(Provided courtesy of Mary Lou Inwood.)

79th Annual Collett-McKay Picnic Is Held

     The annual Collett-McKay picnic is one of the largest of family reunions in the community and one that has most of tradition and interest. The picnic grounds, near New Burlington, in a setting of immense old trees, have been set aside for this annual gathering of two of the oldest pioneer families in Clinton, Greene and other nearby counties.
     Each year members of these families come from far and near to enjoy a long day together and the proverbially large picnic dinner supplied from immense baskets crammed with varieties of dishes.
     They are called picnics because they were started years before the name family reunion was known and they are still picnics carried on in the same way.
     No programs are given, no election of officers or selecting a place and date for the following year, but simply going to the grounds owned and dedicated for this purpose on the second Saturday in August each year when the day is spent in visits with relatives, who because of the distance at which they live are perhaps only seen at these annual gatherings.
     Many attended from Dayton, Springfield, Cincinnati, Columbus and nearby places as well as from greater distances. The register which is kept each year shows that for the 79 years 22,852 have attended with 270 present this year.

Collett-McKay Picnic

     The 79th annual Collett-McKay Picnic will be held at the picnic grounds, Saturday.