Received for record May 8d 1879 at 250 o’clock P.M. Henry T. Smith, register Articles of Association of the Cooper Vigilance Society made and entered into under and in pursuance of an act of the Legislature of the State of Michigan being “An act to amend an act entitled An act to authorize the formation of companies for the detection and apprehension of horse thieves and other felons and defining their powers” Approved March 28th, 1873 The subscribers hereto have associated themselves together for the purpose of detecting horse thieves and other felons and for the better protection of the property of the members of this Society and do hereby bind themselves to the performance of the requirements of the articles and by laws herein contained and do declare Articles of Association to be as follows to wit:

Article 1st  The name by which this association shall be known and which shall be used in its business and the name is the “Cooper Vigilance Society”

Article 2d  All person forming this Society shall subscribe their names and place of residence to these articles of association

Article 3d  The purpose for which this association is formed for the better enforcing the laws of our Stated and for the protection of the property of its members and for the detecting and apprehension of horse thieves and other felons and bringing them to justice

Article 4th  The names and residences of the members of this association are as follows to wit  (All were residents of Kalamazoo Co, MI)

Article 5th  The officers of this Society shall consist of a President two Vice Presidents a Secretary a Treasurer five Directors and five Riders who shall be chosen annually for nomination

Article 6th  This Society shall have the power to assess members to defray the necessary expenses to carry out the purposes for which this Society is formed and adopt a Constitution and By Laws for their government not inconsistent with the laws of this State and to enforce obedience to the same and shall have the power to adopt a common Seal and to alter the same as this Society may direct

Article 7th  The subscribers hereto respectively and each for himself agree to become associated in this society for the purposes hereinbefore specified and do respectively agree to perform the duties of such members and to pay into the Treasury of said society the sum of one dollar each at the time of becoming members and to pay all assessments levied under the Constitution of this Society