AUG --    19A

SII

~111- - -- --
--

'i

Ai

HIST OS Y

OF THE

Q ITY OF LANSING,
FRO)M T`-I FOUNDATION THEREOF

IL

DOWN TO THE PPIIýESENT TIME.
BY M. DASH.
"Go, little hook-from. this my solitude
I cast thee on the waters, go thy ways!
And if, as I helieve, thy vein be good,
The world will find thee after many days l
When Southey's read, and Wordsworth understood,
I can't help putting in my clahn for praiseThe first four lines are Sonthey's, every line:
For God's sake. reader, take them not for mine."
BYrOcN.

I

LANSING:
W. S. GEORGE   00., STEAit BOOR AND JOB PRINTERS.




liciligan State Iibrary,

REFERENCE




r r

A HISTORY
OF THE
CITY OF LANSING,

FROM THE FOUNDATION THEREOF

DOWN TO

THE PRESENT TIME:

BY M. DASH.

"Go, little book-from this my solitude
I cast thee on the waters, go thy ways!
And if, as I believe, thy vein be good,
The world will find thee after many days!
When Southey's read, and Wordsworth understood,
I can't help putting in my claim for praiseThe first four lines are Southey's, every line:
For God's sake, reader, take them not for mine."
BYRON.

LANSING
W. 8. GEORGE & CO., STEAM BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS.
1870.







PREFACE.
IRVING says, "With most cities the time for recording
their early history is gone by; their origin, their foundation,
together with the eventful period of their youth, are forever
buried in the rubbish of years."
Appreciating the sentiment embodied in the above extract,
and, consequently, understanding the difficulties of that production of futurity to whom   the following record is dedicated, I have undertaken the task of snatching from the
unappeasable maw of oblivion a few of the incidents connected with the "origin, foundation, together with the eventful period of its youth," that will be of inestimable value to
the before mentioned creature of the far distant future, in
his task of compiling the records of the City of Lansing.
Should any one discover, in the following history, any discrepancies, or differences from the accounts they have heard,
and, previous to the perusal of this book, religiously believed
to be true, they will please be kind enough to discard their
former ideas upon the subject, and hereafter believe in the
early records of Lansing, as found collected here. No story
that gives a different version of anything found within is to be
relied on as correct.
The amount of information given in the tables appended
hereto, is full and reliable; so much so that one or two individuals to whom   I have shown this work, were uncharitable
enough to remark that it would have been as well had I omitted to compile the remainder of the production; but I have
solaced myself with the idea that I cannot expect to please
everybody; therefore, if you are not pleased with this achieve



iv

Preface.

ment, you may consider yourself grouped with, or among
those whom I am unable to affect with pleasureable emotions.
In other words, if you do not like or appreciate the following
effusion; if you are dissatisfied with the "style;" if you are
discontented with the rendering of the Indian legend; if you
don't appreciate the beginning; if you don't comprehend the
deep and complicated reasoning; if you are unhappy because
something is not told to suit you; if, in fact, the achievement
is contrary to your conceptions of what such a thing ought to
be, my advice to you is not to read the book, or if you have
already read it, don't read it again, for I do dislike to see or
know of a person doing anything distasteful to themselves.
If you have bought the book and think yourself "sold," play
a practical joke upon some one else, and sell the book to him,
for that is the only way for you to get your money back.
It may save trouble if I make an apology here: I am further induced to this measure, as my hair is quite long, and the
hard-hearted barber refuses to trust me for a "hair cut."
Therefore, should any one discover anything in this history
that could be construed into a personality, by any possible perversion or distortion, I beg him to consider that nothing of the
kind was intended. The members of the Fire Department
are particularly requested to appropriate this apology, for I am
informed that " fire-laddies" are addicted to the disagreeable
habit of " striking straight from the shoulder." If I have said
anything at which any member of the Department could take
offense, I implore that he will be led by this explanation to
omit to demand a personal explanation of the author.
Having thus piloted my reader through the preliminary introduction and apologies, I will now kindly permit that individual to commence this capital history, which, if he finds it
interesting he will probably continue to read until he ceases
to peruse it.                                      M. D.
LANSING, Feb. 17, 1870.




A HISTORY
OF THE
CIFTYOF LNSING.
CHAPTER 1I.
INTRODUCTORY.
The reason, or reasons why the peninsulas composing the
State of M"ichigan were originally formed, is, or are buried in
oblivion, and speculating philosophers are much at fault in
solving the knotty question. But the author of this work is
confident he has at last arrived at a solution of this problem,
bnt before the solution is given, it may be as well to indulge
in a few general remarks upon subjects in general that have a
bearing upon this question.
It is well known that after a thing has transpired every one
"knew it would be so from the first." Does a man succeed in
some undertaking, everybody "1knew that he would succeed;"
but let another man undertake the same thing and fail, the
same persons will agree, unanimously, that "he was a fool to
attempt sucha thing," and eryidvdual says to every other
individual, "1There, I told you so," and many more sage prognostics that were not mentioned until after the denouement.
It is really wonderful how much people kcnew about a matter'
before the result was known.
This after-knowledge, is usually very acceptable to persons
who have failed in any undertaking, and very flattering to any
one who has succeeded. For instance: Does Dobbs discover




9

History of the City of Lansing.

the source of heat in the sun's rays, he is immediately regaled
with accounts of reasons why some other person believed just
as he did, and had been of that opinion for some time previous
to the time when Dobbs published his views, but had not made
them known, " Because," (we will stop here, as the first word
of these reasons for non-promulgation generally contains the
sum and substance of what follows).
My reason for giving the above ideas is, that I am afraid
that after my solution, above referred to, I shall be told that
"I have been of your opinion for a long time," etc., etc.
I am much more afraid of corroboration than I am of opposition, for against the style of corroboration above mentioned,
I have no defense whatever, for I can't prove that I am the
first person who entertained the idea, but I can establish the
truth of that idea.
The solution I have to give of the reason why the peninsulas
embraced in the State of Michigan were first formed and placed
in such a position that the waters of the great lakes did not
overflow the region composing those peninsulas and transform
it (the region) into a habitationi for fishes instead of men and
beasts is, that it was created in order that they might, some
day, constitute a large State, and that State a part of the
United States of America. It was also constructed in such a
form that the future State might locate a Capital in the interior
of that region known as the "Lower Peninsula."
Thus is it seen how a circumstance, apparently of no consequence in this history, was intimately connected with the
account of the city of Lansing. We have thus far followed
the chain of events that began to point to the embryo city and
State Capital; in a subsequent chapter we shall follow the
chain as it led to the actual embodiment of our city.
For the reasons why the gentle red man was not allowed to
remain in possession of this peninsu.lami ccuenam, and for an
authentic account of the formation of the foundation upon




History of the City of Lansing.              3
-which it is supposed the State of Michigan rests, the inquiring
reader is referred to an historical work, the name of which I
do not now remember.
Having now fairly introduced the historical student to our
subject, we shall proceed directly upon the perusal of the
record of the progress of the city of Lansing.




CHAPTER II.
A PROFANE CHAPTER.
In the year 1844, had you been in the right place and at the
right time, and had you -also been in full possession of your
eyesight, you might have seen a man,-Page, by name,-engaged in moving into the interior of the State of Michigan.
He was coming into the then unbroken wilderness for the
purpose of turning over a new page, in order to be even with
his wife, who had turned over several new Pages before they
left the "haunts of civilization."
When he had nearly reached the center of the State he was
stopped by a river.  That is to say, the river would have
stopped him had he attempted to cross it, for rivers, especially
deep ones, are not fond of being crossed, and it being the
Spring of the year, it was already an "angry torrent," and
there was no telling what it might have done had it been
crossed.
Mr. Page said, "Here will I settle. I will dam that river
and build a town here."  Had you been present and had your
unimpaired hearing along, you might have heard the above
sentence, and more speculations in regard to his future intentions, for damming the river seemed to occupy much of his
attention, and he talked about it almost constantly.
Presently a log house did not rise from out the ground, but
was built by degrees, and by hands also, into which the new
settler moved his family.
The dam was much talked of, and after the erection of the
house it was commenced in earnest, after a selection of a mill
site. In looking about for the best location, the wish was often
expressed that the river was dammed. This wish was probably
inspired by the desire to have the mill erected.




History of the City of Lansing.

5

On the completion of the dam* a letter was sent over to the
settlements, stating that they had been able to build a dam by
a mill site, but they had not, as yet, succeeded in building a
mill, by a dam site.t But the mill was subsequently finished,
and was standing a few years since, a land-mark of early times,
amidst the innovations of the later buildings.         The old house
was also standing at the same time. Both mill and house disappeared the same year. The dam stood until the Spring of
1861, when the center gave way, but was at once redammed
and dammed so effectually that it is thought it will endure for
many years yet to come.       I sincerely hope that it will, for that
particular portion of the river has been dammed often enough.
Dams are now proposed both above and below the present one
at places where there are very fine water powers.
Immediately after the completion of the saw-mill, systematic
clearing was begun, and what followed is well described by the
poet Doesticks, as follows:
--     Then he dragged the lofty pine trees,
Evergreen and moaning pine trees;
Trees which crowned the crag and mountains,
Emerald coronal of mountain,
Pride of the primeval forest,
Glory of the tangled forest;
Mighty giants of the wild-wood,
Towering, vegetable giants,
With a hundred arms to battle,
Battle with the mighty Storm-wind I
These, the valient Pluri-bus-tah,
Armed with ax, went out to conquer.
Round their roots he made his ax fly;
Round his head he made the chips fly;
On his breeches made the pitch fly,
While the horse-fly and the gad-fly
Made his pious oaths, like mad, fly.
Pluri-bus-tah, persevering,
Laid the giants low before him;
Dragged them to his cruel saw-mill;
Sawed their heads off, sawed their hearts out,
Sawed them into slabs and scantling
To make wigwams for his people."
* Mr. Page built the dam, but for Mr. Burchard, who furnished the money. M. D.
t This expression has been bandied about as a joke. Such jokes are damaging.




