USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests Volume I > Part 38
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323.81
From money borrowed.
1,500.00
From hay sold
3.00
Total
$94,691.38
Expenditures
For construction account.
$85,891.49
Interest on bonds for 1889.
3,825.00
Running expenses for 1889
4,388.64
Tapping material on hand.
140.68
Tapping dues unpaid .. 108.90
Break under bridge (unsettled) 65.37
Total on hand.
271.30
Total
$94,691.38
It appears, further, that the total gallons of water pumped for the year 1889 was 55,098,184, ranging from the lowest month, April (when
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304
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
1,897,244 gallons were pumped), to the highest, August, when the ' amount was 8,726,610. To accomplish this work 770,467 pounds of coal were consumed. Superintendent Monroe also reported that the total number of water consumers was 253.
ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
In the fall of 1891 the citizens of Pontiac and the common council were especially interested in providing an adequate system of electric lighting. Visits were made to Chicago and other cities and in Septem- ber the city fathers received a proposition from the Commercial Electric Company of Detroit, offering to install and sell a plant for $13,300, to be operated in connection with the city waterworks, $2,000 being added for the purchase of grounds. The proposition was subsequently ac- cepted. In March, 1892, the company offered to sell the plant to the city for $19,849.67, either in cash or in bonds running for three years.
.
On March 7, 1893, the council passed the ordinance granting to John D. Norton, William G. Hinman, Joseph E. Sawyer, Judson Ham- mond, Alfred Webb and their associates (the Michigan Bell Telephone Company), the exclusive right to operate a telephone exchange in Pon- tiac, provided they accepted the ordinance within six months from its passage and commenced the erection of such exchange. The rate for service was not to exceed $24 per telephone for business places and $18 for residences, seven free telephones being supplied the city.
FIRST GAMEWELL FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH
On May 29, 1893, the council entered into a contract with the Game- well Fire Alarm Telegraph Company for the installation of its well known system in connection with the city fire department of Pontiac. The contract was not for its purchase at that time, but for its lease until February 15, 1897. Twenty-five fire alarm boxes were provided for. The company agreed to sell the system for $4,700, with interest.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN 1894
It is impossible to give the reader a better idea of the functions of the municipal government, as developed at this time (1894) than to make liberal extracts from the report of the special committee of the common council, headed by City Attorney P. B. Bromley, to whom had been referred the communication of the Michigan Municipal Commis- sion, asking for information on the subject. The report was read July 30, 1894, and was in substance as follows:
(First) Organization-The city of Pontiac is incorporated by a special act of the legislature approved March 15, 1861, as amended March 18, 1865, March 20, 1867, March 20, 1869, March 9, 1871, May 23, 1877, May 28, 1879, May 26, 1881, June 2, 1885, and March 26, 1889. (Second) Officials-Mayor: Chosen by the electors of the city; term one year; salary, $100 and fees of the office.
Ten aldermen, two from each of the five wards of the city; elected
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305
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
one each year; term, two years; salary, $2 per meeting for not more than twenty-six meetings.
City attorney : Appointed by the council; term, one year; salary, $100 per year and reasonable pay in the judgment of the council for the conduct of actual cases in court, or other extraordinary services.
City marshal: Appointed by the council; term, one year; salary, $450.
City treasurer : Appointed by the council; term, one year ; salary, $50.
Official paper : Designated by the council; term, one year; salary, the fees allowed by the statutes of the state for legal printing.
Night watchman : Appointed by the council; term, one year ; salary, $700.
Chief of the fire department : Appointed by the council; term, one year; salary, $50; two assistants to chief, $25 salary each.
Health officer, or city physician: Appointed by the council; term, one year; salary, $50 and pay for extraordinary services.
Driver to hose cart: Appointed by the council; term, one year ; salary, $500.
Driver to hook and ladder truck: Appointed by the council; term, one year ; salary, $400.
The council have the power to remove for cause any appointive officer.
(Third) Schools-The city and school district include the same terri- tory. The school board have charge of the schools. Its members are chosen at an annual meeting of the electors held on the first Monday in September of each year. Woman may vote at school elections. The school board is composed of five members; term of office, three years, and same are elected each year.
