Written by Sandy Kinter, from Waterford Genealogical Society E-Newsletter Volume 18 Number 10
Many of the people who owned land in Section 7 were reported in other Sections:
- L.L. Dewey or Levi Dewey, Section 19
- Frederick Bradley, Waterford Village
- A.G. Noble or Asahel Green Noble, Section 16
- S. Elwood or Solomon Clark Elwood, Section 18
- C. Wager or Charles Wager, Section 18
Unknown is L.L.R., 20 acres in the northwest corner of the section and P.H., 15 acres, east of L.L.R.’s property.
P.H. could possibly be Phineas Huntoon since he owned land not too far away on the other side of Maceday Lake, in Section 5.
Section 7 is now mostly part of the Pontiac Lake State Recreation Area. A shooting range is now in the northwest corner, surrounded by the state recreation area. The property once owned by Frederick Bradley now contains private homes and there are homes on the western shore of Maceday Lake. The Bradley family home is still standing on Williams Lake Road.
William Minor Vining
Ann Thompson
On the 1872 plat map of Waterford Township, the farm of W. Vining is located on the western shore of Maceday Lake, with Maceday Lake Road running along the lake shore and through the farm. This land is now part of the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area. The 1870 census reports William M. Vining, age 45, born in New York and Ann E., age 39, born in New York.
William Minor Vining was a son of John Vining and Abigail Ganong, born 1 December 1828, in New York. (1) 2) William married Ann E. Thompson sometime between 1850 and 1860, the exact date and place could not be found. In the 1850 census William is residing with his parents and in 1860 he and Ann are residing with Mary E. Thompson who is probably Ann’s mother. (2)(3) On 1 December 1852, William M. Vining has a land patent for 33 acres of property located in Section 7 of Waterford Township. (4) William and Ann will reside in section 7 for the rest of their lives. William died in 1902 and is buried in the Waterford Village Cemetery. (5)
Ann E. Thompson was born 21 November 1830, in New York. (6) Her death certificate says her father was “Mr. Thompson”. (6) In the 1860 census Ann and William are residing with Mary E. Thompson, probably Ann’s mother. (3) Nothing further could be found about Ann’s parents. Ann died 20 May 1901, in Waterford Township. (6) She is buried in the Waterford Village Cemetery. (5) Ann and William Vining did not have any children. (6) William Vining’s mother, Abigail Ganong, was the sister of Jeremiah G. Ganong. (1) A biography of the Ganong family is found under James Madison Ganong, of Waterford Village. James was a son of Jeremiah and first cousin of William Vining.
Sources:
- Genung-Ganong-Ganung Genealogy, Mary Josephine and Leon Nelson Nichols,
A.W. Heinrich’s Printing Co., Brooklyn, NY, 1906, pages 497-499, Hathitrust Digital Library
www.hathitrust.org - 1850 Census, page 403, Romulus Township, Wayne County, Michigan
- 1860 Census, page 755, Nankin Township, Wayne County, Michigan
- William M. Vining, Certificate #30308, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office
Records, www.glorecords.blm.gov - Waterford Village Cemetery, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan,
Find A Grave, www.findagrave.com - Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952; Midland-Presque Isle, 1901, Ann Vining, Certificate
#539, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com