6             Historj of the City of Lansiit.
The only discrepancies between the actual transactions, as
they transpired at the Page settlement, and the account contained in the foregoing poem, are these: In this region of
the country there are no pine trees, but the reader is to imagine
oak, ash, bass-wood or linden, white-wood and black walnut
trees, in the place of pine. There are no crags or mountains
here. Mr. Page had no people to make wigwams, which style
of architecture was used exclusively by the red men, who lived
in considerable numbers in this part of the State, and,I am
sorry to be obliged to state that they did not patronize the
saw-mill, so little public spirit they possess.




CHAPTER III.
CIRCUMSTANCES RELATIVE TO THE LOCATION OF THE
CAPITAL.
About the time, or shortly after the. settlement of Mr. Page,
the impression became general that Detroit, the then Capital of
the State, was not a safe location for the seat of government,
on account of the exposed position on the frontier, and the
consequent ease with which the seat might be assailed by freebooters from Canada. This opinion continued to gain ground
until it -finally culminated in the resolve to remove the Capital
to the interior of the State.
As soon as this took place, there arose an exciting contest
between the interior towns and villages of the State, each desiring the Capital, and producing much bitterness of feeling.,
resulting in so much agitation that the Legislature finally
decided to locate the Capital in the wilderness. Immediatelyr
all the spite and malice of the former contestants were turned
upon the defenseless town, that was to be, which envy has survived till the present day, and seems to be like corn-juice,
growing stronger, and unlikle corn-juice, less capable of doing
damage as it increases in age. We cannot say that the cit"
has become dam-aged in consequence of these attacks.
Agreeable to the act of the Legislature, the agents of thc,State government, in looking for a site for the Capital, came.
upon the Page settlement, and decided that there should bc.
the Capital of the State, for just south of the settlement was (a
school section. Consequently, in the year 1847 the Capital wlTas
located in what is now' the north-west corner of Ingham
county, on the school section, by which means the school fund
was largely augmented.




8            History of th, e City of Lanisin,.
In the year following (1848) a part of the edifice now used
for the Capitol of the State of Michigan, was erected in the
clearing made for that purpose. Too much cannot be said of
this structure, its principal characteristics being that it is made
entirely of wood, resembling very much a flouring mill,- with
the exception of the cupola, which is hard to be accounted for
by persons unacquainted with the fact that it is actually the
capitol of the State. Last winter (winter of 1868 and 1869)
an honest rustic was seen gazing at a private residence in this
city (situated a little over half a mile below the Capitol,) in an
admiring attitude, and was heard to exclaim, "' So that's the
Capitol, is it? Well it's a purty fine building, it is!"  And he
moved contentedly away, serene in the consciousness of having
gazed at the "halls of legislation."
Disparaging as this may seem to the architecture of our government buildings, it is a very pardonable mistake, and in
addition, it is safe to say, that there are a number of private
dwellings in the city of Lansing that would sooner be taken
for the Capitol, by a stranger, than the shed actually used for
that purpose.
After the Capitol was erected, Washington avenue was cleared
of trees and then the stumps, after which architecture began
gradually to make its appearance along the sides of the street
in the shape of log houses. This style of architecture may
consistently be called Western. Having no occasion for Roman,
Grecian, or Elizabethan architecture, the pioneers of the West
invented a style to suit the needs of a settler, and which must
be seen to be appreciated. It is still better appreciated after it
has been used as a residence.
The honor of erecting the first frame house is claimed by so
many, that as near as I can discover, there must have been
about a dozen first houses, but I have finally decided that the
first frame house was erected by Hon. James Turner, about the
year 1849 or 1850. It is a one-story building, situated upon




History of the, City of Lan~sing.            9
the west side of what is now known as Turner street. It has the
appearance of being placed in its position while hiot, -and having
commenced to run before it became cold. Looking up the first
house is almost as bad as seeking the "oldest inhabitant." I
have been obliged to give this last up for a bad job, for there
are so many "1oldest inhabitants" that it is utterly impossible
to find thie one.
I expect to have my veracity severely questioned as to the
first house, for each of the owners of the dozen insist that his
is the one. I don't believe it.




CHAPTER IV.
A CHAPTER ON REAL ESTATE.
As soon as it was definitely known where the Capital was
located, certain individuals-with a speculative "1eye to the
main chance "-immediately bought up the land now composing the city proper, except the land composing the school
section. Gov-. Seymour (subsequently famous for Granting the
Presidency of the U-nited States to his opponent) purchased
nearly, if not quite all of the first and fourth wards, or what
is now known as North Lansing. Mfr. Townsend (should have
been named Townscorner) became possessor of the south-west
quarter, formerly known as Teetertown, wherein the Fair
Grounds of the Central Michigan Agricultural Society are
located. Messrs. Bush and Thomas bought the south-east
quarter. When this last mentioned purchase. was made, a
portion of it was covered by Bush's title.
Many persons, strangers, have expressed. surprise at the extent of our city, but the cause is easily explained. As settlers
began to make their appearance at the new town, they discovered that the land was already purchased and held, at Suich
prices that many of them were unable to furnish the requisite
amount of the circulating medium to make them possessors of
a "lot" in the city that was to be. On this account many
were obliged to locate themselves around these large tracts,
while the more opulent of the new comers were enabled to
settle nearer the "business center," which was as yet one of
the things of the future. As a consequence, the town 11ran
wild," and spread into large dimensions. When the city was
organized it became necessary to include a considerable territory withiin the corporation limits, and the city now exercises
jurisdiction over country two and a half miles by three miles




History of the City of Lansin.1

11

in extent. The city is now well built up, considering the
number of inhabitants, as compared with the extent of its territory, and the length of some of our principal streets will
give the general reader some idea of the size of Lansing.
Washington avenue is a trifle over one mile and a half long;
Elizabeth street, which is a continuation of 'the avenue, reaches
from the southern terminus of that avenue to Eaton Rapids,
a distance of eighteen miles. It may be as well, perhaps, to
state that Elizabeth street is only laid out into city lots for half
a mile from the northern end. Franklin street, running at
right angles with Washington avenue, crossing near its northern terminus, is one mile in length, partly built up with business blocks, as is Washington avenue, one mile south of
Franklin street, where Michigan avenue crosses it at right
angles, running  parallel with  Franklin  street.  Michigan
avenue runs from the west line of the city eastward to the
Agricultural College-a distance of four or five miles. It is,
however, only used for city purposes for about a mile from its
western end. From a quarter of a mile north of Franklin
street to upwards of one-half mile south of Michigan avenue,
the city is well built up. There are, in addition to the three
streets given above, nearly sixty additional thoroughfares, the
majority of which are from a mile to a mile and a half in
length; the shorter ones generally running from east to west,
and the longer ones from north to south.
Some of the difficulties experienced in the purchase of lots
by the early.settlers may be understood by a perusal of the
following anecdote, which is told by the first settlers, and some
of the later inhabitants claim that it would apply very well to
the present time:
Mr. Smith, who is generally well known in this country,
came to this place in 1851 with the intention of becoming a
resident of the Capital. Picking out the lot he desired, he
hunted up the agent, or owner-no great task in those days,accompanied him to the desired location, and asked his price.




12

History of the City of Lansin~.

"Well," said the speculator, "this is a central location, the
ground is high, and within five years it will be in the center ol
a large town, and will double in value in that time."
To all of which Mr. Smith assented, and again asked his
price.
"I don't care to sell the land," was the reply, " but as I
should like to encourage immigration to this place, I will sell
this lot to you. The timber on it is alone worth the price of
the land, and in the future the capitalists of the State will
come here to reside, building elegant residences, making this
lot worth thousands of dollars."
Mr. Smith thinking that if the value of the timber was the
value of the land, began to anticipate a reasonable bargain,
and confidently asked the price.
"Well, as I said before, I should like to encourage immigration, and if you will keep 'mum' about it, I will let you have
this lot for $450 per foot."
Mr. Smith drew a long breath; his face assumed a lengthy
shape, and, after a long pause, he smiled faintly, and sarcastically remarked, "I will take six inches."
N. B.-Property is to be had at very reasonable prices now
in Lansing.




