History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 40

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 40
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 40

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twenty by one hundred and ten feet, with four stories and basement, and with a large court between the wings. About the time of completion Baker sold the property to a Lansing company, which held it for some four years, when it was sold on a mortgage and bid in by the mortgagee, Hiram Sibley, of Rochester, N. Y. The mortgage and interest amounted to about $41,000. Subsequently, N. G. Isbell purchased the property for $37,000. Mr. Isbell died in 1879, and it now belongs to his heirs.

Martin Hudson leased the hotel upon its completion in May, 1867, furnished it at a heavy expense, and kept it for ten years. After he withdrew Mr. Isbell kept it for a few months, and in 1878 the present proprietor, Mr. T. J. Lyon, succeeded him. The house is large, roomy, and con- venient, and the only first-class hotel building in Lansing.

Seymour House .- This once famous "hostehic," now known as the Franklin House, was erected in 1847, by James and Horatio Seymour, at a probable expense of not less than $10,000. Its dimensions were about one hundred and twenty-eight by forty feet, and it was two stories in height. It has since been raised and had a brick basement. story put under it. James Seymour at that period owned large saw-mills at Flushing, Livingston Co., and hauled over a considerable portion of the lumber for the construc- tion of his hotel.

In the carly days and until the advent of railways it was the prominent house of the city, and being situated on the great traveled road leading from Detroit to Grand Rapids was well patronized by all classes. It was also a favorite stopping-place of the Legislature. The building of several railways through Lansing, and the growth of the central portions of the city, greatly changed the tide of travel and business, and the house is now mostly confined to local patronage.

It was first opened about Jan. 1, 1848, by Jesse F. Tur- ner, who kept it for about one year, and was followed by one MeGlovey, and the latter by John Powell, all previous to 1853. About the last-named date the Seymours sold the property to N. J. Allport, who continued until January, 1855, when he sold to Horace Angell, a native of Massa- chusetts, who subsequently removed to Wayne Co., N. Y., later to Wayne Co., Mich., and from there to Ingham County, in 1850. Mr. Angell owned the property until 1865, and kept it as a hotel either by himself or a tenant. In the last-mentioned year he sold it to Israel Richardson, who owned and kept it as a hotel until 1867, possibly with a partner a portion of the time. In 1867 he sold to a Mr. Damon, who raised the building and put in the basement story. He owned it for only a short time, during which it was not opened to the public. Damon sold to a non-resi - dent, and he to Mr. J. W. Hinchey, the present owner and landlord, about 1870.

Hudson House .- The original of the present Hudson House, and still constituting a portion of it, was the old Columbus House, built by Columbus C. Darling, a former resident of Eaton Rapids. He kept the hotel for a time and was succeeded by others, among whom were his son, John Darling, a Mr. Dearing, C. T. Allen, and James N. Shearer. In 1863, Martin Hudson suceceded Shearer as landlord, and in 1866 purchased the property. From 1867

% Cyrus B. Packard was killed on the railroad-track which runs through his farm in Windsor, on the 2d of September, 1875.

t Jipron was the mechanic and builder.

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CITY OF LANSING.

to 1877, during Mr. Hudson's stay in the new Lansing House, the place was closed as a hotel. In 1877 the house was largely rebuilt and greatly improved, at an expense of over $8000, by Mr. Hudson, who has been its landlord and proprietor since. A new and commodious dining-room, fifty-eight by thirty-six feet, is being added the present sea- son, at an expense of 82300, together with other important enlargements and improvements.

Edgar House .- The first house by this name was a frame two-story building, erected by the father of the present proprietor about 1865-66. It was kept under the name of Edgar House for a number of years by Nelson Edgar, a son of the builder and owner.

The present fine brick three-story hotel on the ground occupied by the old one was erected about 1878 by Mr. D. P. Edgar, who opened and kept it for one or two years. The furniture was all made by Mr. Edgar, who is an ex- cellent worker in wood, from white ash and black walnut, and is of the best description. In May, 1880, Mrs. S. A. Hleiser, late of Kokomo, Ind., leased the house, and is keep- ing one of the best and cleanest hotels in the city.

