Mini-Lectures

In October of 1818, five men spent twelve days exploring Oakland County’s lakes area. When they returned, they wrote a newspaper article describing what they found in glowing terms. When it was received in Detroit and New York, the article kicked off the settlement of Pontiac and the creation of Oakland County. Why did they go? What did they see? What did they do when they returned? As with all

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Join us at Pine Grove to hear from Leslie Pielack about her new book, "The Saginaw Trail: From Native American Path to Woodward Avenue", get your copy and have it signed by Leslie, and enjoy some light refreshments as we continue to celebrate Pontiac's bicentennial week! From: 6-8 PM in the Carriage House. Admission is free, donations are happily accepted.  

Confederate Postage in the Civil War Presented by Tom Nelson, Adjunct Professor at MCCC - Tom will be presenting a slide show of the history of the Confederate States postal system during the Civil War. At first the South used pre-war postage stamps and local provisionals. By June 1861 the System had become centralized in Richmond for the duration of the war. Tom will present the postage In chronological order as

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Elizabeth Dennison Forth - Emancipated Woman Presented by Rosie Richardson Lisette Denison Forth was born a slave near Detroit, worked as a maid, became a Pontiac landowner, and philanthropist. Celebrating Black History Month, Rosie Richardson will speak on Lisette’s early life, freedom, and her contribution in the building of St James Episcopal Church in Grosse Ile. Her life story has been documented by Michigan Historic Site Markers, the National Register

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Dwight is past president of the Oakland County Earth Science and Rock Club, as well as being an avid collector & dealer of unusual antiques. Come see what he has in store as he shows some of his Native American artifacts and tells the tales of their origin. This talk is not to be missed! Admission $7 - light refreshments will be served.

For over eighty years the USS Michigan operated on the Great Lakes. When the Michigan was launched in December 1843, it became the first iron hulled ship in the US Navy. Built as a deterrent to British naval strength, the USS Michigan would become involved with stopping timber pirates, the King Strang assassination and the plot to free Confederate POW’s on Johnson’s Island during the Civil War. This talk will

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The Myrick Palmer house has been home to members of some of Pontiac’s early pioneer families. This stately lady has graced West Huron Street for many years. Evocative of a time long gone, Mark knows some of her secrets and will share them with you. Come hear him tell tales of this beautiful vintage home. Mark Thomas is a member of OCPHS and excellent speaker. As a retired real estate

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A book based on letters home “Defining Moments: A True Story of War, Family Conflict & Reconciliation;” details how war shaped one man. This memoir, written by the soldier’s eldest son, captures in vivid detail Bill Dustman’s transformation from a boy into a man. Robert’s presentation will not be a replay of the experiences his father, G. William Dustman, experienced in the South Pacific during World War II. Instead, he

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