CHAPTER              V.
A GANG OF COUNTERFEITERS.
Just west of the city is a tract known as the " Bogus
Swamp."   The cause of this euphonious cognomen being bestowed upon a genuine swamp, was by reason of its having
been, before the Capital was located, the rendezvous of a gang
of counterfeiters and horse thieves.
At that time the swamp presented, to the eye of the uninitiated, the appearance of an impenetrable morass, being covered with a rank growth of swampy vegetation that appeared
to be as impregnable'to the passage of anybody, but that of a
snake or other reptile, as it was to the vision. Subsequent
events demonstrated that there was a passage through the
slime and mire, and that there were men who knew how to use
that passage which led to the island or spot of hard ground in
the center of the swamp.
For a long time people were continually being " taken in"
by taking "bogus" coin, and all the efforts of detectives were
in vain to stop the nuisance, which became very annoying, as
innocent people do not relish being accused of wantonly passing counterfeit money.   Subsequent revelations led to the
discovery that the swamp was in the line of a gang of horse
thieves that extended from central New York to the center of
Iowa, which fact accounted for the number of fine horses that
were occasionally observed passing through this section of the
country.
Finally, a party of government surveyors came to the " Bogus
Swamp," and, following their "line," went directly through it,
which is said to be a way surveyors have of doing. The party,
when they reached the island, in the center, came upon a
shanty, out of which rushed several men, who plunged directly
into the swamp, leaving everything; but the surveyors having
3




14

History of the City of Lansing.

no curiosity, under the circumstances, followed their "line" and
passed on through the swamp. It was soon known, however,
what had been seen by the surveyors, and the place visited.
Nothing, however, was found except some unmistakable indications that this was the source of the counterfeit money.
This discovery effectually broke up the gang, and several persons who were known to have belonged to the organization
were living in, or near this city, a few years since. The. organization had its agents in every town in the State, and a number
outside.
A few years since as some workmen were engaged in working the road that had been constructed upon the "line" that
had been instrumental in the discovery of the counterfeiters, a
man who was evidently trying to carry more antiquated corn
juice than he had strength for, came staggering along just as
the men had finished their dinners, which they had brought
with them, and had eaten on the site of the counterfeiter's den.
As he came up to where they were sitting, he looked about,
and with a drunken leer, remarked:
"Boys you (hic) don't dare to dig (hic) under the top of
that (hic) bent willow, nor you don't dare (hic) to look in the
top of that 'are stub."  Saying which, he went on his "winding
way," while the men immediately refuted the imputation upon
their courage by digging at the buried top of the designated
tree, and cutting down the stub that had been pointed out.
Under the tree were found the dies and the other more
bulky implements that had been used by the manufacturers of
bogus money. In the top of the stub were found the smaller
tools, all of which discoveries were brought to the city and
the cast iron articles melted and remoulded into plough points.
The present aspect of the country known as the "Bogus
Swamp," is far different from the appearance it had when this
gang were first discovered. The road running through it, together with the thorough ditching, has transformed the once
almost impervious jungle to fine and productive farming lands.




CHAPTER VI.
ON INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
At an early day rumors began to float about the streets of
Lansing to the effect that a plank road was coming from Detroit to this place. The end of the road between Howell and
Lansing was taken charge of by Hon. James Turner, of Lansing, and under his superintendence it was rapidly pushed
forward to completion. When it was finally finished, great joy
took possession of the inhabitants of the little " Bergh" located'
in the interior of the State, and it was proclaimed that " Lansing, the Capital of Michigan, was accessible to the world;"
that is, it could be reached from Detroit in a day or two by
means of stages, or private conveyances, which means of easy
accessibility would at the present day indicate almost inaccessibility, but at that time people were content to plod along
without sighing for the dust, smoke, cinders, deafening roar
and dangers immeasurable of the more modern railway travel.
They were content to sit quietly and safely within the rocking
stage coach, which, to them, was a rapid conveyance, when, by
numerous changes of horses, it managed to rumble over eighty
miles a day, and for a person to go to bed at a distance of one
hundred miles from  the place in which he awaked in the
morning, was unknown. Our progenitors would have as soon
ignited a powder magazine with a lighted candle as step into
one of the boxes that now rush along the iron tracks with a
velocity that would then have seemed the conception of lightning rapidity.
About the time the plank road was completed the large frame
hotel was built at North Lansing, and was afterwards called
the "Seymour House," which name it retained for a number
of years, and it enjoyed a good run of custom as long as it was




16.Hist7ory of the City of Lantsinj.
as good as it seemed. For a time it was enabled to see more
custom than any other similar house in Central Michigan.
The completion of the railroads across the State, one twentytwo miles to the north, and the other, forty miles to the south,
changed the direction of travel from east and west to north
and south, which change threw the, custom of the traveling
public into the hotels at "Middle Town."  From this time the
bright days of the Seymour House steadily lost their brilliancy,
and were on the point of passing from a dubious twilight into
total darkness, when the building changed owners and became
the "Union Hotel."  For a time the expression, "In union
there is strength," was verified, and the old building again
assumed the business-like aspect of yore, but "in vain;" the
arteries of travel ran in the wrong direction, and finally the
house again changed its name, and now appears behind the
sign labeled "Edson House."  How Ed's son will succeed is
unknown, although it is said the old house has more custom
now than it has had for ten years past.;ic transit.




CHAPTER              VII.
IN WHICH IS RENDERED SOME ADVICE.
Mitchell's Geography volunteers the information that Lansing is situated at the junction of the Cedar and Grand rivers.
If you are a stranger, let me give you a piece of advice; if you
are not, you don't need it. If you ever meet a citizen of Lansing-and they are sometimes found away from home-don't
tell him that he came from the place above described unless
you are entirely lost to, fear, and do not care to live any longer.
Especially should this advice be regarded where the citizen of
L. is larger than yourself.' The salt well-that prodigious bore
that drilled through some men's pockets like skippers through
old cheese-is located at this point. The salt well is not the
reason why the information promulgated by Mitchell inspires
bloodthirstiness in the inhabitants of our fair city. It is said
that remarkable curative properties are being discovered in the
water that flows from this well; if such be the case, the well is
well located. There used to be a bridge across Grand river
just below the salt well, that was carried off by the ice, but
that's not the reason of the antipathy. That part of the town
was once owned by Bush & Thomas; that is not the reason
why men get mad when you tell them what Mitchell says. I
am of the opinion that if Mitchell had ever been in Lansing,
he would not have said what he did.
In order to appreciate the size of our large city, a stranger
will do well to follow the following directions: Start from the
Lansing House and go to the Reform School, and after passing
through that institution return to the Capitol and pass through
that. (It might, perhaps, be as well to spend a day in viewing
this piece of architecture, the office of which seems to be to
expose a valuable library to destruction by fire. Many of these




18

History of the City of Lansing.

books could not be. replaced, but still it is kept housed in, this:gorgeous structure, which, by reason of the material used in
its construction, is liable to be burned as soon as it has the
opportunity*). Proceeding from the.Capitol, pass over to the
State offices, and from  thence ramble up to the Washington
avenue bridge. From this point go to the Fair Grounds, and
from thence proceed to the Michigan Female College, which,
by the way, is another monument to the enterprise of the
State, or would have been, had the life-work of Mips A. C.
Rogers and her sister been appreciated by our State legislators;
as it is, certain members of the last two Legislatures have reason to hang their heads for shame when they remember this
subject. One or two of those members must occasionally discover that their tailors have made a mistake and made their
clothes considerably too large for them. From    the College go
to the North Lansing depot, and from       there return to the
hotel by way of Franklin and Cedar streets, and Michigan
and Washington avenues.      By the time the pedestrian has
followed his nose according to these directions, I feel confident
that he will agree with me that Lansing is a large city, notwithstanding the jeers of Bath, Delhi, and similar cities
throughout the State, and yet he will have traversed only two
entire streets, and portions of five others, walking a distance of
about eight miles. If he is still skeptical as to the greatness
of our city, he is advised to perambulate the remaiining fiftyfour streets, or more, if he can find them.
* The last Legislature passed an act appropriating $5,000 for the purpose of obtaining plans and specifications for a new Capitol.-M. D.




CHAPTER  VIII.

AN INDIAN LEGEND.
Nearly all western towns have their Indian legends that add
an interest to their histories that is impossible to attain by any
other means.   I have, therefore, selected the following tale
from the number that are related by divers old ladies of the
" first families " to their grand-children, and if they are blessed
by the absence of these pests, they tell them  to the grandchildren of somebody else.
The sun was just setting in a blaze of purple splendor,
gaily tinting the wigwams of a small Indian village, (located
on the east side of Grand river, at the point now crossed by
the Michigan avenue bridge,) when Maumee, the daughter of
old Nagansick, who was chief of the village, emerged from the
door of the wigwam of her father, and sauntered carelessly toward the river, but keeping watch lest she might be followed.
Reaching the river bank she proceeded for a considerable distance up the stream, and when she was well out of sight of
the wigwams she uttered a low call like that of some of the
wild birds who were twittering among the trees overhead in
the fast deepening twilight. The call had scarcely died away
before Maumee was confronted by a youthful brave of the
Chippewa tribe, who immediately put the question, "What is
the result?"  "Alas!" replied Maumee, " my father has promised me to the Sioux.chief, Megwano, and when I spoke of
you, Wausee, Megwano said that before to-morrow saw the sun
sink in the west, Wausee would no more stand in his Way."
The young savage gave vent to a scornful, mocking laugh
and said, "We shall see."  After some time spent in the society of the dusky Maumee, the young Chippewa departed to
make ready for the morrow.