(Fourth) Assessment and Review-The city has a supervisor in each of the five wards and they are the assessing officers. The city collects city, state and county taxes at the same time. The board of review is composed of the supervisors of the city, but the city clerk is made clerk of the meetings of this board. The limit of the city's taxation is three-quarters of one per cent and a permitted indebtedness of $3,000 outside of bonded indebtedness; and that is regulated by the statutes of Michigan. The taxes are collected by the ward treasurer of each ward, who holds his office (elective) for one year. The com- pensation of ward treasurer is the same as township treasurer, the fees allowed being fixed by statute.
(Fifth) Public Improvements-The city has waterworks, owned and controlled by the municipality through a. board of water commissioners composed of four members, the mayor being an ex-officio member. Said four members are appointed by the council, the term of office of one member expiring each year.
The city streets are lighted by the arc system of electricity, the plant being owned by a private company. Light is furnished under a three- year contract which expires in October of the present year (1894).
Street improvements are assessed in the first instance to the city at large. The city keeps the streets in repair. Under the statutes of the state it is discretionary with the city to either pay for private property
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306
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
taken for public improvement out of the general fund, or to assess the property benefited by such public improvement. The city has experi- enced no great trouble in collecting special assessments. When private property is taken for public improvement the city acquires the property by agreement and purchase; the amount has to be paid from the general fund and the city in such case has no power to assess the property benefited. It was recommended that the city in such cases have the power to constitute an assessment district and assess and collect the whole amount or any portion thereof, on and from the property benefited.
(Sixth) Boards-The city has a board of water commissioners, hereinbefore referred to; also a board of control of cemeteries, com- prising three members with annual terms of office. Its members are appointed by the common council and serve without compensation.
(Seventh) Fiscal year-The fiscal year begins on the second Wed- nesday after the first Monday in April.
The eighth section of the report was devoted to recommendations to the following effect : That the city marshal be elected annually ; that the limit of taxation be fixed at one per cent outside of the amount to be raised for bridge purposes; that if property owners fail to build sidewalks the city do the work and assess an additional ten per cent to the cost thereof; and that the city have the right to issue bonds to commence the establishment of a sewerage system and create a board of sewer commissioners for the purpose.
The report was adopted at the council meeting held September 10, 1894, after it had been amended so as to fix the mayor's salary at $200 and that of the aldermen at $100 per year.
FIRST THREE YEARS OF WATER SERVICE
In March, 1894, Superintendent Monroe reported the following gal- lons of water pumped and pounds of coal consumed during the three years the works had been in operation :
Year Gals. Pumped Lbs. Coal Consumed
I891
107,591,190 940,661
1892. 124,471,380 1,180,464
1893 157,362,070 1,285,948
LIGHTING AND TELEPHONE SERVICE AGAIN
The city, through its common council, made an agreement with the Pontiac Standard Lighting Company, October 8, 1894, for electric light- ing for a term of five years from October 25th of that year. The con- tract called for not less than ninety arc lights for the streets at a rate of $60 per light per annum.
The Home Telephone Company (by its secretary, J. E. Sawyer) gave the council notice March 1, 1895, that it had commenced the erec- tion of the exchange, and awaited instructions from the city as to the placing of the telephone poles.
Messrs, Alf. Webb, G. Jacobs and D. J. Hammond, of the board
307
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
of water commissioners, petitioned the mayor March 25, 1895, that W. H. Brummit, of the First ward, be appointed an associate member to fill the vacancy caused by the death of J. D. Norton. Such appoint- ment was made.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM INAUGURATED
The people of Pontiac voted in favor of expending, at most, $25,000 on a sewerage system, at the general election of November 28, 1894. A special committee presented a bill to be introduced to the legislature looking to that end, and also to legalize the creation of a board of sewer commissioners. The bill was adopted and the council requested their legislative representatives to use their best efforts at Lansing to have it passed into law.
In 1897, 250,103,010 gallons were pumped by the city waterworks, and 267,195,180 gallons in 1898.
EXTENSION OF WATERWORKS
Superintendent H. G. Monroe, in compliance with a request from the board of public works, on May 24, 1900, submitted an estimate of the cost for required improvements in the waterworks. The items in- cluded $14,000 for an air-lift plant, with a daily capacity of five million gallons ; $18,800 for pumping machinery of like capacity, and $17,200 for extension of the water mains.