Barnes House .- This hotel is located in the Butler Block, corner of Washington Avenue and Kalamazoo Street. The block was erected by Charles W. Butler, in 1872, at an expense of about $22.000. It was built with the intention of using it for a first-class boarding-house, and no expense was spared to make it complete in all re- speets. About 1874, Mr. Butler sold a half-interest to Mr. John J. Bush, and about 1877, Mr. Bush purchased the remainder of the property. The latter gentleman sub- sequently converted it into a hotel by fitting up the centre store on the ground floor for an office, and making other necessary alterations. The name " Barnes House" was given it by Mr. Bush, who opened it as a hotel Jan. 1, 1879. On the 1st of September, 1880, Mr. Bush leased the premises to Mr. A. Selleck, from Pentwater, Mich., au experienced landlord, who will keep it as one of the lead- ing liotels of Lansing. The house contains about fifty rooms for guests, besides two stores on the ground floor. The building is of brick, and very substantially constructed throughout. Previous to building Mr. Butler had pur- chascd the old State offices which stood on the ground now occupied by the new Capitol, and from the materials of the demolished building the Butler Block was largely con- structed.

The above mentioned comprise the prominent hotels that have existed in Lansing, though by no means all of them.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.

The Fourth of July, 1876, was duly celebrated in Lan- sing. A national salute was fired at sunrise, and at ten o'clock A.M. a grand procession was formed, headed by the Governor's Gnards (Company II, First Michigan State Troops), with band, the Lansing fire department, the Ger- man Workingmen's Society, etc., and including a large number of citizens. The procession marched to the ground selected for the occasion, where Judge Tenney delivered a carefully prepared oration, and the other usual exercises were gone through with. There was a grand dinner, and in the afternoon a series of races came off at the fair-

grounds. The proceeds of the dinner were transferred to the soldiers' monument fund.

There were appropriate celebrations also at the State Agricultural Farm and the Reform School for Boys.

PRESENT BUSINESS OF LANSING.

The mercantile, manufacturing, and general business of the city is large and, at the present time, in a prosperous condition. Its manufacturing establishments, which are written up somewhat at length in another place, are very · respectable in numbers, variety, and amount of capital and labor employed, and there is no reason why they should not continue to increase even in greater ratio than the natural increase of population.

The mercantile and commercial interests are also exten- sive, growing out of several sufficient causes, chief among which are its central location, its railway facilities, and the fine agricultural region surrounding it. There are no exact data from which to compile an accurate statement of the number of business firms or the amount of business trans- actions. The directory of 1878 is the latest publication, and the lapse of even so short a period as two years makes a material change in the business of any live Western city, but it is the only published source of information now available, and the following recapitulation of business firms, making a reasonable allowance for the subsequent increase, will give an approximate idea of the general business of the city. A very considerable wholesale business is carried on by a number of firms in the various branches of trade, and in addition Lansing is an important grain and wool market, the transactions in grain reaching probably 500,000 bushels, and in wool, in late years, 300,000 pounds, per annum. The region immediately tributary to the city is one of the best wheat- and corn-growing sections of the State, and the area of productive acres is constantly in- creasing with the clearing away of the dense forests and the drainage of low-lying lands. The mineral resources of the region are also important and valuable, though yet com- paratively undeveloped, but time will eventually bring all the elements of prosperity into activity. In this connection it is also proper to consider that the location of the State capital alone would make Lansing an important city, but independent of this factor her natural and acquired advan- tages are among the best in the State.

The following statistics are compiled mainly from a di- reetory published in 1878, for the use of which we are under obligations to W. S. George & Co. We class the various trades and occupations alphabetically for facility of reference. In most cases firms, and not single individuals, are indicated :

Agricultural implements, 5; architects, 2; auctioneers, 2; artificial stone, 2; hoots and shoes, 10; business colleges, 1; blacksmiths, 12; banks and bankers, 4; barbers, 10; books and stationery, 5 ; bakeries, 4; billiards, 7; cigar-makers, 3; carpet dealers, 3; clothing, 6; coopers, 5; carriage and wagon manufacturers, 5 ; contractors and builders, 5; druggists, 10; dentists, 6; dress- makers, 12; dry-goods, 10; furniture and undertaking, 5; flour- and custom-mills, 5 ; foundries and machine-shops, 3; flour an I feed, 4; groceries and crockery, 4; grocers, 31; gloves and mit- tens, 2; gunsmiths, 3; grain-dealers, exclusive of millers, 2 ; general storcs, 7; hardware, 8; hotels, 10; harness, collars, etc., 5; insurance, 10; lime, plaster, and cement, 3; livery, 6 ; laun-