20

History of thze City of Lansibg.

Before proceeding with this narrative it will be necessary to
make some explanation. The time of the occurrence we are
relating, was the period when the Sioux and Chippewas were
contending for the possession of what is now the State of
Michigan. Nagansick was an old brave, who had not followed
the war path since the time when Sioux and Chippewa lived
as brothers, and when the contest began he held himself strictly
aloof, and located himself at the point where we find him,
where he was followed by a number of others who were likewise in favor of peace. At this village Sioux or Chippewas
were equally welcome, provided they came in a peaceful manner. Megwano, a young chief of the Sioux, was preferred to
Wausee by the old chief for the husband'of his daughter, as
we have seen from what was said at the conference upon the,
banks of the river. Maumee, however, was very much in favor
of Wausee. These differences were in no way calculated to
inspire kind and brotherly feelings between the two braves.
On the following day Megwano set out with a few followers
in search of Wausee, and Wausee set out with a few followers
to find Megwano.    Both braves concluded to go by way of
Nagansick's wigwam. The result was that the two bands met
at the village. Instantly each set up a yell of defiance and
rushed to the combat. Old Nagansick rushed from his wigwam, and between the combatants to secure peace, but he was
unheeded, and was struck on the head with a club and killed.
Maumee, who had followed her parent, rushed to save him,
but only received the blow of a tomahawk on her forehead
that stretched her lifeless upon the corpse of her father.
Finally none but Wausee and Megwano were left, and these
rushing toward the corpse of the maiden, found themselves
face to face. Each had his hunting knife in his hand, and
each prepared himself for the death struggle that was now
inevitable.  They stood a few feet apart, their eyes blazing
with lurid anger, their nostrils dilated with excitement, and
their lips firmly compressed with determination.




History of the City of Lansinm.

21

Now commenced a series of movements known on the border
as the "knife exercise," which is a style of fencing with hunting knives. After some desultory thrusts and parries, each
being slightly wounded, they closed in the "death clutch,"
which always means death to one, and sometimes both of the
contestants. As Wausee closed with his antagonist he held the
hilt of his knife against his breast and quickly drew Megwano
upon the point with his left arm. Megwano uttered one dying
yell as the warm blood gushed upon Wausee, and fell back a
corpse, prone across the dead bodies of the murdered maid and
her father.
Wausee, recovering from the recoil of his conquered antagonist, stood a moment gazing upon the dead faces of old man,
maid and rival; then, with a yell of agony and despair, he
rushed to the river's edge and hurled himself from the cliff
into the raging torrent below-which had been swelled by the
Spring floods-and was never seen again.
NoTE.-For fear persons might carry off the Michigan
aveniue grade as relics of this battle and final tragedy, I feel
constrained to say that since writing the above I have become
convinced that it is all a fiction, and for the following reasons:
The place designated as the location of the village was a
swamp; there is no cliff at all on the river at that point, but
on the contrary it is a low flat, that is covered in the Spring by
high water; and, finally, I never heard the story told in my
life. But I guess it will do for " our legend."-M. D.




CHAPTER IX.
RELIGIOUS    INFORMATION.
The building first used for a church was originally erected
for a barn, but was finally used for religious purposes, and
was occupied at different times by different congregations.
From itQ pulpit have been successively propounded the doctrines of Wesley, Calvin, Immersion, Universalism, and any
other "ism" that was desired by the early settlers.
The edifice was finally used by the Good Templars during
the existence of that organization in North Lansing. The last
time the building was used for religious purposes was during
the extensive revival held during the Spring of 1868. The
building has been removed from    its former site, and is now
used as a warehouse for agricultural implements.
The first church edifice was the building now occupied by
the First Presbyterian Society, and from which there are now
three lively branches, the Second Presbyterian Society, "Cedar
Branch," and the First Congregational.
The first brick church edifice was the Catholic church, which;was commenced in the year 1859, but was not completed until.a year or two subsequent, owing to pecuniary difficulties, but
the church is now in a.flourishing condition, furnishing a brick
residence for its priest, which no other church in the city does
for its pastor.
The last church edifice constructed was that of the,First
Methodist Society of North Lansing. Lansing now boasts of.twelve churches, all owned by thriving societies.




CHAPTER  X.

ORGANIZATION      OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
In the year 1859 a charter was given to the city of Lansing,
and straightway commenced the organization of a city government. Intrigues of politicians aspiring to the exalted honor
of becoming mayor, or at least clerk or alderman, wvwre rife
everywhere. The inducements offered by the new city to persons desirous of becoming mayor were, a salary of $1 per
annum, with but little to do, and the salaries of other officers
were proportionately large. But notwithstanding the salaries,
good and efficient men were elected to the positions, Hon. H.
H. Smith being elected to the responsible position of mayor.
The city began to assume metropolitan airs; a pound was
established, and a force of men was set at work upon Washington avenue with plows, scrapers, shovels, and wagons, and
straightway the irregularities of that thoroughfare began to
assume a different aspect; hills were moved into hollows, and
the street generally presented a marked contrast to its appearance a short time before.    By this change some residences
were left so high above the street that it became necessary to
construct flights of stairs from  the sidewalks to the houses
above, while others were left so far below the level of the street
that in order to be able to look out upon persons passing by,
the inmates were obliged to gaze from the second story, and in
some cases, from  the attic windows, the windows of the lower
story being confronted by a blank mound of bare clay. For a
number of years the advantages of this change were evident;
the roadway was continually in such a soft and pliable condition that the hoofs of the horses were never damaged by
concussion, and painted vehicles were unnecessary as they all
looked alike after once passing through this street. Fast driv



~4

History of the City of Lansing.

ing 'was unknown, consequently no one was run over and
killed. Taken altogether, the benefits were so great and manifold that other streets have been graded every succeeding year,
the most noted of which grades were those of Michigan avenue
and Cedar street.   The troubles arising from    these grades
were particularly edifying to lawyers and civil engineers, as
they were litigated and surveyed several times over, for it seems
the dwellers upon the streets, not appreciating the benefits
(mentioned above) accruing from     "heavy grades," incontinently r1fused to pay the tax demanded therefor, but after two
or three years of controversy the final assessment has been
made.
To the juvenile portion of the community, at least, the opening of the pound was the most interesting proceedings relative
to the establishment of the city government. On the day
when the proclamation declared that it would be opened, all
persons were admonished to shut up their live stock, with the
exception of cows, who, on account of their peaceful disposition, were to be allowed the range of the streets of the city,
but all hogs or horses found loose upon the streets were to be
incarcerated in the pound, the person bringing such animals
to be liberally rewarded. On the designated day the desks at
the school-houses, generally occupied by boys, were notably
vacant, while at an early hour extensive droves of hogs were
seen wending their way towards the place provided for all
vagrant swine or horses, followed by one or more boys, who
saw almost unlimited wealth before them, as each hog represented to them five cents, and each horse was worth fifty cents.
By noon the street leading to the pound was thronged with
hogs, horses, boys, and irate owners of live stock, who generally
arrived just in time to see their animals enter the enclosure
called the pound, and the boys dodge around the corner in
search of more stray live stock. Before night the stock of
vagrant animals was exhausted, whereuporn several enterprising youths commenced to let down enclosures wherein the




History of the City of Lallsing.

25

prohibited animals were shut up, and the inmates driven to
swell the crowd at the pound. A number of youths transferred
the horses from the barns of their fathers to the pound, thus
enriching themselves, and occasioning the parents to wish that
the city pound could be subjected to the same operation that
Mr. Page had subjected the river to several years before, which
damaging reflection was of no practical benefit to any one, for
it took ready money to recover live stock from the poundmaster.
Such were some of the benefits accruing to the citizens of
Lansing immediately after the granting of the city charter.
As Lansing now commenced to be an important point, the
A., L. & T. B. R. R. commenced to wend its weary way thither,
and after a number of years managed, after a long and
tedious bad rest in the " deep-cut" and at the "sink-hole,"
to reach this. point. It was this railroad of which it is said
that any one desiring to know which way the train was moving, was obliged to get off and make a chalk mark upon the
track. This road was subsequently absorbed by the Jackson,
Lansing and Saginaw Railroad, under which management the
chalking of the track has been rendered unnecessary, and now
all the inquiring individual is obliged to do in order to ascertain the direction the train is pursuing, is to watch the fence
posts along the side of the road, but if these don't render the
desired information, the unenlightened traveler will be under
the necessity of applying to the conductor.
There are now (Feb., '70) two railroads running from Lansing, and one more nearly completed, while there are five or
six more projected and in various stages of construction, and
it will soon be dangerous for men to go to sleep upon the track
within this vicinity.
There are persons living in this city who have passed over
the same ground on horseback along an Indian trail, in a
wagon on the new roads, and now they make use of the iron
horse to peiform the same journey.




