(Provided courtesy of Eric Dickerson.)

63rd Family Picnic, Without Speeches or Program, Is Held in Same Clinton County Spot

     WILMINGTON, OHIO, AUG. 12. --- (SPL). --- The same care-free jolly gathering which marked the first plenic in 1866, was in evidence Saturday when the 63rd annual picnic of the McKay-Collett families was held. These gatherings are called picnics because they began years ago, before the term family reunion was used, and they are still picnics, because they are conducted in the same way they started, no program, no speeches. no election of officers, no setting of date or choosing of place, but merely going to the same woods, the second Saturday in August.
     The tract on which the picnic is held has been in the Collett family for 117 years. Three years ago, following the death of the owner of the farm on which the picnic ground is located, the executors offered the farm for sale. Fearing the tract would leave the family, four acres were asked as the picnic ground. The money to purchase the acreage was raised at the picnic by popular subscription and the deed made. out to the McKay-Collett picnickers.
     However, an heir to the estate purchased the farm. The picnic woods is on Buck Run, not far from New Burungion. where many of the McKays and Colletts live, being half way between Anderson Fork, where the McKay family resides, and Jonas Run, where the Collett family lives.
     Horace W. Collett, 77, Saturday attended the picnic for the sixty-third consecutive time, not having missed a picnic.
     Hiram Poor, a colored man, has had charge of coffee-making for many years. It is made in the same iron kettles that were used 63 years ago, these being hung on an immense fire as in "ye olden time." One kettle is filled with coffee, the other with tea. The coffee kettle holds 30 gallons, the tea kettle, 20 gallons. Besides these, there is a wooden hogshead from the sugar camp of clear, cold water, presided over by a squad of the younger generation.
     The Colletts are of French Huguenot descent and the McKays are Scotch, their ancestors having landed in Virginia. The Colletts came to Ohio in 1812 and the McKays in 1818. The first marriage between the familles was in 1823, Jonathan Collett and Sarah McKay being the couple.
     The two families owned a combined acreage of 8000 acres. The Collett-McKay picnic is the oldest annual family gathering in Ohio! Howard Collett, Clinton county surveyor, has charge of what few arangements are made each year.

(Provided courtesy of Kim Becker Price.)

