History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 31

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772

USA > Michigan > Eaton County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 31
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 31

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

He continued in business in Lansing until he engaged with Charles Seymour and H. H. Smith in the construction of the plank-road between Lansing and Mason, about July 1, 1850, when he removed his store to the road, locating a part of the time at Leroy, and afterwards at Fowlerville. While engaged in the construction of this road he spent a winter, probably in 1850 and 185I, in Florida, where he went for his health, being threatened with a pulmonary difficulty. Subsequently to his return from the South he was again engaged in the mercantile business in company with Daniel L. Case, at North Lansing, where they were afterwards burned out, on the northeast corner of Frank- lin and Turner Streets.

# The "courts" were held in Mr. Page's house, and many amusing and interesting scenes transpired during bis terms of office. At une time a replevin suit was tried hefore Esq. Page, brought by one Jacob Baker, an carly lawyer or pettifogger of De Witt, in Clinton County. The constable wns likely to get into trouble on account of tho loss of a bond which he had given, and which somebow failed to be produced in court. But luckily for him one of Mr. Page's daughters, in stroll- ing about the premises waiting for the contestants to vacate the dwelling, stumbled upon the missing paper, which had evidently been torn in picees and punched into the mud with a stick. The fragmcuts were cleaned and pasted together and produced before the court, to the no small chagrin of Mr. Baker.

This man Baker wns a rough-spoken borderer who never spoiled a story for relation's sake, and took every legitimate means to win his cases. Ile subsequently removed to Muskegon, afterwards to Texas, finally settled near Fort Smith, Ark., where it is believed he died.

" This was the log house built by Mr. Burchard in 1813.

t The limber for this mill was purchased at Eaton Rapids and jafted down the river.

127

CITY OF LANSING.

In connection with Messrs. Case and Longycar, Mr. Tur- ner was the founder of the female college known as Miss Rogers' School, now the Odd-Fellows' Institute. He was also largely interested in the Jackson, Lansing and Sag- inaw and the Lansing and Ionia Railways.

On the first of October, 1843, Mr. Turner married Miss Marian Munroe, daughter of Jesse Munroe, a native of Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vt., where he was born in 1791. Mr. Munroe is still living (June, 1880), in good health, with his daughter, Mrs. Turner. The latter was born in Am- herst, Erie Co., N. Y., whither her father had removed from Vermont, Dec. 8, 1818. The family is of Scotch ex- traction. Mr. Munroe removed to Michigan in 1836, settling in Clinton County, in the town of Eagle, where Mr. Turner was married.

About 1838, Mrs. Turner made a visit to friends re- siding in Mason, going on horseback, accompanied by a relative. She went via Okemos, fording the Cedar River at that point, which was so swollen that Mrs. Turner-then Miss Munroe-was obliged to hold her feet upon the horse's back to keep them out of the water. On their return to Clinton County they followed the Indian trail along Grand River, and stopped for lunch on the ground, or very near, where the Turner mansion now stands. Miss Munroe was greatly pleased with the location and the fine view it af- forded, and remarked that she should not wonder if, when she was married, she might some day make her home there. The prophecy has long since been fulfilled, and certainly there is no more pleasant site for a home in Ingham County, overlooking, as it does, a long sweep of the beautiful river and a broad scope of cultivated country in all directions. At the time of this first visit the whole region was a wil- derness. The high bluff bank of the river at this point is clothed with a majestic growth of forest-trees, then open and unobstructed by undergrowth, with cold, pure springs gushing from the slopes, and dashing to the river below. This is to-day the most romantic spot in the vicinity of Lan- sing, and with a small outlay could be transformed into a picturesque park.

Mr. Turner had purchased lots in the lower town pre- vious to his marriage and removal here. On these Mrs. Turner planted a few locust-trees in the spring of 1844, one of which is still looking thrifty and vigorous. Mr. Turner built a small one-and-a-half-story frame dwelling (still standing) on these lots, which are situated south of the lane leading to the family residence. The present property was purchased at various times of F. M. Cowles, James Seymour, and Isaac Townsend, or his heirs. Mr. Turner was administrator of the Isaac Townsend estate. Mr. Turner's death took place on the 1st of October, 1869, in his fiftieth year and on the anniversary of his marriage.