CHAPTER XI.
ONE YEAR'S PROGRESS.
During the year commencing April 1st, 1869, and ending
April 1st, 1870, which was a very ordinary year for improvements, the following were made:
Two railroads-the Ionia and Lansing Railroad and the
Peninsular Railroad-have been completed, in addition to the
junction of the Fort Wayne road with the Jackson, Lansing
and Saginaw Railroad. These last two roads, although operated
by two separate companies, now constitute one line, known as
the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw Railroad, while the northern end of the road is still known as the Jackson, Lansing and
Saginaw Railroad.
In addition to the above roads, two more are positively promised by the managers to be in running order to this city by
April 1st, 1871, or before that time. These roads are the Port
Huron & Lake Michigan Railroad, and the Detroit, Howell &
Lansing Railroad. With these roads all completed we shall
have direct railroad communication from six differenit directions, viz: From the lake coast on the north-east, and from
the south via J., L. & S. R. R.; from the lake coast on the
north-west via I. & L. R. R.; from  the east and Canada
through Port Huron via P. II. & L. M. R. R., and from the
east through Detroit via D., H. & L. R. R.
The map accompanying this work shows these and other
railroads projected and partially completed to this city. By
observing the map, the present and prospective advantages of
communication enjoyed, and to be enjoyed, by Lansing, may
be perceived.
For a fuller description of the various railroads, we subjoin
the following'from the " Lansing State Republican," of October 14th, 1869:




S







History of the City of Lansiln.

27

At considerable trouble and expense we have had engraved
a map of the various railroad lines now building or proposed
to Lansing. It will at once prove to all, the future importance
of the Capital as a railroad center, and as a favorable point for
the development of large manufacturing interests, that require
both capital and convenient and competing lines of railroad
to ship manufactures to market points in all directions. In a
brief manner we describe the lines in the order in which they
are marked on the map.
1. Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad. This road was
commenced in 1865; was completed from Jackson to Lansing
in 1866; made a purchase of the line of road already built
between Lansing and Owosso; and was then extended to Saginaw City and Wenona. It has been in operation for its whole
length less than two years. By the Fort Wayne, Jackson and
Saginaw road, now building from Jackson to Fort Wayne, Ia.,
via Jonesville, it will make connections with the interior of
the State of Indiana, and also with Cincinnati and Louisville.
To this road, about $140,000 was given by municipal aid in
this county. It is doing a very large and rapidly increasing
freight and passenger traffic, and with its government land
grant, contemplates pushing its way onward to the Straits of
Mackinaw, and a connection with the Northern Pacific road.
It will also be the trunk line for the first ten miles for the
Grand River Valley road from Jackson to Grand Rapids, as
well as for the Lansing and lonia road.
2. Port H-uron and Lake Michigan Railroad. This road is
graded from Port Huron to Flint, a distance of 65 miles, and
the iron is rapidly being laid down between those points. It
will be completed and in operation from Port Huron to Flint
early in 1870, and its entire length from Port Huron to Lansing, 112-1 miles, during 1870. Much of the grubbing and
considerable grading has already been done between Flint and
Lansing. At this city it connects with the Peninsular Railway, and that with other roads leading to Chicago. The iron




28

History of the City of Lansing.

for the four roads that form the line from  Port Huron to
Chicago is being furnished by S. W. Hopkins & Co., and it is
the present intention to have the entire line from Port Huron
to Chicago completed in 1870, forming, by its connection at
Port Huron with the Grand Trunk and Great Western lines,
another great through route from the East.
3. Michigan Grand Trunk Extension. This line was originally chartered from Ridgeway, on the Michigan Grand Trunk
road, a few miles north of Port Huron, to St. Joseph on Lake
Michigan, thence south to the Indiana State line, Lansing
being made a point in the legislative charter. About $1,250,000 has been raised in municipal aid and individual subscriptions, and the portion of the line east of Fentonville has been
let for grading, sufficient aid having been received to complete
it from Smith's Creek to Fentonville, thus making a railroad
connection with Port Huron. While the speedy completion of
this road is not expected, there is little doubt that it will
ultimately be built.
4. Detroit, Howell and Lansiny Railroad. The line of the
Detroit and Howell and Howell and Lansing railroads, which
will probably be constructed as the Detroit, Howell and Lansing Railroad, extends from the city of Detroit to the Capital!of the State, a distance of a little more than 84 miles. The
grading of the line from Detroit to Howell, 51- miles, is more
than four-fifths completed, and about $90,000 has been raised
on the line from Howell to Lansing. It is expected that the
business men of Detroit, or the city, will raise subscriptions,,or vote aid, to speedily complete the line. By special act of
the Legislature, the city of Lansing has the right to vote five
per cent. to that part of the line between Howell and Lansing,
which would amount, under the assessment of 1869, to $36,375. The aid of Lansing, as well as of the towns of Meridian,
Locke, and Wheatfield, will undoubtedly be granted, as soon
as Detroit shall manifest her ability and willingness to see the




History of the City of Lansiing.

29

work through.   Its completion within two years may be
regarded as a certainty.
5. Toledo, Ann Arbor and Lansing Railroad. The line of
the proposed road, to which we have given the above title, is
not yet decided upon, although it is hardly deemed possible
that the railroad meeting to assemble at Ann Arbor on Friday,
the 15th of October, to decide whether Lansing or Owosso
shall be made the objective point of the line of railroad from
Toledo via Ann Arbor and Dexter, northward, will decide adversely to the Capital. It will not be done if the committee
took hold of the work with -minds prejudiced in favor of
neither route.  The building of this road would place the
Capital of the State within 90 miles of Toledo, and enable the
road to command the greater portion of the Lower Peninsula,
north of Lansing, that lies between the Jackson, Lansing and
Saginaw, and the lonia and Lansing railroads. Should the
Atlantic and Great Western or the Baltimore and Ohio roads,
with their Toledo connections, iron the road to this place,
they could take the Lansing, St. Johns and Mackinac road
north from Lansing, which will ultimately, at Houghton Lake,
connect with the through line to Mackinac, thus giving Ohio
and Indiana a connection with the Northern Pacific Railroad,
from  30 to 40 miles shorter than by any other line. They
could also at this city obtain control of the proposed road
from Lansing via Watertown, Westphalia, Pewamo, Matherton, Hubbardston, Stanton, and Big Rapids to an ultimate
connection with Manistee or some port north of that point on
the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. It would also, by the
lonia and Lansing road, give the people of Muskegon and of
Milwaukee and eastern Wisconsin a connection with Toledo,
as near and direct as they now have with Detroit by the Detroit and Milwaukee road. By that line alone, the amount
of freight and passenger travel from Lansing to Toledo would
be immense, and constantly on the increase. It. would also
connect here with the Saginaw Valley for all traffic from that




30

History of the City of Lansing.

portion of the State, and would give Toledo at Alma, St. Louis,
Hubbardston, Muir, Greenville, and other points on roads
north and norti-west, access to the cheapest as well as the
best lumber market in the State. Should the decision of the
meeting be adverse to Lansing, there is no doubt that a company will be immediately organized from Toledo to Lansing
by the way of Dexter.
6. Northern Central Michigan Railroad.     This road is to
run from Jonesville via Albion and Eaton Rapids to Lansing,
and occupies that portion of the line north of Lansing, which
formerly was a portion of the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse
Bay Railroad, better known as the "Ramshorn."   A large portion of the grading from Jonesville to Eaton Rapids, 17 miles
south-west of Lansing, was completed several years ago, and
sufficient municipal aid and individual subscription has been
raised to complete the grade from Jonesville to Lansing, and
the contract for the completion of the grade from Jonesville
to Eaton Rapids has been let, and work will soon be commenced on the line. The officers of this road confidently state
that arrangements for the iron and rolling stock are to be
made at once on the completion of the earthwork.
7. Peninsular Railway. This road extends from Lansing,
via Charlotte, Battle Creek and Cassoplis, to the Indiana State
line, there connecting with the Indiana Peninsular Railway,
which runs through Mishawaka, South Bend, Laporte, and
Valparaiso, to the line of the State of Illinois, where, by another chartered company, it will reach Chicago. The line from
Battle Creek to Lansing is now being ironed, and it is expected
that Lansing and Battle Creek will be connected with rail by
the first of January, 1870, thus saving 38 miles of railway
travel to Chicago. The Peninsular railway will also connect at
this city with the Detroit, Howell and Lansing Railroad, giving
a through route from   Detroit to Chicago over a line of low
grades, and of about the same distance as the Michigan Central. It also is one of the four roads that forms the consoli



History of the City of Lansinf.