On September 23, 1901, the council adopted a resolution accepting the bid of the Snow Pump Works of Buffalo, New York, for furnish- ing and erecting on foundation a five million-gallons daily capacity pump- ing engine (triple expansion, high duty) for $21,000, in line with the recommendation of Superintendent Monroe. On January 10, 1902, the board of public works employed H. L. Monroe as third engineer at the waterworks. It appears from the report made by the board in May of that year that the water bond sale realized $53,333.78, to be applied to the improvement of the waterworks.
The $10,000 bonds for remodeling the fire hall were awarded to Dennison & Farnsworth, of Cleveland, on May 6, 1907.
The report of the finance committee of the common council March 4, 1901, contains the following on the then financial status: "The city has a bonded indebtedness of $25,000 sewer bonds bearing five per cent interest per annum ; water bonds, $85,000, bearing four and a half per cent, and $56,000 special assessment paving bonds, bearing five per cent.
"The following is a statement of the salaries paid the officers of the city per annum: Mayor, $50; ten aldermen, each $50; clerk, $720; city treasurer, $600; attorney, $100 and not to exceed $300 for special services ; health officer, $100; city engineer, $100; city marshal, $600; chief of fire department, $50; assistant chief, $25; two night police, each $700; drivers of hose cart and hook and ladder, each $500; hose com- pany of fourteen members, each $65; city assessor, $600." Vol. I-20
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308
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
At a special election held July 8, 1901, for the purpose of authoriz- ing the city to raise $50,000 for improving the waterworks, the proposi- tion was carried by a vote of 757 to 121.
The rapid growth of Pontiac is illustrated in no more forcible way than in the increased demands of its people for adequate water supply, and by 1909 the cry for an extension of the system was loud and in- sistent. On September 20th of that year the common council there- fore resolved to submit to voters a proposition to issue bonds in the amount of $125,000 for the extension of the water-supply system. As advised by the board of public works, the improvements comprised the following: The construction of a two million-gallon reservoir at a cost of $25,000; sinking and equipment of eight additional wells, $5,600; purchase and installation of 1,600 feet of 24-inch suction, $7,200; one five million-gallon pumping engine, with foundation and pipe connec- tions, $28,200; to provide for adequate extension of the water mains, auxiliary force mains and pumping engines to Bagley street, $56,907.22, and to purchase land for additional wells, $2,092.78. Making a total of $125,000.
Later, the board of public works cut down their estimate to $81,- 907.22-that is, $25,000 for the reservoir and $56,907.22 for the auxiliary force mains and extensions.
Therefore, the question before the voters at the November election was that of raising bonds in the sum of $82,000, bearing date from January 1, 1910, not in excess of four and a half per cent interest, to be paid in twenty-one annual assessments beginning with the year 1918. The proposition carried by 557 to 166.
TELEPHONE SERVICE UP-TO-DATE
On June II, 1900, the franchise was granted to Joseph W. Martin as the Oakland Telephone Company, and the same was later acquired by the Oakland County Telephone Company. The common council passed an ordinance, December 8, 1910, providing that if the Michigan State Telephone Company should purchase the property and franchise of the Oakland County Telephone Company and operate the system, all rights should pass to the new corporation. This property and fran- chise were offered for sale by a decree of the circuit court on December 9, 1910, and were purchased by the Michigan State Telephone Company. The purchase was duly confirmed on the 29th of that month, and the latter thereby entered into possession of the plant of the Oakland County Telephone Company.
On January 1, 19II, the Michigan State Telephone Company took over the Oakland County Telephone property. On assuming control of the business, they erected a fine new building at a cost of about $15,000, which came into use on January 1, 1912. The Pontiac office has within its jurisdiction nine exchanges, which are here given, with the number of phones in operation at each exchange: Pontiac, 2,800; Birmingham, 530; Royal Oak, 345; Rochester, 270; Oxford, 350; Orion, 185; Leonard, 81 ; Ortonville, 250; Clarkston, 254.
309
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
In June, 1910, the council placed the salary of the chief of police at $1,000 per annum and regular policemen at $900, and organized the fire department with a chief engineer and twelve full-paid firemen.
At a meeting of the board of public works held December 23, 1910, Hector L. Monroe was appointed superintendent of the waterworks, and on the 26th the appointment was confirmed by the common council.
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT ADOPTED
The sentiment in favor of a general revision of the city charter had so increased in strength that at the April election of 1910, 2,196 votes were cast in its favor and only 812 against. On May 23d a charter commission was chosen by popular vote consisting of the following : Commissioners at large, A. J. Johnson, Elmer E. Hymers and Thaddeus D. Seeley; First ward, Homer H. Colvin; Second ward, Ernest H. Fay ; Third ward, John E. Brondidge; Fourth ward, J. Arthur Tillson ; Fifth ward, Andrew L. Moore.
