PONTIAC  , a

city and the county-seat of Oakland county, Michigan, U.S.A., on the Clinton river, about 26 m . N.W. of Detroit . Pop . (189o), 6200; (1900) 9769, of whom 2020 were foreign-born; (1910 U.S. census) 14,532 . It is served by the Grand Trunk and the Pontiac, Oxford & Northern railways (being the southern terminus of the latter), and by the Detroit & Pontiac and the North-Western electric inter-urban lines . In the surrounding country there are many small, picturesque lakes (the largest being Orchard, about 6 m. south-east of Pontiac, Cass and Elizabeth lakes), and there is good hunting and fishing in the vicinity . In Pontiac is the Eastern Michigan Asylum for the insane (1878),.with grounds covering more than Soo acres . The city has various manufactures, and the value of the factory products increased from $2,470,887 in 1900 to $3,047,422 in 1904, or 23'3% . Agricultural products, fruit and wool from the surrounding country are shipped in considerable quantities . The municipality owns and operates its waterworks . Pontiac, named in honour of the famous Indian chief of that name, was laid out as a town in 1818, became the county-seat in 182o, was incorporated as a village in 1837, and was chartered in 1861 .