31

dated line from Port Huron via Lansing to Chicago, and it is
expected that the whole line will be completed and in operation
before the close of 1870, making a shorter route to Halifax,
Boston, and New York, than any line now connecting Chicago
with those ports.
8. lonia and Lansing Railroad. This road was chartered
in 1865, to connect Ionia and Lansing by rail. Since that
time, by the filing of new articles of association, the line has
been extended to Greenville, and the grade between Lansing
and Ionia, a distance of 34- miles, is entirely completed, and
the iron is laid from Lansing to Grand Ledge, 10 miles, and is
to be completed for business to Ionia within the next two
months. The grade is in progress from Ionia to Greenville,
and as iron has been purchased for 55 miles of track, it will be
completed to that place by mid-winter. From Greenville it is
to be extended to Muskegon, and it is expected that the road
will be completed and in running condition from Lansing to
Muskegon, 108 miles, before the close of 1870. There, by lines
of steamers to Milwaukee and other Wisconsin ports, it will
receive a large freight and passenger business from the States
of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
9. Lansing, St. Johns and Mackinac Railroad. This company was organized last Spring, to build a railroad from Lansing northward through the villages of DeWitt, St. Johns,
Ithaca, Alma, St. Louis, and Salt River, to Mt. Pleasant, Isabella county, thence north to a junction with the Flint and
Pere Marquette Railroad, near the north line of Isabella county,
and 100 miles north of Lansing. The articles of association
show five per cent. paid in on the line from Lansing to Mt.
Pleasant, 84 miles, and within the past five months $300,000,
or nearly $4,000 per mile, has been received in municipal aid
and subscriptions. This amount can readily be increased to
$500,000 in a short time, and as the cost of the grade for that
distance will not exceed $375,000, a large surplus will be left
to aid in the purchase of iron and rolling stock. Several offers




32

History of the City of Lacnsini.

have already been made by responsible parties for the ironing
of this road, but the Board of Directors have accepted none,
preferring to hold the line for a connection with Toledo by
the proposed road from Toledo via Ann Arbor and Dexter,
if Lansing shall be made the objective point of that road.
This line will ultimately be pushed northward to Houghton
Lake and to the shortest connection with the Northern
Pacific Railroad at the Straits of Mackinaw.  There is no
doubt that this road will be in operation within two years,
greatly adding to the prosperity of this city, and affording a
long needed outlet to the lumber and produce of Central
Michigan.   The passenger traffic between this place and the
famous Mineral Spring of St. Louis, upon its completion, will
be a large item of business, and will probably pay the entire
running expenses of the road between Lansing and St. Louis,
a distance of fifty miles.
10. Detroit and M.ilwaukee Railroad, connecting Grand
Haven and Detroit.
11. Michigan Central Railroad, connecting Detroit and
Chicago.
12. Michigan Southern Railroad, connecting Toledo and
Chicago.
13. Monroe, Wayne and Holly Railroad, now building, by
which Toledo, through a connection with the Flint and Pere
Marquette Railroad at Holly, will have a direct line to the
Saginaw valley, and will need no other line in that direction.
The map should give the line from Holly to Saginaw, now in
operation, but through oversight it was omitted.
14. Shows a portion of the completed line from   White
Pigeon on the Michigan Southern road to Kalamazoo, Allegan,
and Grand Rapids.
The dotted line from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids shows a
part of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, now building
from  Fort Wayne, Indiana, via Sturgis, Kalamazoo, Grand
Rapids and Big Rajids, to the straits of Mackinaw; some forty




History of the City of Lansing.

miles of which is now in operation north of Grand Rapids,
and 200 miles of which will be in operation another year.
15. Lansing, Hubbardston and Northern Railroad. This is
a line which will be at once organized, a large portion of the
stock being now subscribed, with the intention of pushing it
to Stanton and Big Rapids, and from the latter place to some
point on the shore of Lake Michigan. It runs through the
best developed agricultural section in the State north of the
Michigan Central Railroad, and at Hubbardston, 30 miles from
Lansing, will reach a point where there are good saw-mills, a
splendid undeveloped water-power, and vast quantities of lumber, 26,000,000 feet of logs having been floated through Hubbardston the present season. There is 105 feet fall in five
miles on Fish creek, a fine stream, affording an opportunity for
manufactures. Lumber here ranges from $3 to $30, which at
Saginaw commands from $6 to $45. At Stanton, a few miles
beyond, is the largest and best body of pine, uncut, in the
State, said to cover nearly 20 miles square of territory. If the<
Toledo road comes to Lansing, this road will be organized
within three days, and the work of raising the means pushed
forward with all dispatch.
RECAPITULATION.
The double line on the map shows roads completed; the
single lines, those upon which iron is being laid down; and
the dotted lines, organized companies which have done more
or less work. It will be seen that, with the roads ironed and
running, Lansing will have in 1870 five railroad arms. In
1871, by the completion of the Detroit, Howell and Lansing,
and the Northern Central Michigan roads, there will be seven
railroad arms converging at this point. Within two years, the
Lansing, St. Johns and Mackinac road will also be built, increasing the number to eight. If the people of Toledo and on
the line from Toledo to Ann Arbor shall make Lansing a point
in that line, this will increase the number to nine, and insure




34

3I4History of the City of Lansine.

the building of the road from Lansing to Hubbardston, making
ten arms. The Grand Trunk extension will be put through
within five years, when Lansing will have twelve arms of railroad, and be the central point of ten different lines. Given a
Capital of a State and a great railroad center, and there will be
a great city. To illustrate, look at Columbus, 0., Indianapolis,
Ia., Madison, Wis., and Springfield, Ill. If these places have
become great cities as capitals and railroad centers, without
good water-power, what may not be reasonably expected of
Lansing, with the same advantages, and the addition of a
splendid water-power, much of which is not yet improved?
The railroad map given with the foregoing article from the
"Republican," has been changed so as to show the condition
of the several lines of railroad on the 15th of May, 1870. The
Ionia and Lansing Railroad, No. 8 on the map, is completed
band running from Lansing to Ionia, 38 miles. It is graded
from Ionia to Greenville, and the rails are on the way from the
East. It is confidently expected that within three months
trains will run from Lansing to Greenville, 55 miles.
The Peninsular Railway, No. 7 on the map, is completed and
running regular trains from Lansing to Battle Creek, 45 miles;
from Battle Creek to South Bend, a distance of about 75 miles,
is well under way, and the laying of the rails will commence
in June, with the hope to run trains from Lansing to South
Bend by October, 1870.
On the Port Huron and Lake Michigan road the iron is laid
a good share of the way from Port Huron to Lapeer, and trains
make regular trips, and it will be completed to Lapeer within
three months, and to Flint by early fall, a distance of 65 miles.
The line from Flint to Lansing, 47~ miles, will be completed
in 1871. By that time the line of the Peninsular from South
Bend, Ia., to Chicago, will also be done, making, by its connection with the Grand Trunk and Great Western roads of




History of thel City of Ltansing.

35

Canada, another great through route from the Northwestern
States to the sea-board.
The Detroit and Howell and Howell and Lansing railroads,
No. 4 on the map, have been lately consolidated as the Detroit,
Howell and Lansing Railroad. A board of responsible and
active men have been elected directors, with Win. B. Wesson,
of Detroit, President, T. T. Lyon of Plymouth, Secretary, and
Wm. McPherson of Howell, Treasurer.      The Lansing directors of the company are Winm. H. Chapman and A. N. Hart.
Detroit has voted $300,000 municipal aid to the road, and this,
with the aid raised along the line, will leave a large surplus
over the cost of grading for the purchase of iron. The road
is nearly ready for the rails from Detroit to Howell, a distance
of over 50 miles, and it i's expected that it will be completed
and trains running by the first of January, 1871, certainly by
the early spring of that year. The distance from Lansing to
Detroit by this road will be 84 miles.
The Michigan Grand Trunk, or Grand Trunk Extension, as
it is sometimes called, No. 3 on the map, has finally changed
its terminus at the eastern end, running to Ridgeway, a station
about six miles south of Smith's Creek, as placed upon the
map, and also a station on the Grand Trunk from Detroit to
Port Huron. It will also run through Romeo, a flourishing
town in Macomb county, and by its connection with a Canada
railroad, at the city of St. Clair, on the St. Clair river, will
give another and short eastern route. The road is in operation
from Ridgeway to Romeo, and the grading is in progress from
Romeo to Fentonville, about 34 miles from Lansing. It will
be completed to that point within a year, and ultimately
extended to Lansing.
Municipal aid, sufficient to grade the road, No. 15, from
Lansing to Hubbardston, 31 miles, has been raised, and offers
for ironing have been tendered by responsible parties. This
road, as well as the Lansing, St. Johns and Mackinac, are
awaiting- a decision of the Supreme Court on the constitution



36

History of the City of Lanlsing.

ality of the railroad law. If this is favorable, as is generally
believed, there is no doubt that all the roads spoken of here
will be built.
Of the road from Lansing to Toledo, it is only a question of
time, and must ultimately be built. Sufficient money has been
raised already for the grade from Toledo to Ann Arbor.
The prospects of the Northern Central Michigan, No. 6, are
also promising, and the survey of the line through to Lansing
has recently been made.
On the whole, the promise of a great railroad center at
Lansing is, with two roads completed, within seven months,
much more flattering than when the article was penned for
the "Republican," Oct. 14, 1869.
ED. LANSING STATE REPUBLICAN.
LANSING MINERAL AND MAGNETIC WELL.
The following, with regard to this famous well, we take from
the "Lansing State Republican" of the 12th of May, 1870:
We give herewith the letter of Prof. Jennings and the analysis of the Lansing mineral and magnetic well as made by
him. For the sake of comparison, the analysis of the St.
Louis and the Frost well at Eaton Rapids, and also of the
Empire, the most celebrated medicinal spring at Saratoga, are
given. It will be seen that the water of Lansing surpasses
the Empire in the quantity and value of its medicinal qualities, while there is no comparison between it and the two most
famous wells of Michigan:
DETROIT, May 3d, 1870.'
MESSRS. WOODHOUSE & BUTLER, Lansing, Michigan:
Gentlemen,-Enclosed please find result of my analysis of
your mineral spring.
I have no doubt your patience is nearly exhausted; a week
of sickness and court attendance caused an unavoidable delay.
I feel confident the analysis will at once convince you of the