MR. AUGUSTUS F. WELLER came to Lansing with the commissioners appointed to locate the capital in the spring of 1847. His recollection of the roads of those days is vivid. The party was three days in getting from Jackson to Lansing, a distance of some forty miles. At Mason, then an embryo village, they found both the dam and bridge over Sycamore Creek, or River, washed away, and were com- pelled to cross the swollen stream on the body of a tree which they felled for the purpose. The party, with the

single exception of Smart, one of the commissioners, crossed the stream in safety, but the stubborn Scotchman refused to trust his valuable person on such an unco' bridge, and they were obliged to construct a raft, upon which he finally consented to make the voyage. The team was driven through the torrent, and they proceeded on their way. But the road between Mason and Lansing was simply horrible ; it had been bad enough between Mason and Jackson, but the last twelve miles was nearly impassable by reason of the overflow of the streams. The road was corduroycd more or less and the logs were afloat in many places, while at all creek crossings and small culverts the whole was washed away.

Upon their arrival at what was then the nucleus of the future city they all put up at the house of Joab Page, who was boarding-house keeper, landlord, esquire, and boss me- chanic all in one. There they boarded for several weeks while examining the present site of the city. Justus Gil- key, who lived on section 5, down the river, was the only man who had whisky for sale by the quantity within reason- able distance of the capital, and it was in constant deniand. The commissioners tramped through the woods from North Lansing to where the residence of Hon. O. M. Barnes now stands, and during the whole exploration the Scotchman, Smart, made the woods echo with his crisp expletives as he floundered through the mire or fell headlong over the rotten logs which everywhere covered the spongy ground.

William H. Townsend cleared a space of about an acre where the Capitol stands, and on this cleared spot a game of ball was played.

Among the early settlers of Eaton County, and subse- quently of the city of Lansing, we may mention CHRISTO- PHER C. DARLING, who was born in Woodstock, Windsor Co., Vt., July 10, 1800, and died in Lansing, May 20, 1880. Ile was the son of Joseph Darling, who traced his ancestry to the Pilgrims of Plymouth. His mother's maiden name was also Darling, and she was remotely related to her hus- band. In 1804 the family removed to Cold Spring, Niagara Co., N. Y. During his residence here, Christopher was em- ployed in the construction of the Erie Canal.

In 1826 he removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where he en- gaged upon the canal connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River. He resided in Cleveland eight years. On the 9th of April, 1829, he married, at Tuscarawas, Ohio, Miss Anne Culver, born Sept. 22, 1809; she survives her husband.

In June, 1832, Mr. Darling removed to Jackson (then Jacksonburg), Mich. In the following year he operated the first saw-mill built at that place. During the years 1834 and 1835 he was engaged in the construction of Ter- ritorial roads. In 1836 he removed to Eaton Rapids, where in company with Messrs. Hamlin and Spicer he erected a saw-mill, and subsequently a grist-mill. It is claimed, also, that he opened the first public-house in Eaton Rapids.

In 1845 he came to Lansing to aid James Seymour in building a permanent dam across Grand River .* The dam

# At the time of building the dam, in 1843, Mr. Burchard visited Jackson for the purpose of procuring the services of Mr. Darling to superintend the work, and he probably was so employed.

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

built by Col. Burchard, in 1843, was insecure, and fre- quently much damaged by floods. Mr. Darling was an ex- cellent workman, and succeeded in putting in an enduring structure. In the summer of 1847 he opened a store and bakery on the spot where the Iludson House now stands. He rafted the first sawed timber used in Lansing from Eaton Rapids. In 1848 he removed his family from Eaton Rapids to Lansing, and resided in the place until his death. Hle was a prominent member of the Universalist Church, and contributed largely in the erection of a house of worship. He was highly esteemed as a worthy citizen .*

In the spring of 1847 a new real-estate firm-Bush, Thomas & Lee-eame to Lansing, where they purchased a large amount of land, and Bush and Thomas erected a store and opened an extensive stock of goods. Charles P. Busht was from Livingston Co., Mich., near Howell. John Thomas came from Farmington, Oakland Co., and Daniel S. Lee, the third partner in the real-estate firm, lived at Brighton, Livingston Co.

The property of the Fords, on seetion 21, was heavily mortgaged, aud had been sold for taxes. The southeast quarter of the section was purchased at the mortgage sale by Joab Page, who soon after sold to Charles P. Bush. The latter purchased all the tax titles, and perfected his own title to the land. The southwest quarter of the see- tion was purchased by the firm,-Bush, Thomas & Lee. This firm erected the first bridge over Grand River within the limits of Lansing. It was on Main Street, a little below where the iron bridge now crosses the river at the mineral spring. It was built after the ordinary style of those days, on the old " bent" plan, and completed in 1847. A bridge of similar construction was built in the same year at North Lansing.

