I, I912. The Pontiac office
has within its jurisdiction nine exchanges, which are here given, with
the number of phones in operation at each exchange: Pontiac, 2,800;
Birmingham, 530; Royal Oak, 345; Rochester, 270; Oxford, 350; Orion,
185; Leonard, 8I; Ortonville, 250; Clarkston, 254.