History of the City of Lansing.                     37
superiority of the Lansing spring over other mineral waters in
this State.
The strongly alkaline nature of this water renders it especially adapted for the treatment of those diseases in which the
use of alkalies is of therapeutic value.
The large proportion of iron held in solution as a photo-salt
gives it additional value as a chalybeate in cases of chlorosis,
anemia, and general debility.
The depleting effects often following the long continued use
of alkalies are in this water entirely counteracted by its tonic
qualities.
The magnetic property of this water (which is strongly developed) may contribute toward its efficacy in certain diseases;
this can only be determined by reliable empiric observation.
Hoping you will pardon the delay, and that the analysis will
be satisfactory, I remain
AUG. F. JENNIrNGS, M'. D.,
Analytical Chemist, Detroit, Mich.
COMPARATIVE      ANALYSIS.
Chloride of Sodium--......-----------------------... 320.224 269.696 none.  9.210
Bicarbonate of Lime....----------------------.... 107.590 141.824  69.400  46.240
S     Soda.----------- -------------- 112.081  30.848 106.400 none.
Magnesia -------..---..--.----------28.027  41.984  17.500  9.110
S Iron.     -    ------.------ 1.882 a trace.  1.200   2.880
Sulphate of Potassa-..--.--.---------------------.  14.940 none.  none.  none.
LL     Soda -.-------------------------- 30.065 none.   none.  none.
c     LLime..-------------- ------------------ none.  none.  44.500  4.640
Silica...................-----------......--------  3.966 none.  2.880  15.740
Silicate of Lime------  --------------------- none.  none.   6.720 none.
Phosphate of Lime -------a------------------a trace. none.  none.  none.
Iodide of Sodium--.------.. ----------------.---..  a trace.  12.000 none.  none.
Lithia    -----------...------------------------.. a trace. none.  none.  none.
Solid contents in one Imperial gallon ---.--------- 615.430 496.352 279.600  88.220
Total Carbonic Acid....----...-..-............  25.550 315.000 123.880  22.220
Sulphuretted Hydrogen-..--.................... a trace. none. a trace. none.




38

8History of the City of Lansing.

In remarks accompanying the analysis, Prof. Jennings says:
"The carbonates in the Eaton Rapids column should be read
as carbonates, not bi-carbonates. This note should be made in
case of publication, as they are so given in Dr. Duffield's
analysis."
It will be seen from the foregoing table and the letter of Mr.
Jennings that the Lansing water possesses better qualities than
has been claimed for it by its most sanguine friends. The
many cures of paralysis, dyspepsia, rheumatism, chronic diarrhcea, constipation, erysipelas, inflamed eyes, gravel and kidney
diseases, all skin eruptions, and affections of the mucous membrane, have fully established its home reputation, and there is
no doubt that this published analysis will bring a crowd of
patients to Lansing. The baths will be in readiness for use
within a week.
In relation to the analysis, we are informed by Prof. Jennings that from two to four tests were made of every ingredient,
and that the difference in the qualitative and quantitative
thousandths, when any were found, were equalized, so that the
analysis may be fully relied upon as correct in every particular.
The well is 1,400 feet, or more than a quarter of a mile
in depth. It was originally bored for salt, and the water has
been flowing in large volume for several years. Notwithstanding the mineral discoveries at St. Louis and Eaton Rapids, no
attempt was made to test the water of the Lansing well. It
was only after many cures had been effected by the use of the
water from  people of the city and surrounding country, that
Messrs. Woodhouse & Butler, proprietors of the well, took any
steps to bring it into use or to have an analysis made. That
it will prove of great value to the sick and diseased, and add
largely to the growth and prosperity of Lansing in the future,
there is no doubt.




Histoi-y of the, City of Lansin4.          39
During the year 100 new buildings have been erected, at a
cost of upwards of $100,000, and builders and brick manufacturers are preparing for a large increase in the demand for
building materials during the coming year.
A Stave Factory has just been started at North Lansing by
a firm haying a capital of $100,0o0. This factory only supplies one of the many needs of this place. These needs must
soon be supplied, and those who step into the openings first
will be the lucky ones.
A Gas Company has been organized during the last year,
and we shall soon, probably, be supplied with illuminating gas,
unless the company proves to be of that kind of gas not particularly brilliant, that vanishes after a flash that only serves
to render the succeeding oblivion the more profound.
-Under the head of "Progress" can be noticed our mineral
well. This well was originally bored for a salt well, but the
supply of brine being insufficient, it was abandoned, and has
been left alone for sever~al years, until a few months since
medical properties were discovered in the water.
Large quantities of the water are daily carried away from
the well for consumption, and numerous cures are reported.




CHAPTER  XII.

MUTABILITY.
Persons visiting Lansing after a lapse of several years are
surprised at the changes which have taken place during their
absence, and especially was this mutability noticeable by persons who were absent during the year 1866, when the three
finest blocks in the city were erected simultaneously, at a cost
of about $250,000. The unsightly old buildings on the southwest corner of Washington and Michigan avenues disappeared,
and in their stead rose up a block of business houses that
would be creditable to any city in any State; they are, however, partially occupied by a Grove and Wells, which rural
incongruities add considerably to the influence and attractiveness of the city. On the vacant lot at south-east corner of
Washington avenue and Ottawa street arose a large block of
stores and a public hall, and at the corner of Washington
avenue and Washtenaw street was erected the building of most
interest to the stranger-the Lansing House-which is a hotel,
in exterior appearance and interior accommodation, second to
none in the North-west. Mine host, H., will please feel profoundly grateful for this "puff."
Meantime, every year sees new residences-many of them
elegant ones, and nearly all displaying much taste, (a woody
taste, generally,)-springing up in every quarter in such profusion that the aspect of the city changes materially nearly
every year, and in place of the country roads, stumps, wild
land and "cat-holes" of a few years since, we now see graded
streets, level, well cultivated gardens, and a rapidly increasing
city, which is destined in the future to be-etc., etc., etc.




CHAPTER XIII.
CONCLUSION.
That most sorrowful task of the historian, that of recording
the decline and fall, after he has followed the rise and progress
of an empire, dynasty, or other power, is reserved for the future
historian of Lansing, for, as yet, the Capital city of Michigan
continues to thrive vigorously.  The ten years intervening
between the issue of the city charter and the present time,
have seen almost a complete metamorphose in the place; the
only landmarks by which the absentee of a few years is enabled
to judge of his whereabouts, are the old rookery, dignified with
the name of Capitol, and that, even, is somewhat altered, for
aside from the ravages of time, an addition has been built at
the south end. (By the way, those aforesaid "ravages of time"
are extensive,) and one or two of the old stores that here and
there forlornly stare at their new and imposing neighbors,
while they seem regretfully to look back to the time when they
lorded it over the adjacent stumps and frog-ponds, and with
another gaze at the new comers, to desire to follow their old
companions that have "gone before."  This desire, I am happy
to be able to state, is occasionally being gratified, the only pity
is that the wishes of these old landmarks have been so long
disregarded. Occasionally one of the before mentioned landmarks is discovered to be on fire. If the Fire Department
reaches the spot before all is over, in case no good building is
endangered, the engines are a long time in getting to work.
When they do begin to play, it is like most all recreation, of
no practical benefit, except that the ground is left encumbered
with charred and blackened sticks and timber that might better
have been reduced to ashes, as the owner is subsequently obliged
to be to the expense of removing the remains and again set




-   History of the City of Lansing.
fire to them. H-owever, fires are of such rare occurrence-and
have been for two years past-,--that members of the different
companies foroet the fact that they are members of a Fire
Department, and the engines are consigned to solitude and
uselessness for periods of such duration that they are almost
forgotten. At the last fire, which consumed one of the ancient
landm~arks-,the absence of which gives a vastly superior appearance to its former site, as it before impeded the -view of a
saloon. located, just on the "1other side "-the members of the
Fire Department were so oblivious to the fact of their membership thereof, that only four individuals were found who
remembered the fact that they belonged to one of the hose
companies, and five were fomnd -who remembered that there
was a fire engine in their end of the town. The result of this
presence of mind was, that about an hour and a-half after the
first alarm these nine individuals started with their "1masheens"
for the scene of disaster, which was situated something more
than a mile from their starting point. The members of the
Fire Department, whose "1masheens " were kept in the part of
the city in which the fire originated, produced their engine
and hose cart upon the ground in tolerable season, but owing
to the obliviousness of "1other folks" no on e knew that the
engine was there, consequently but few took hold of the brakes,
and these were soon exhausted. The result was that there was
but little rubbish left to bother the proprietor.
While my "1hand is in," I will relate another incident of a
fiery nature. In 1866, before the organization of the present
efficient Fire Department, occurred the most extensive fire that
ever happened in this city, consuming $050,000 worth of property.
Some cities that are continually desolated by fire may think
that a $50,000 fire is nothiug to brag of. There was at that
time but one little hand fire engine in the city, that had stood
almost unmolested in the engine house for several years; there
was no Fire Department, and whien the engine arrived on the
ground, accompanied by the. rotten hose, every man who had




History of the City of Lansirtg.

