2010 EVENTS

2010 Board Meetings: All members are invited to attend monthly board meetings, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Carriage House unless otherwise noted. 2010 meeting dates are: Sat. Jan 16, Wed. Feb 17, Sat. Mar 20, Tue. Apr 20 (Special Meeting on Strategic Plan, 6:00 p.m.), Sat. May 22 (Annual Meeting, 1:00 p.m.), Wed. Jun 16, Sat. Jul 17, Wed. Aug 18, Sat. Sep 18, Wed. Oct 20, Sat. Nov 20, No December meeting. Attending meetings is a great way to learn about the Society's activities, challenges, and accomplishments, and to see if there are ways in which you might like to help!

Sunday, January 24, 2:00 p.m. Small Talk: One Room Schoolhouses of Michigan: Expert Sue Daniel shared information on the architecture, content, teacher training, subject matter, and community role of the one room schoolhouse.

Sunday, February 7, 2:00 p.m. Lecture and Book Signing: Until Antietam: The Life and Letters of Major General Israel B. Richardson, U.S. Army by Jack C. Mason: We met the author of this comprehensive book about Pontiac's own Major General and friend of Moses Wisner, Israel B. Richardson. This was a successful fund raiser for OCPHS and a great opportunity to learn more about Richardson through Jack's extensive research.

Monday, February 8, 6:00 p.m., Wisner Program at Pontiac Public Library: Ann Johnson, Society member and a descendant of Moses Wisner, presented a visual tour of Pine Grove and told the story of the Wisner family.

Saturday, March 20, all day, Pontiac Public Library Exhibit: Take a trip to the Pontiac Public Library, 60 East Pike Street, for their exhibit, Notable Women of Pontiac. Angeolina Wisner will be among the ladies featured!

Sunday, April 18, 2:00 p.m., Small Talk: Stone Structures of Southeastern Michigan: Bill Powers, OCPHS member and volunteer, presented a sampling of local stone structures, including photographs of the buildings, their masonry construction techniques, and their original and adaptive reuse.

Monday, May 10, 12:00, Pontiac Branch Woman's National Farm & Garden Club Meeting: OCPHS officer Mike West spoke about phragmites, those tall grasses taking over our lakes and wetlands. We learned about phragmites, OCPHS, this garden club (which has long supported our herb garden), and the ice house dig going on in the herb garden area.

Saturday, May 22, 1:00 p.m., Annual Meeting: On this special day we honored many of our longest serving supporters, including Mike Willis and Kathryn Daggy, who stepped down from the offices of President and Secretary this year. Other honorees included former board members who gave at least 10 years of service, and life members of the organization. Society members also voted for directors, and the newly seated board chose its 2010/11 officers.

Saturday, May 22, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Ice House Dig Open House: Visitors reviewed this spring's architectural dig at Pine Grove. We're partnering with Oakland University and the Waterford School District to uncover the site of the Wisner ice house--now long gone but once an important part of daily life in the 19th century.

Saturday, July 17, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Pontiac City Garden Tour: This annual event, sponsored by the Pontiac Garden Club, includes a stop at Pine Grove for tours of the Wisner house and grounds. The Pontiac Garden Club showcases many of the city's most beautiful gardens on its annual tour, and we're pleased to be included! Admission charge applies; proceeds benefit Pine Grove and other area charitable organizations.

Saturday, July 31, noon - 4:00 p.m., Summer Social at Pine Grove: Join us for our annual summer community event, featuring tours, entertainment, ice cream, and of course, history! (Rain date, Sunday August 1, noon - 4:00 p.m.) See our Home page for details!

Sunday, September 12, 2:00 p.m., Small Talk with Henry Swift. Mr. Swift will discuss his book, Ezra Jette: Buffalo Soldier. Mr. Swift is an ardent student of U.S. History relating to African Americans and Native Americans during the early 19th century. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Mr. Swift will share his knowledge of the Buffalo Soldiers, African American calvary soldiers in the U.S. Military following the Civil War.

Sunday, October 10, 2:00 p.m., Small Talk with Jerry Zaetta and Herbert Garrett Peters. Learn about John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, from these two engaging men. Mr. Zaetta will present a profile of Booth, while Mr. Peters will share family memories of Booth's capture on his family's farm in Virginia.

Sunday, November 7, 2:00 p.m., Small Talk with Ron Gay. Local historian Ron Gay worked with the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society to produce his new photographic history of Pontiac, part of Arcadia Press's Images of America series. The book features numerous photographs from the Society's collections and it will help to preserve Pontiac's history for generations!

December, Victorian Open House: A great time to visit Pine Grove in all its holiday finery! Tour the Wisner home and outbuildings, enjoy entertainment, and sample refreshments in the Carriage House. Details to be announced.

Event sponsorships for the Summer Social and Victorian Open House are available on our Donate page. Sponsorships are a great way to help the Society preserve Pine Grove and promote the history of Oakland County, and to gain some special recognition for yourself or your business!

Interested in volunteering for any of these events? Contact us!

EXHIBITS

The Society currently features the following exhibits:

Book Larnin': Nineteenth Century Education in Michigan is on display in the Drayton Plains One-Room Schoolhouse. This exhibit presents a history of the educational materials used in one-room schoolhouses in Oakland County and Michigan.

Victorian Winter Wear: In the clothes press on the Wisner Home's second floor landing are some examples of the types of winter clothing that Governor and Mrs. Wisner would have worn when living at Pine Grove. These items are part of the Museum's period clothing collection.

Military Uniforms and Equipment: Artifacts and uniforms from the armed services may be seen on the main floor of the Wisner Home.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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