Bush & Thomas erected a frame store building on the east side of Grand River, probably ou lot No. 1, of bloek 227, original town. William Hinman, who married a daughter of Mr. Bush, came at the same time, and entered the store of the company as elerk. A post-office was also es- tablished in 1847. George W. Peek was the first postmas- ter, the office being kept in the store of Bush & Thomas. Young Hinman was made a deputy and handled the mails.

About 1848, Bush sold his interest in the mercantile business to his partner, Thomas, who continued it for several years. The store was afterwards removed to the southeast corner of block 110, near the Capitol. In the same year a public-house was erected on block 231, near Bush & Thomas' store, by Daniel Clapsaddle, from Ionia County. It was called the National Hotel.t

When settlements began to be made on the site of Lan- sing, in 1847, it was covered with a forest, and section 16 was very heavily timbered. At the "lower town," as North Lansing was long called, and on Main Street, in the south part of the town, the land was dry and easily drained of any surface water, while the central portions were more level, and the clay subsoil held the water like a huge dish.

For some time the first comers indulged the idea that the business would grow up and remain at the lower town, and about Main Street in the south part of the town. The latter was quite a business thoroughfare, and before the winter of 1847-48 there were three hotels and a number of stores and shops in full operation upon it. The hotels were the National, on the east side of the river, already spoken of; the Michigan House,§ on the northwest corner of Main and River Streets, west of the river ; and the Benton House, named for Thomas Benton, United States senator, on the northwest corner of Main Street and Washington Avenue,-now the Everett House. Four other hotels were also ereeted the same season,-viz., the Lansing House, built of logs, on the corner opposite where it now stands ; the Columbus House, on the ground now occupied by the Hudson House ; the Ohio House, a third-rate affair, near where the livery-stable now stands, west of the Lansing House ; and the Seymour House, at the lower town.|

Among parties engaged in business at the south end were Edward Elliott, who put up a small frame building near Bush & Thomas' store, and opened a stock of shelf hardware, stoves, tinware, etc. He purchased his goods of Bush & Thomas, and also kept a tinsmith at work. The stove-pipe for the new Benton House was made at Elliott's shop. One Peter J. Weller also had a small eating-house or restaurant. These were all on the east side of Grand River. On the west side, along Main Street, were the grocery establishment, where a man named Ford kept a few groceries, whisky, beer, crackers, fish, ete., and a bowling-alley by one Sweet, which was perhaps the first " gaming-house" in the town.

Business continued and increased along Main Street for about two years, when it began to remove to the centre of the town and concentrate in the vicinity of the new State Capitol, until in the course of time it entirely left its former habitat, where may still be seen a few scattered landmarks of the former business thoroughfare of the place. The only remaining business building now occupied for its original purpose is the Beuton House, rechristened the Everett House, and this has at times served other uses than those of an " hostelrie," among others being used as an academy or select school for a number of years by Rev. C. C. Olds, about 1856-57. The Benton House was the first briek structure erected within the city limits, and was quite a pretentious one for those days.

Among the early arrivals in Lansing was that of CAPT. JOUN R. PRICE (still a resident). Capt. Price was born in South Amboy, Middlesex Co., N. J., July 5, 1816. He removed to Genesee Co., N. Y., in 1831, with a married sister, and after remaining about three and a half years revisited New Jersey, and settled in Jackson Co., Mich., in 1834. At that place he remained until 1840, when he removed to Albion, Calhoun Co., where he resided until 1843. On the 15th of March, in the last-named year, he married and settled at Marengo, in the same county, from which place he removed to Lansing late in 1847, where he has since resided, with the exception of about ten months

* Materials from an obituary notice furnished the Lansing Repub- licen by R. C. Dart, Esq.

t Mr. Bush was then a member of the State Legislature.

# Mr. Clapsaddle was killed in the same year while raising his barn by a " bent" falling upon him.

¿ Other authority calls this the Michigan Exchange and says it was built in 1848.

I For account of hotels sce farther on.

129

CITY OF LANSING.

spent upon a farm. Ile purchased about two acres where he now lives and creeted a dwelling, then in the midst of the woods.

Capt. Price has been a prominent citizen of Lansing and filled various positions,-civil, military, and in con- nection with the Presbyterian Church, of which he has been an active member for many years.

Among those who visited Lansing at a very early day and subsequently became a settler was CHARLES W. BUTLER, who came from Jackson, Mich., to Lansing, in March, 1847, upon business with a Mr. Glassbrouk, who was then living or working here. He stopped while here with Joab Page, Esq., who had the only house where travelers could be ac- commodated at that time. Mr. Butler's father settled in Delta, Eaton Co., in July, 1847, and Mr. Butler came to Lansing in September, 1848, as a clerk in the auditor-gen- eral's office. He was subsequently deputy auditor-general under Col. Whitney Jones for four years.