4S

ever seen a fire engine immediately assumed command, and
told every other man what to do, without listening to what
any one else said. As a consequence, the mayor, who was
mounted upon the railing of the race bridge, and telling
every one what to do, was unheeded. The engine, after bursting the hose, and narrowly escaping destruction by fire, was
run up into the street and placed in a safe position, where it
was left-to its own reflections. Those who managed to keep
their hands out of their pockets formed a line and passed pails
of water to the buildings not yet reached by the conflagration,
knocking people down and their teeth out with the empty
pails. By this latter means a few of the old "landmarks"
were left that might much better have followed the more
valuable property.
It is the opinion of the writer that the historian who follows
him will be able to record the annals of a large city, New York
being too far off to successfully compete with it.
Capital only, with a little brains to "back it," is required to
-make Lansing a large manufacturing town. It has three large
water-powers, only one of which is as yet improved. The railroads now being constructed to this place, and already completed, will make it an advantageous point for any branch of
manufacturing, unless it be that of wooden nutmegs and hams,
which do not sell as well here as in New England. There is
here an excellent point for the erection of car and repair
shops. In fact, there is an opening for any one desirous of
locating in an enterprising, rapidly growing, and pleasant city.
To any one desirous of purchasing a farm in the vicinity of a
good market, and where the market value of farming lands is
doubled every few years, I can confidently recommend the
vicinity of Lansing as one unsurpassed by any other locality
in the State or West. By the statistical table appended to this
narrative, it is shown that the population of this city is twice
and two-thirds as large in 1868 as it was eight years previously,
and this increase was during a time when there was either no




44            History of the City of Lamsii,.
railroad, or at best a very poor one, with the exception of the
last two years of the time. In a short time we shall have several railroads, some of which- are to be among the most important lines in the State. If you live in the Eastern States,
"pull up stakes" and come to Lansing, where there is more
enterprise in one day than there is in a hum-drum, thickly
populated country in a year. Everything grows here that grows
anywhere in the Northern States, unless it be Canada thistles,
and these we are unfortunate enough to be without; our other
disadvantages are " off the same piece."
Having, as we said at the commencement of this chapter,
imperfectly reviewed the founding, rise, and a portion of the
progress of the Capital city of Michigan, I leave the historian,
whose great-great-great-grandparents are yet unborn, to record
the remainder of the progress, the decline and the fall of this,
my native city. The Common Council shall continue to order
streets graded and regraded until there are no more streets to,grade, and then they will extend the streets and continue their
task of equalizing the neighboring hills and valleys. Whereupon the diffident author takes his hat and departs.




STATISTICS.
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.
First trees cut- -----------------------------  -  1844
Dam and Saw-mill built-------------  ---------- 1845-6
Capital located---------  ------------  --------   1847
Capitol erected-------   -   ----------          1847-8
Name of town altered ----     ------------------   1850
First frame house erected  ------------------------  1847
Plank-road completed----------   -------------     1852
First church edifice erected ----------------------  1851
State Reform School erected---------------------_  1856
First newspaper published, January ---------------- 1848
First brick church erected-----------------------  1859
City charter-granted-  -------------------------   1859
First railroad completed to Lansing -------------   1863
STATISTICAL TABLE.
Population in 1860--- -------------------------    3085
"      " 1870 ---------------------------       6500
Deaths for 1867---------------------------------      22
"   " 1868------ --------------------------        39
"   "  1869 ------------ -------------_---    -    43
Average for 3 years, 1 to 201 population.
LIST OF MAYORS.
H. H. Smith ---------------From May, 1859, to May, 1860.
J. A. Kerr ----------------"       "   1860, "  "  1861.
W. H. Chapman ------------"        "   1861, "  "  1863.
I. I. Bartholomew-----------"      "  1863, "   "  1866.
Wm. H. Haze---------------"        "   1866, "  "  1867.




46          HistoPy of the City of Lamsin.
Geo. W. Peck-------------From May, 1867, to May, 1868.
Cyrus Hewitt-   -    -      -   -    1868, "  "  1870.
TABLE SHOWING THE PRINCIPAL KINDS OF BUSINESS CARRIED
ON IN THE CITY OF LANSING.
Dealers in Agricultural Implements- -    ---------5
Banks---
Dealers in Books, Stationery, &c.5---------------------
"    " Boots and Shoes------------------ 10
Bakers    ----------------------------------------4
Brick Manufacturers------------------------------3
Blacksmiths --20
Book-bindery-..------------------------------ 1
Dealers in Cabinet Ware and Furniture----------------4
" "Clothing-----------------2
"    " Carriages, Wagons, etc.--------------------4
China, Glassware, etc.---------------------1
"    "cConfectionery---------------------------3
Cooper-shops-3
Dentists   ---------------------------------------4
Dealers in Drugs, Medicines, etc.---------------------8
Dealers in Dry Goods (wholesale)--------------------1
"    cc   cc     (retail)----------------------15
F.oundries and Machine Shops----------------------3
Dealers in Flour and Feed--------------------------3
Flour and Grist Mills-----------------------------3
Dealers in Groceries (wholesale)---------------------- 2
(retail)------------------------13
Gun-shops    -------------------------------------2
Dealers in Hardware------------------------------5
cc   Cand manfacturer of Hoop-skirts and Corsets_--  1
Horse-rake Manufary---1
Hotel (first-class) --------------------------------1
c   (second-class)------------------------------5
Insurance and Real Estate Agencies------------------5




History of the City of Lamsinff       47
Insurance Company ------------------- 1
Knitting Machine agencies---------  ------------ --  2
iLawyers ---- -------------------------------------- 10
Livery -Stables ------------------------------------- 6
iDealers in Lumber --------------------------------- 5
Millinery and Fancy Goods ----------------  17
"Marble ---------------------------------- 2
"Meats------------------------------------ 6
Omnibus and Hack Line ----------------- -- -- -- -- -- --1I
Planing Mills-------------------- ------------------ 5
Printing Offices ------------------------------------ 5
Physicians, (practicing) ---------.-----------------15
Photographers-------------------------------------- 4
Painters, Glaziers, etc.-------------------------- 10
(sin)----------  ------------------- 5
Dealers in Pianos and Musical Merchandise-----------.
Pump Factory --------------------- I---------------1
Saw-mills ---------------------------------------- 2
Dealers in Sash, Doors, and Blinds~-----------4
Saddlery, Harness, etc.---------------------- 3
Sewing Machine agencies----------------------------- 5
Dealers in Tobaccos and Segars------------------------ 4
".Tinware ---------------------------------- 5
Tanneries----------------------------------------- 2
Tailors-------------------------------------------- 5
Undertaker----------------------------------------  1
Whip and Glove Manufactory ------------------------- 1
Woolen Mill --------------------------------------1I
Dealers in Watches, Jewelry, etc.---------------5
C  Wines, Liquors and Segars------------------- 1
KfINDS OF BUSINESS NOT REPRESENTED, AND FOR WHICH
THERE ARE GOOD OPENINGS IN THE CITY OF LANSING.
Car and IRepair Shops.
Manufacturing of Edge. Tools.




48

History of the City of Lamsing.

Machinery Depot.
Paper Mills.
Wooden-ware manufactories of all kinds.
Any branch of manufacturing, if well conducted, can do a
first-class business in this city.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS LOCATED IN OR NEAR THE CITY
OF LANSING.
State Agricultural College.
FACULTY.
T. C. Abbot, President.
Manly Miles, M. D., Professor of Animal Philosophy, &c.
R. C. Kedzie, A. M., M. D., Professor of Chemistry.
A. N. Prentiss, M. S., Professor of Botany.
Sanford Howard, Secretary.
G. T. Fairchild, A. M., Professor of English Literature.
A. J. Cook, Professor of Mathematics.
Will W. Tracy, Foreman of Conservatory.
Michigan Female College.
Closed for a time on account of the death of Miss A. C.
Rogers, Principal.
Lansing Commercial College.
H. P. Bartlett, Principal.
State Reform   School.
OFFICERS-(1869)-Rev. Chas. Johnson, Superintendent;
Geo. H. Greene, Assistant Superintendent; James M. Sprout,
Principal Teacher; James W. Guernsey, Miss H. L. Humphrey,
Miss Belle Carmichael, and Miss M. A. Potter, Assistant Teachers; Mrs. S. A. Hibbard, Matron; Miss E. A. Foote, Assistant
Matron; H. B. Kenyon, Overseer of Family House; J. B. Hull,
Physician; T. R. Waters, Farmer.




M ICHIGAN
REFERENCE




The HISTORY OF TilE CITY OF47 LANSJNYGJ can
be. obtained by sending (0 Cents toI
J. A.11. LONG FEAR-llZ,
Lansing', iMiich.