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

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brick of a dark color, with stone trimmings, and is sixty-four by eightyfour feet in dimensions. It has a main tower at the Mill and Huron
street corner, with two smaller towers on the Mill and Huron street
elevations. There are two larger entrances on the Mill street side, with
a smaller entrance in the rear on Huron street. The auditorium and
gallery will seat about seven hundred people. The auditorium extends
north and south, while the church parlors occupy the north end of the
building. The parlors are handsomely furnished, and in the basement
are to be found a well equipped gymnasium, with Sunday-school room
adjoining and a boys' club room, all of which are so arranged that they
may be thrown into one large room. The kitchen, one of the most
indispensable adjuncts to a well regulated church edifice, adjoins the
gymnasium, and is complete in every detail.
On September II, I9IO, the corner stone of the church was laid in
the wall just north of Mill street at the entrance. Rev. M. H. Wallace,
of Brewster Congregational church of Detroit, a former pastor of the
Pontiac church, delivered the dedicatory address, with Rev. D. H. Glass,
Rev. R. M. Traver, Rev. C. E. Blanchard, and Rev. A. McCallum assisting.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL'S CHURCH
The history of St. Vincent de Paul's church dates from the year
1836, when Pontiac first began to be visited periodically by Catholic missionaries, although that date did not mark the first advent of secular and
regular priests of various orders in Oakland county, it being of record
that missionaries visited these parts a century and a half ago. The first
priest who came at regular intervals, however, was Rev. Fr. Missui,
who was at the time assistant parish priest of the Cathedral of St. Anne
in D'etroit. He came once in each month and held meetings in a private
house near Huron street, the home of a family of the name of Dennis.
His ministrations were not continued beyond the space of a year and
never extended outside Pontiac. In I838 Father Kelly made his first
appearance. His mission embraced a large portion of the adjacent territory, and he visited Pontiac at infrequent intervals. At that early day,
it may well be believed that the conditions with regard to travel and entertainment were not of a high order, and the faithful priest performed
his untiring ministrations under the greatest difficulties. Making his distances always by horseback, through a wild and unclaimed waste of land,
he met with discouragements sufficient to quench the spirit of many a
stronger man, but he proved faithful to the end and about twice a year
made his appearance in Pontiac where he would administer to the most
pressing needs of his people, and move on to the next community, who
always awaited his coming in eagerness. He died in I86o. In I85I Rev.
Fr. Wallace, who later became chaplain of St. Mary's hospital at Detroit,
became the first resident pastor of this parish. He was succeeded by
Rev. Fr. L. J. Wicart in 1863, who continued until November, 1876, when
Father Baumgartner followed him in the parish. In 1904 Father Baumgartner was promoted to the chancellorship of the diocese of Detroit and
Father T. J. Ryan was named to succeed him in Pontiac. Since he came
to Pontiac, Father Ryan has watched over his parish with every care and
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