History Center Raising Funds After Gunshot Victim Drives into Building
(Crystal A. Proxmire, May 21, 2021)
Pontiac, MI – The Oakland History Center, featured on our site just a few days ago for their outdoor flea markets, has taken a big hit this week due to a driver striking one of the property’s historic buildings.
“On Tuesday evening a vehicle tore through two sets of our fence here at the Oakland History Center and slammed into the historic Summer Kitchen structure,” shared Executive Director Mike McGuinness in an email to supporters about the incident.
“You can see where the exterior fence was blown through, and the residential street in the distance where they were coming from at a high rate of speed and cutting across Cesar Chavez Avenue. That fence section has already been replaced.”

He explained that “Oakland County Sheriff Deputies were on the scene almost immediately. The driver had suffered two gunshot wounds in a neighborhood in another part of town, and was in very bad shape when I saw him being swiftly helped out of the vehicle by emergency medical personnel. As of the latest word we received, they are in critical condition. Please pray for his survival and recovery.   The vehicle was towed for further investigation later that same night.
“This was a first for our organization. The Summer Kitchen is approximately 170 years old and part of the Governor Moses Wisner homestead complex, on the National Register of Historic Places and a place we’ve watched over for decades.
“It is still standing, but part of one wall has slightly caved in and many of the bricks were damaged.”
They are collecting donations to make the necessary and expensive repairs.
Checks may be made payable to Oakland County’s Historical Society (or OCPHS for short) can be sent to 405 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Pontiac, Michigan 48342. Please write ‘Rebuilding Fund’ in the memo line.

The flea market will continue, with sales also helping to fund repairs. It takes place Saturdays through the end of May from 11am to 5pm. Check out our previous story on the flea market, and visit their website to make online donations or for more information at https://www.ocphs.org/.