Mr. Butler has been an extensive builder in Lansing, and from 1825 to 1872 or 1873 associated in the real- estate business with William Woodhouse, who died at Mason several years since. Mr. Woodhouse was county register for a period of ten years. Messrs. Butler & Wood- house at one time owned the land on which the artesian well is situated, and for a time owned the well. Messrs. Butler, Woodhouse & Angell erected the Mineral Well Hotel in the spring of 1871, at a cost of about $12,000. Mr. Butler sold his interest to Woodhouse, and he and Angell sold it to Messrs. C. Y. & D. Edwards, and it was burned Feb. 5, 1876.

TOWN OF MICHIGAN.

Immediately following the location of the State Capitol at Lansing, or rather in Lansing township, the State com- missioners proceeded to lay out the school section (which was State property) into blocks and lots, reserving about thirty acres of the same for the use of the State. This reservation included blocks Nos. 99, 100, 101, 110, 111, 112, the old State-House square, now block No. 115, and the large block where the new Capitol stands, No. 249. The new capital was named by the Legislature the " Town of Michigan."

In conjunction with the State, the parties owning lands adjoining section 16 proceeded to lay out large portions of sections Nos. 9 and 21 into lots and blocks, the streets and blocks corresponding with those upon section 16. These parties, joint proprietors with the State in the new town, according to the record at Mason, Liber 7, page 593, were James Seymour, Samuel P. Mead, George W. Peck, and William H1. Townsend. The following certificate explains itself :

"STATE OF MICHIGAN, ? 88.

COUNTY OF INGHAM. J

" I, Justus Gilkey, a justice of the peace in and for the said County of Ingham, do bereby certify that on this twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty -seven, appeared before me Abiel Silver, Commissioner of the State Laud- Offiee; James L. Glen, acting commissioner under the 'Aet to pro-

vide for the removal of the Seat of Government, and for other pur- poses,' approved March 16, 1847 ; James Seymour, proprietor of the south part of seetion nine, in town four north, of range two west ; and Samuel P. Mead and George W. Peek, for themselves, and as the proper agent and attorney of William II. Townsend, proprietor of the north half of seetion twenty-one in said town four north, range two west, and severally the said proprietors each for himself, as such, and the said commissieners eaeb for himself by virtue of the power and authority of his office, as aforesaid, acknowledged the making and execution of the within plat of the town of Michigan, comprising seetion sixteen. the sonth part of seetion nine, and the north part of seetion twenty-one, Town four north, Range two west, and of the spe- eifieations thereof hereon written, to be their free aet and deed for the purposes therein and thereou named, expressed, and intimated ; aud further acknowledged and declared that the streets and puhlie grounds on said plat, laid out and deseribed, shall be and remain forever to and for said uses and purposes, herein named, expressed, er intimated, and for no other use or purpose whatever.

" Recorded June 23, 1847.

"JUSTUS GILKEY, "Justice of the Peace.

" WM. II. HORTON, " Register."

The name bestowed upon the new capital does not seem to have been very satisfactory, and at the next session of the Legislature the following appears of record :

" Aet No. 237.

" An Act to change the name of the town of Michigan :

"SEC. 1. Be it enaeted by the Senate and House of Representatives

of the State of Michigan, That the name of the town of Michigan, in the County of Ingbam, be and the same is bereby changed to Lansing.

" Approved April 31, 1848."+

ADDITIONS AND SUBDIVISIONS.

CITY OF LANSING.

April 3, 1849 .- By James Seymour. Subdivision of blocks Nos. 26 and 27.

April 10, 1849 .- By James Seymour. Subdivision of block 12.

April 30, 1849 .- Subdivision of the southwest quarter of section 10.

April 21, 1856 .- By George I. Parsons. Subdivision of lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, in block 244.

March 12, 1864 .- By executors and administrators of Isaac Townsend. Subdivision of part of section 20, north of Grand River.

March 25, 1864 .- By Isaac Townsend's heirs. Subdi- vision of seetion 9.

March 9, 1866 .- By Daniel H. Morrison. Subdivision of block 16, Townsend's plat.

Dec. 14, 1866 .- By Whitney Jones. Subdivision of block 97.

