Oakland History Center at Pine Grove

Discussion: North Oakland Branch NAACP History with Stephanie Spears Boothe
2019-10-09 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Detroit) | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
We’ll be learning about the Northern Oakland County Branch NAACP and their history as they approach one hundred years, with Branch President Stephanie Spears Boothe speaking with us at the Historical Society October 9th. She will be sharing perspectives on this local branch and the African American experience in northern Oakland County through the generations. All are welcome and encouraged to share their perspectives and ask questions. Admission is free and there is ample, free onsite parking. Refreshments available for purchase.

Outdoor Yoga in the Governor's Gardens
2019-09-26 18:00 - 19:00, 2019-09-19 18:00 - 19:00, 2019-09-12 18:00 - 19:00, 2019-09-05 18:00 - 19:00, 2019-08-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Join us at Pine Grove for Outdoor Yoga in Governor Moses Wisner’s gardens!
Every Thursday from August 22 to September 26, we’re collaborating with Yaktown Yoga for a one-hour outdoor session.
Please bring your own mat and a donation for the instructor’s time and expertise.
If weather is poor, we will move it indoors for that session.

Oak Hill Cemetery Walk - From the Cook Book to the Courthouse
2019-09-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Oak Hill Cemetery, 216 University Drive, Pontiac, Michigan, 48341
Join us as we celebrate the Suffrage Movement of the early 20th century with an interpretive walk through Oak HIll Cemetery.
Meet us at Pine Grove and the Wisner Mansion for free parking and shuttle service to the cemetery.
Please pre-register! Call 248-338-6732 for tickets and information, or click here to register and purchase tickets: https://getlocalhop.com/oak-hill-cemetery-walk/event/qMr5ol6Wpz/
Comfortable walking shoes recommended
Not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
Proceeds benefit restoration efforts at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Oakland County Heritage Conference 2019
2019-09-19 08:30 - 15:30 | Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills, MI, 48306, United States
This year’s Heritage Conference will provide communities with ideas and strategies to tell their stories.
Stories that can be leveraged to attract more visitors and enrich your community’s sense of place for residents and businesses. Methods, techniques and the role story telling plays in keeping the heritage of important people, places and events alive for future generations will be profiled.
As 2020 ushers in Oakland County’s Bicentennial, the conference provides a primer on methods and media for any group or individual preparing to tell the story of Oakland County’s rich heritage.
Download the flyer here: 2019 Heritage Save the Date

Mini-Lecture Series: Confederate Postage in the Civil War - Tom Nelson
2019-09-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
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 they were issued and the particulars behind each stamp.
Admission $7.00, light refreshments are provided.

Patriot Week Academy
2019-09-07 09:30 - 11:30 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Join us at the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society on September 7 for our MEMBERS ONLY Patriot Week Academy! Saturday, September 7th from 9:30am – 11:30am. The event will begin with a welcome and introduction to the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society.
Our lesson for the Academy this year will cover the Constitution…where it ALL began! We will teach about the Constitution through interactive games and group discussion. The event will end with a call to action and optional tour of the Oakland County Pioneer Historical Society! A continental breakfast will be provided!
THIS IS A MEMBER ONLY EVENT. PLEASE RSVP BY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2. EMAIL KWENTZ@PATRIOTWEEK.ORG OR CALL/TEXT 248-920-6109 TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.
To become a Patriot Week Member, please visit our website at https://www.patriotweek.org/shop-1

Pioneer Reunion and Social
2019-07-27 11:00 - 17:00 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Join us as we celebrate the pioneers and early settlers of Oakland County at our annual summer event, this year called the “Pioneer Reunion and Social”.
Other cool news: FREE ADMISSION this year! Thanks to a generous donation, guests are invited to come participate in the Reunion with no admission cost (although any sales on the campus are of course not free).
Please bring your friends and family!

War’s Casualties: Hopes & Dreams Dashed - Robert Dustman
2019-06-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
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 will talk about the hopes and dreams his father had for after the war which were never realized. It was those hopes and dreams, which kept him sane during times of strife on the battlefields to which he was sent.
A dynamic speaker, Robert Dustman is a former broadcast journalist who enjoyed a successful twenty-five year career as a reporter, anchor, news director, sports director and political editor at radio and television stations throughout the State of Michigan.

Cancelled: Underground Railroad Historic Site Tour III - Dr. Willie Payne
2019-05-25 09:00 - 17:00 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled. Look for another tour later in the year!
This tour explores sites in Pontiac, Orchard Lake, Walled Lake, Farmington and Detroit used to harbor southern fugitive slaves. You’ll hear stories of how local abolitionists helped them escape to Canada on the Underground Railroad.

Stories of the Myrick Palmer House - Mark Thomas
2019-05-19 14:00 - 16:00 | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
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 broker he has intimate knowledge of some of the grand houses in the area. Mark is also intrigued with the preservation of motor vehicles.
Admission $7.00 – Light refreshments are provided.