Having completed their labors, the members of the commission sub- mitted the proposed charter to the governor, his approval being affixed to it on the 28th of December, 1910. It was submitted to the voters for their approval at the special election of January 30, 1911, the result by wards being as follows :
Wards
For
Against Mutilated
Total
First
53
91
7
156
Second
163
135
8
306
Third
236
94
330
Fourth
194
IO2
5
301
Fifth
173
72
2
247
Total
824
494
22
1,340
The council at its meeting of February 2, 1911, unanimously con- firmed the action of the voters and Pontiac was thereby placed under government by commission from "12:00 noon on the second Monday in April following the election of the commissioners." The term of mayor, with his two associates forming the commission, was fixed at three years, with an annual salary of $2,000.
The charter made no changes in the boundaries of the city; but the radical departure was, of course, in the form of government. The executive and administrative powers are by it divided into six depart- ments, those of Public Safety, Finance, Sewers and Drainage, Streets and Public Improvements, Water Supply and Public Utilities, the mayor hav- ing charge of the first two, one commissioner of the next two, and the other commissioner of the other two. The commission constitutes the legislative body of the city, assuming, under the charter, all the powers previously exercised by the board of public works and the common council. While divided into departments and allotted to the mayor and the two commissioners, the work of the city and its finances are at the same time subject to the general supervision of the commission as a body. The object of the change has been thus far realized. Full re-
310
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
sponsibility has been centered in a few officials, who are paid to devote their entire time to municipal affairs.
The charter further provides that the commission shall appoint the city clerk, city treasurer and board of review; the mayor to appoint the city attorney, chief of fire department, chief of police and health officer. The appointment of the city engineer is left to the two commissioners, while the selection of the employees necessary to conduct the several departments is vested in the commissioners having special charge of such.
The Recall and Initiative and Referendum are both in force. The former provision provides that a petition signed by at least twenty per cent of the voters of the city shall be sufficient to warrant the commis- sion in calling a special election on the question of removing the official whose fitness is called in question. Any proposed ordinance may also be submitted to the commission by the same proportion of citizens ; where- upon the commission must pass the ordinance without alteration, or submit it to vote at a special election called within thirty days, unless a municipal election is to be held within ninety days from the date of submission.
These are the most striking features of the city government which is now in force; for the details the reader must go to the charter itself.
Under its provisions the first commission consisted of Robert J. Lounsbury, mayor ; Richard (Dick) Dewey, commissioner for three years ; William H. Osmun, commissioner for one year. Mayor Lounsbury went into office by a majority of 659 over Daniel Thomas.
On April 29, 1911, the commission passed an ordinance fixing the salaries of the appointive officers, and appointed J. K. Judd, ex-sheriff, as chief of police; John B. Austin, chief of the fire department; P. B. Bromley, city attorney ; Dr. D. G. Castell, health officer ; Rollin W. Clark, water collector; Charles L. Grosebeck, city clerk; George C. Johnston, city treasurer ; W. J. Fisher, city engineer.
EARLY MEASURES PASSED
At the meeting of the commission of April 17, 1911, an ordinance was placed on file regulating and granting saloon licenses, limiting the number to twelve within the city limits.
An estimate as to the money required to pay the general indebted- ness of the new city until June 1, 1911, was made as follows :
General fund
$52,649.08
Bonds and interest
14,374.14
Water fund
9,395.00
Sewer fund
14,093.43
Other general
3,678.00
Total $94,189.65
To meet the situation on April 25, 1911, the commission passed an ordinance providing for the bonding of the city for $100,000. The com- mission made its report for the nine months ending January 1, 1912,
311
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
during which the city had been under the new form of government, which conveyed the welcome intelligence that there was not then a dollar of indebtedness which was past due, and that the city had been enabled to uniformly discount its bills . The proposition to bond the city had been carried at the election of May 22, 1911, by a majority of twelve to one. Although there had been some delay in commencing public im- provements, which depended on the sale of the bonds when once com- menced they progressed so rapidly that more had been accomplished than during any previous year under the old system of city government.