OVER 400 ENJOY FRIENDLY SPIRIT AT 1929 COLLETT-MCKAY PICNIC

     The same care-free jolly gathering which marked the first picnie in 1866 was in evidence Saturday when the 63rd annual picnic of the McKay-Collett families was held. These gatherings are called picnics because they began years ago. before the term family reunion was used, and they are still picnics, because they are conducted in the same way they started, no program. no speeches, no election of officers, no setting of date or choosing of place, but merely going to the same woods the second Saturday in each August.
     The tract on which the picnic is held has been in the Collett family for 117 years. Three years ago, following the death of the owner of the farm on which the picnic ground is located, the executors offered the farm for sale. Fearing the tract would leave the fam- ily, four acres were asked as the picnic ground. The money to purchase the acreage was raised at the picnic by popular subscription and the deed made out to the McKay-Collett picnickers. However an heir to the estate purchased the farm. The picnic woods is on Buck Run, not far from New Burlington where many of the McKays and Colletts live, being half way between Anderson Fork where the McKay family resides and Jonas Run where the Collett family lives. It is in the northwestern part of Clinton County in close proximity to Greene and Warren Counties.
     The woods is a beautiful sugar camp on the farm of the late Daniel Collett, a gift to him from his father and mother, who were sec ond, ones to unite the McKay and Colfett families. D. M. Collett was for many years the leading spirit of the picnic. Horace W. Collett, 77, Saturday attended the picnic, for the 63rd consecutive time, not having missed a picnic.
     The most conspicuous object which meets your gaze at the Collett-McKay picnic, next to the assembled multitude, more than 300, is the long row of tables, ranged under the overshadowing trees and nearby are the immense baskets waiting to disgorge their luscious contents. The ladies gather around and explore the depths of these capacious receptacles and like magic the hundreds of feet of tables are loaded down with all that can tempt the most epicurean appetites. But, perhaps, still a most interesting sight than the overburdened tables is the manufacture of coffee.
     Hiram Poor, a colored man, has had charge of this for many years. It is made in the same tron kettles that were used 63 years ago, these being hung on an immense fire as in "ye olden time." One kettle is filled with coffee, the other with tea. The coffee kettle holds 30 gallons, the tea kettle, 20 gallons. Besides these, there is a wooden hogshead from the sugar camp of clear, cold water, presided over by a squad of the younger generation. After the dinner is served it is just a jolly free and easy home gathering of relatives and friends. The Colletts are of French-Hugenot descent and the McKays are Scotch, their ancestors having landed in Virginia. The Colletts came to Ohio in 1812 and the McKays in 1818. The first marriage between the families was in 1823, Jonathan Collett and Sarah McKay being the couple. The two families owned a combined acreage of 8,000 acres. The Collett-McKay picnic is the oldest family gathering in Clinton County and one of the oldest annual family gatherings in Ohio. Howard Collett, Clinton Conuty Surveyor, has charge of what few arrangements are made each year.
     Those from a distance were Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Vandervort, Portsmouth; Carl Vandervort and family, Pittsburgh; Daniel Collett and family, St Louis; Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Collett and daughter, Elizabeth, Pittsburgh; Mr. and Mrs. Ashley Linwood, Southern California; Maurice Collett, Pelham. N. Y.; Mr. and Mrs. Louis Weihe and daughter, Bellview, Fla.; Miss Martha McCune, Cleveland; Paul F. Lafferty and family, Cleveland; Miss Louise Eycke, Anderson, Ind.; Mrs. Plez Gastinean and family, Sidney; Miss Catharine Cossum. Chicago; W. Herbert Grant and family, Detroit; Dr. George Collett. Crawfordsville, Ind.; Mrs. Jennie McCune and daughter, Virginia, Kokomo, Ind.

(Provided courtesy of Mary Lou Inwood.)

MANY EXPECTED TO ATTEND REUNION

     The 63rd annual Collett-McKay picnic will be held Saturday, August 10, at the private picnic grounds in Chester Township.
     The picnic grounds are the property of the Collett-McKay families and are part of the original tract which has been owned by some member of the family for 102 years.
     H. W. Collett will attend the reunion for the 63rd consecutive time.

(Provided courtesy of Eric Dickerson.)

HASN'T MISSED 'EM IN 63 YEARS

     WILMINGTON, OHIO. AUG. 3.--(SPL)--Horace W. Collett is making plans to be in attendance at the annual Collett-McKay family picnic to be held Aug. 17. Collett attended the first gathering of the familles in 1866 and has been in attendance at each one since that time, a span of 63 years. The picnic is held each year on a four-acre tract of land owned by the two families as a picnic ground, said to be the only private picnic ground in Ohlo. The farm from which the tract was bought has remained in the family for 102 years.

COLLETT-MCKAY
     PICNIC AT CHESTER

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     The 63rd annual Collett-McKay family picnic will be held at the Collett picnic grounds in Chester Township, Saturday, August 10.
     This affair is one of the oldest family gatherings in Clinton County and is annually attended by more than 300 persons, the attendance at times having reached 500.
     The picnic grounds is a four acre tract which is part of the original McKay Collett farm which has been in the family for 102 years.
     The four-acre tract was set aside as a picnic grounds many years ago and is owned by the family. The picnics have been held at this location for 61 years Horace W Collett has attended every reunion.

     The 63rd annual Collett-McKay picnic will be held at the usual place on Saturday, Aug. 10, 1929.

COLLETT-MCKAY PICNIC
     TO BE HELD AUGUST 10

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     The 63rd annual Collett-McKay picnic and reunion will be held at the "Hole in the Woods," near Harveysburg, Saturday, August 10.
     The reunion annually attracts a large number of relatives of both families and many visitors. It is one of the eldest family gatherings in the state of Ohio.