USS Michigan: Great Lakes Guardian - Larry Hathcock
2019-04-14 14:00 - 16:00 | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
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 cover the long career of this revolutionary and historic ship.
Cost: $7.00, light refreshments will be served.

Mini-Lecture: Native American Show & Tell presented by Dwight Keith
2019-03-10 14:00 - 16:00 | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
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.

Mini-Lecture - Elizabeth Denison Forth - Rosie Richardson
2019-02-24 14:00 - 16:00 | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
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 of Historic Places, Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, and Daughters of the American Revolution Women in American History Honoree.
Admission $7 ~ Light refreshments

OCPHS Appreciation Reception
2019-02-13 18:00 - 20:00 | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Oakland County Pioneer & Historical Society is the steward of the estate of Pine Grove. This commitment is accomplished through the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers and friends. Come join us for an evening to show you our appreciation of your support! Thank you!

Pine Grove Closed - Snow Day
2019-02-12 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Baby, it’s cold outside. And the Pontiac School District sets our schedule – we follow along. The schools are closed today.

Meet the Author & Book Signing - John Cohassey
2019-02-06 18:00 - 20:00 | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
** Note: Event Rescheduled Due To Weather **

Hot off the Presses!
Meet author John Cohassey as he shares information about the day to day experiences of the soldiers of the Michigan 22nd Infantry. John’s new book will be available for sale & signing that evening. This is an informal gathering, light refreshments will be provided.
This history explores the 22nd’s day-to-day experiences in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. John describes the challenges faced by volunteer farm boys, shopkeepers, school teachers and lawyers as they faced death, disease and starvation on battlefields and in Confederate prisons.
6 to 8 pm Wednesday evening, there is no charge for this event.
Event is held in the Carriage House at Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, Mi 48342.

OCHA First Meeting
2019-02-05 09:30 - 11:30 | Waterford Public Library, 5168 Civic Center Drive, Waterford, MI, 48329, United States
The first meeting of the Oakland County History Alliance (soon to have a different name).
Here is the agenda:
– Meet and greet
– Presentation – what the OCHA is all about
– Discussion: Structure of the organization, participation levels, meeting frequency, and in general how we all want this to work
– Choose a new name for this alliance – we can’t use alliance
– Time dependent: break out into individual groups to discuss areas of common interest
– Establishing the next meeting venue and date

Pine Grove Closed - Snow Days!
2019-01-29 - 2019-01-30 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Baby, it’s cold outside. And the Pontiac School District sets our schedule – we follow along.
Pine Grove is closed Tuesday January 29th and Wednesday January 30th due to the weather.
Here’s hoping for Thursday!

Pine Grove Closed - Snow Day!
2019-01-23 | MI
The Pontiac School District is closed today due to road conditions, and since the schools are closed, well then so are we. Please stay safe out there, we will be open Thursday, weather permitting.

Photo of the Pine Grove campus, circa 1920. Courtesy of the David C Wallace Collection, Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society.

Confederate Postage in the Civil War - Tom Nelson
2019-01-20 14:00 - 16:00 | OCHS Carriage House, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
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 they were issued with the particulars behind each stamp.
Admission $7 ~ Light refreshments will be served.

Free Children's Holiday Party in the Schoolhouse!
2018-12-22 13:00 - 16:00 | Oakland History Center Drayton Plains Schoolhouse, 405 Cesar E Chavez, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Join us as we host a free Holiday Party for kids in our schoolhouse!

Wisner Mansion Tour Day
2018-12-16 13:00 - 16:00, 2018-12-09 13:00 - 16:00 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
Visit the Wisner Mansion all decked out in Victorian Holiday splendor!

Children's Holiday Workshop in the Schoolhouse
2018-12-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Oakland History Center Drayton Plains Schoolhouse, 405 Cesar E Chavez, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States
Join us as we host a Holiday Workshop in the Schoolhouse! Make ornaments, learn a little history, have a lot of fun!

Children's Holiday Workshop - In the Schoolhouse
2018-12-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Oakland History Center Drayton Plains Schoolhouse, 405 Cesar E Chavez, Pontiac, MI, 48342, United States

Victorian Open House
2018-12-02 13:00 - 16:00 | Pine Grove, 405 Cesar E Chavez Ave, Pontiac, MI, 48341, United States
A Wisner Family Celebration

When: Sunday, December 2, 2018 from 1 to 4 PM
at
Pine Grove
405 Cesar E Chavez
Pontiac, MI 48342

Admission: $7 per person, $15 per family of 5.

Tour Governor Moses Wisner’s home all decked out in Victorian splendor!

Visit with Good Old St. Nick, enjoy music, carols, cocoa and cookies
Private Tours of the Wisner Mansion – December 9th and 16th from 1 to 4 PM!

Enter a drawing to win a holiday quilt!
To find out how to win, see one of us at the Victorian Open House!

Come visit your hometown museum!
