The Old Settlers Picnic Association will host the 131rst Old Settlers Picnic Sunday.
The first event on Aug. 2, 1893 was held to honor two elderly pioneers — Kasson Freeman and John Fisher. High attendance at this first picnic inspired the organizers to hold one annually.
In 1905, they formed the Old Settlers Picnic Association (OSPA) and began raising funds to purchase a permanent picnic ground. The present Old Settlers Park reflects two purchases. In 1912, with funds from the Association, Leelanau County bought a five-acre parcel adjacent to the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was built in 1896. In 1917, the Association funded the county’s purchase of the church, with the Methodists stipulating that the church “shall not be used for dancing.”