INCREASED EFFICIENCY OF FIRE DEPARTMENT
The report also noted the purchase of the automobile fire truck as a decided increase to the efficiency of the department. It should be added, in explanation, that in September, 1911, the city purchased from the American-LaFronce Fire Engine Company, of Elmira, New York, an automobile chemical and hose wagon, with 1,000 feet of hose, at a cost of $5,000. There is no better apparatus of the kind in Michigan, and the commission figured a saving through its use of at least thirty dollars a month.
In May, 1912, the efficiency of the fire department was further in- creased when the city purchased an eight-circuit electrical fire alarm equipment to replace the two-circuit affair which had been in use nine- teen years. Taking this safeguard into consideration few cities in Michi- gan have a better fire service than Pontiac; certainly none of its size. According to Chief Austin's figures for 1912, it costs about $13,000 to maintain the department, of which amount over $10,000 goes to pay salaries.
Reverting to the work accomplished during the first nine months of the commission's life, the following are given as important items: In- creased saloon licenses for more than enough to pay increased salaries ; built twenty-five sanitary sewers, 6,000 feet of surface sewer, and built and repaired 58,878 square feet of cement sidewalk; collected more old accounts than were ever before collected in one year ; completed the city water reservoir, and auxiliary main and laid 15,000 feet of new mains; adopted system of payment in advance of flat water rates, thus being able to discount its bills.
THE PRESENT CITY HALL
On February 4, 1908, the common council awarded the contract for the construction of the new city hall, southeast corner of Pike and Mills, to the Slater Construction Company. The building was completed dur- ing the year at a cost of $9,737.43. The home of the commission and other city officers is a handsome two-story and basement brick building, with a large auditorium formerly used by the common council in the upper story. In the basement are the heating plant, vaults, etc. As a whole, the city hall is modern in all its arrangements and equipments.
The appointments for new city officers were made in May, 1912, but there were no changes in the original staff except in the board of review.
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312
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
MAYORS OF PONTIAC
The mayors of Pontiac since its incorporation in 1861 have been as follows: Erastus Thatcher, 1861-62; Theron A. Flower, 1863; A. B. Cudworth, 1864; Robert W. Davis, 1865; Levi Bacon, Jr., 1866-67; M. L. Bagg, 1868; Mark Walter, 1869; George R. Richards, 1870; David D. Thurber, 1871 ; A. C. Baldwin, 1872; Daniel D. Thurber, 1873-74; Theron A. Flower, 1875-76; Thomas Mabley, 1877-79 (resigned, July 7th) ; Charles Dawson, 1880-81 ; Samuel H. Norton, 1882; Homer H. Colvin, 1883-84; Mason W. Gray, 1885; Frank B. Galbraith, 1886-88; William G. Hinman, 1889; David S. Howard, 1890-91; Thaddeus A. Smith, 1892; David S. Howard, 1893; Harvey S. Chapman, 1894; Frank H. Carroll, 1895-96; Elbert J. Kelly, 1897; William A. Brewster, 1898; Peter Maloy, 1899-1900; Harry C. Guillot, 1901-03; John D. Riker, 1904; Harry C. Guillot, 1905-06; Ellsworth Orton, 1907; A. J. Johnson, 1908-09; R. F. Monroe, 1910; Robert J. Lounsbury, 1911 (present in- cumbent, October, 1912).
THE CITY PRESS
Although the newspapers of Pontiac, as a whole, have no official con- nection with the city government, as printers of the council and com- mission proceedings some of them have been closely identified with it, and all are associated in the public mind as the main agents through which municipal affairs are brought to the people. Hence, they are noticed at this point in the history.
The first paper printed in Oakland county was established at Pon- tiac May 31, 1830, by Thomas Simpson. It was called the Oakland Chronicle, and died in its infancy, April 22, 1832. It reappeared in De- troit. The Democratic Balance appeared from 1836 to 1837, when it was merged into the Pontiac Herald, which suspended on the first of the new year 1839 and was moved to Flint. Arthur G. Sparhawk started the Oakland Whig on the 28th of January, 1835; its name was changed to the Pontiac Courier in February 1, 1836, and to the Jeffer- sonian in 1840, when J. Dowd Coleman became its owner. Mr. Cole- man, who was a Flint newspaper man, soon sold to W. M. Thompson, and in January, 1844, brought his Genesee Herald from that place to Pontiac, but in the following month ceased its publication and founded the Oakland Gazette.
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