Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-07-03
THE PIONEER SOCIE ~.
Historians Report of Proceed
ings of Past Meetings
Paper Read by Miss
Nettie ComstoCk of
Ithaca at the last
Meeting.

Ithaca at the last
Meeting.
The Gratiot Pioneer society e!ect,t
on historian At their June meeting in 1895
ana a. cor sequence The program com
ln,ttce decided II proper ana according 70
prcccdcnt that the existing incumbcn'
serve ~ the election Of her successor and
she va, instructed 10 give at the annual
meeting f June lSJG synopsis
Of The -ocict} : Workings for the last two
years \ few weeks since ouy tr jlher A
j. IauI.ejnn 10 whom had been assigned
he task af looking mp lost records and
procuring statistics with view 20 the
makir and publishing of D ok for the
b,i eft ot tie society and rs members &c
qges al the hi-'ori "a 20 scl a. his subsu
tlte amt uclade same in her biennial re
port have nude an Eff mt 10 comply
aJth the r.aHest but the ume has been al
,oscjhar TOO short to compete the work
have found 1t eX'remel y difficult q
obtain the ja'a and memoranda Of in
rmajiun ,cqurod and am Indebted al
mot mir ~ 10 the courtesy and klndnes,
e the Journal office for the facts secured
Nho gave me unrestricted access to their
files since the birth of the society. The
preliminary meeting was held in Scptem
Der 1875 and the permanent organic ,t!On
. the GraliOt Pioneer Society was effect
I'd oct Der lS 1919 at the Court House,
Or j K Cheesman was called II the
| bar and Frank Miller chosen secretary
Wlliam Long stated the object of the
meeting; \ Church. f G Cook ana
mas + Webster were appointed a com
niuee on permanent organZ tinn.
,oem was read ny Col . F Wisner who
vas leLdered vote Of thanks. followed
~ An interesting paper by Frahk Miller
ihe roll o. membership was 1871 OF these
q though still with us IN spirit have joined
ne silent majorIty
lac tlcets elected AT this meeting were:
resident. John X Cheesman' secretary,
= ". Kellogg; cor. sec Frank Her;
treasurer, Palmer r. Philips
Frank Miller WAS chosen historian for
he following year The society was
camel the GlatiOt Pioneer society. For
y.one had been IN the county - years,
| /. II. nl4lpS = years. nc OlltSl MAN
present was Isaac Preston - years. a
,hort spe, ch from VIM. Barton ged II
md IA so der under Wei ington at Water
900 WAS we'll received. The nnme of The
ades, lady was called for and B-lsey Bur
gess -, responded that she didn't know
- She was the Oldest but she considered
uer,elt the ATTEST The rest Of the
! females were true TO their Characteristic
weakness and were silent on tins delicate
subject. 1t was voted that all who had al
that date resided 10 years IN the county
! he considered eligible 10 membership, al
mission fee and yearly dues each 10 Genus
Tor males only.
On motion Of w :. Turck committee
VAS appointed draft bylaws and report
ut mex meeting.
1880
VIM. Long as chairman Of executive
committee called meeting OF the society
IN June but II was considered best on ac
count Of HE 4lh of July TO postpone the
same until after this event. The first an
nual meeting was therefore held on the
grounds of the Agricultural society July
%. 1880 and was largely attended. the
journal reporter estimating about loo
people. II included basket picnic.
Giles T. Brown gave the address OF wei
come closing with clever poem lnvo-
cation by Rev. +. Beard. Frank Miller
read historical sketch of Newark Town
ship in which the names of +. W. Kellogg
John Baker. Fred Kelly, Geo. and
James Nadutt, Wood Strouse, TAYLOR
etc. appeared. Rev. The0. Nelson dellv
cred an eloquent address and the follow
ing officers were elected: pres, j. L..
Cheesman: sec. +. W. Kellos q; treas
w W. Comstock historian, Frank Miller;
vice presidents, Rams, III Allen, Emerson;
Daniel Curtis Hamilton; John Pool, New
Haven, f. G. Mcbride North Star Cor
nell : Campbell Washington; Norman
Fyer, North Shade; Geo. ; Bell, sum
rer; r. = Kelly. Newark; Joel
Rowley. Bethany Ra ,ph Ely, Arcadia
Henry Smith, ri IL River. Chas. Web
ster. Fulton: David Miligan. Wheeler
Emery Crosby. LatAy tie VIM. Krom.
| Eiha; James Shul,Z Seville.
The executive committee were WIN.
Long. VIM. Barstow and Ransom Allen.
Elisha Mccall read a humorous poem
written by John Kmball descriptive OF
early lie in ArcaCa. A resolution OF
sympathy was passed for the relatives OF
Isaac Preston William Burgess, Arnold
Paine. Elizabeth Kinney Peter Mates and
from earth After volunteer speeches the
meeting adj )urned.
1871.
The 2d annual meeting If the society
was held upon the fair ground Aug 4
1881. The attendance was large estimated
at 1900 and represented people from all
parts of the county The weather WA
Ia
dust and smoke.
The following program was carried out ;
Prayer by Elder Moss. Address Of wei
come 10y Judge Wnton. Poem by Frank
Miller.
Officers elected for coming year Pres.
j. Il. Checsman; secy. Rob-. Smith; His
torian A. f.. Barstow: assistant, l.. Sweat.
band: executive committee. VIM Long
Sill 5 Moody and G. H. Morse Meeting
adjourned till ~ Tuesday IN June lSS2.
aud now the society seems 20 have suffered