Dec. 28, 1866 .- By the same. Subdivision of lots 2 and 3, block 2.

this is true or whether it was named " Glen Island" frem the fact that it lies in a natural glen, we cannot say.

t Joseph E. North, Sr., is generally accorded the honor of having given the name " Lansing" to the township, from a town of the same name on Cayuga Lake, now in Tompkins Co., N. Y. When the Legis- lature named the new village " Town of Michigan," he is said to have felt not a little disappointed, and it was owing somewhat to his re- monstranees that the name was changed to Lansing within a year thereafter.

* It is said that the small island in Grand River, above the bridge of the Grand Trunk Railway, was named after Mr. Glen. Whether

130

HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

March 16, 1868 .- By Amos Turner. Subdivision of lots 1, 2, 3, in block 16.

April 18, 1868 .- By Daniel L. Case. Addition on the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 10.

Jan. 8, 1869 .- By Charles W. Butler and Albert E. Cowles. Subdivision of block 163.

March 7, 1870 .- By Richard Elliott. Subdivision of lots 6 and 7 of original block No. 23.

May 14, 1870 .- By Albert Claypool. Subdivision of the cast half of northeast quarter of section 17.

Dec. 26, 1871 .- By A. N. Hart. Subdivision of lots 9 and 10, block 25.

April 1, 1872 .- By John M. French, Jr. Subdivision of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 17.

April 16, 1872 .- By Charles F. Prine. Subdivision of lots 19 and 20, Seymour's subdivision section 10.

May 4, 1872 .- By George Jerome. Addition on the south thirty acres of the west half of the northwest quarter of section 15.

June 6, 1872 .- By Bush, Butler & Sparrow. Addition on east half of the southeast quarter of seetion 17.

Sept. 18, 1872 .- By George Jerome, Green Oaks ad- dition on southwest quarter of section 15.

Sept. 18, 1872 .- By Samuel C. Smith. Subdivision of lots 3 and 4 in block No. 20.

May 30, 1873 .- By Elizabeth Shumway, Auburndale subdivision of block 3, of Townsend's addition.

June 12, 1873 .- By C. C. Dodge and Dodge & Daniels. Subdivision of Claypool's addition.

July 3, 1873 .- By David M. Bagley, Iliram Byam, Michael Maloy, H. H. Gunn, and William L. Rice. Sub- division of lots 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, in block 248.

Aug. 1, 1873 .- By George E. Ranney. Subdivision of lot No. 1, in block 241.

Sept. 13, 1873 .- By Melanethon Carey. Addition on the northeast corner of the west half of the northeast quar- ter of section 17.

Oct. 27, 1873 .- By Appleton Ballard, W. H. Kynett, John II. Mevis, and Wm. Smith. Addition on the north- west quarter of the northwest quarter of seetion 10.

March 20, 1874 .- By A. E. Cowles. Subdivision of original block No. 19.

March 21, 1874 .- By John Harris. Addition on south- east quarter of section 21.

By G. W. Cartwright, Albert M. White, Henry M. Potter, and James A. Potter. Cornell's addition on see- tion 8.

Subdivision of lot No. 6 of Townsend's subdivision, by James M. Turner and Dwight Smith.

April 18, 1874 .- By Mosely, Howard, and others. Sub- division of block 11, original town.

Ang. 26, 1874 .- By Jones, Smith, and Chapman. Sub- division of lot 1 in block No. 240.

Aug. 3, 1875 .- By E. Beecher White. Subdivision of blocks 1 and 11 of Claypool's subdivision.

April 6, 1876 .- By Turner and Smith. Subdivision of part of the northeast quarter of section 9.

Same date .- By T. Gale Merrill. Subdivision of lots 3 and part of 4 in Claypool's addition.

June 17, 1876 .- By George Ganssley. Addition on northeast quarter of section 15.

Feb. 17, 1880 .- By James M. Turner. Subdivision of Townsend's subdivision.

April 29, 1880 .- By the same. Subdivision of block No. 56, original town.

These are all that are shown by the record to June, 1880.

The city is laid out upon a broad and liberal scale, and in a very uniform manner. The streets are all of generous width, and several of the principal avenues are more than a hundred feet broad. In most portions of the city great pains has been taken to ornament the streets with forest- trees for shade, the finest in this respect being Grand Street, which is beautifully shaded with thrifty trees, largely of the hard maple variety. Very few of the ancient growth of forest-trees that se recently covered the west division are left, about the only specimen being a magnificent white elm in the public square southwest of the Capitol, and this has recently been badly riven by a bolt of electricity.

Only one of the public squares has yet been beautified and ornamented, but the others will probably be reached in due time. Many of the private grounds are finely im- proved, and a commendable spirit in this direction is very generally being developed.

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 31

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Number of Pages: 772

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772