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 XXII

INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS PONTIAC
DIRECT SUCCESSOR OF 1820 MILL-THE HOWARD INTERESTS-THE OLD
PADDACK MILLS-CHARLES DAWSON AND HIS WORK-PONTIAC CITY
MILLS-PIONEER MACHINE SHOPS AND FURNITURE FACTORIESEARLY BREWERIES-FATHERS OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY-PONTIAC AND
OTHER MILLS OF I852-PONTIAC'S EARLY BUSINESS MEN-AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY OF PONTIAC —OAKLAND MOTOR CAR COMPANY-GENERAL MOTORS TRUCK COMPANY-THE FLANDERS PLANTS THE CARTERCAR COMPANY —MONROE BODY COMPANY —THE BEAUDELL BODY
WORKS-SLATER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY-PONTIAC BREWERYPONTIAC COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION.
At Pontiac, as elsewhere, industry preceded commerce and local
trade;- that is, the first sawmill and gristmill were erected before the
general store appeared for the convenience of the pioneers. They picked
their way through the woods, over Indian trails to Detroit, where they
bought their goods and supplies before any of their number opened a
store "on the spot."
Pontiac, as has been said, is indebted to Colonel Mack and his associates for the first of everything in these lines-mills and general supply
store; and it is very interesting, and somewhat remarkable, in this changing western country, that the city still has a direct connecting link between the old Mack properties and the present-day industries.
DIRECT SUCCESSOR OF 1820 MILL
The Pontiac Knitting Works are the direct successors of the Old
Mathews mill, built originally by Col. Stephen Mack in I820, and therefore cover the most historic industrial ground in the city. Colonel Mack
operated his combination flour and gristmill from I820 until his death
in 1826, when it was rented for a short time to Dr. O. Chamberlain, or
to Chamberlain & Whittemore. Samuel C. Munson eventually purchased
the property, and it is believed that he obtained his title from Eurotus
P. Hastings, president of the Bank of Michigan, into whose hands it
had fallen. Munson repaired and improved the mill, putting in an additional run of stone, a merchant bolt,' etc.
In 1832 H. N. Howard, who came to Pontiac from New York state
in 1829, purchased the mill, paying for it about eight thousand dollars.
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