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

dries, 2; lumber, 5; mitliners, 7 : wholesale milliners, 4; marble works, 3; meat markets, 10; merchant tailors, 6; newspapers, 3; physicians (all grades), about 25; photographers, 5; sash, doors, and blinds, 6; restaurants, 10: sewing-machines, about 6; real estate, 6; saloons, 15; watches, clocks, and jewolry, 7. Tolal, 360.

There are also two express companies, the American and United States, and one telegraph company, the Western Union, doing husi- ness in the eity.

The public buildings of the city are the new State Cap- itol, the Reform School for Boys, the Asylum for the Blind, the beautiful high-school building and six ward schools, fifteen churches, a fine opera-house, the new post-office, among the best in the country, the armory, a number of good hotels, and a very large proportion of elegant and costly stores and offices. The city also shows a number of tasty and expensive private residences, the most conspicuous of which is that of Hon. O. M. Barnes, on Main Street. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway passenger station is also a conspicuous building.

The city of Lansing is claimed to be very healthful, and, with the exception of imperfeet drainage and the back-water of the dam at North Lansing, there is no natural cause for malaria or epidemie diseases. It was stated in the Repub- lican, of date June 15, 1875, that the death-rate of Lan- sing per 1000 was 9.26, being the lowest of forty cities re- ported, which ranged from those figures to 38.96; tbe highest rate for that year being in Charleston, S. C.

The city is getting to be a great centre for conventions, parades, and meetings of various descriptions, and the ten- deney is towards a rapid increase in the future. Seven lines of railway converge at this point, with one or two additional roads in prospect, and this fact, together with the location of the State capital, must always make it a prominent centre for publie and civic demonstrations.

The crowds in attendance upon the annual fairs of the Central Michigan Agricultural Society, and the pienies of the Patrons of Husbandry, indicate the gatherings that are likely in the future to assemble in the capital city. It is already a famous point for railway excursions, and during the summer and fall months, as often as every alternate day, excursion parties may be seen taking in the lions of the place, among which the beautiful Capitol building is the most conspicuous. Band tournaments and military displays are among the enjoyable occasions, and the citizens of Lan- sing are reasonably certain of seeing around them a lively and growing city. During the biennial meetings of the Legislature the city is crowded with the leading men of the State, and hotel accommodations are at a premium.

GRANT OF LAND FOR CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS IN LANSING.

The following act in the interests of churches and schools in Lansing was approved April 3, 1848 :

"SEC. 1. Be il enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That there he and is hereby granted nnto all the religious denominations of professing Christians in the town of Michigan," and each school district regularly organized in said town, suitable grounds in the town of Michigan, owned by the State, whenever the said denominations inny severally erect proper and com- modious houses for public worship ; or whenever school-huuses may bo

ereeted as provided herein : Provided, Application for said grounds shall be winde as hereinafter directed, within one year from the pas- sage of this net.

"SEC. 2. Tbat whenever any application for such grounds for the purposes aforesnid shall be made in writing to the Auditor-General, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer, by the proper officers of uny such religious denominations of professing Christians, or of said school districts, it shall be the duty of said Auditor-General, Secre- tary of State, and State Treasurer, a majority of whom shall be au- thorized to act in the premises, to receive said application, and ns soun thereafter as may be to seleet one lot in the town of Michigan, owned by the State, and notify suid officers of sneh selcetion, and, if the same be accepted, to make and exeente a deed thereof, in hehalf of the State of Michigan, to the officers of any sneh denomination, or school district, capable of receiving deeds and conveyances of land for the purposes contemplated in this act.

"SEC. 3. The Secretary of State is hereby directed, whenever any lot or lots shall be selected as above prescribed, to notify in writing the Commissioner of the Land-Office of sneh selection, par- ticularly deserihing the lot or lots selected, and, upon receiving said notice, the Commissioner of the Land-Office shall withhold said lot or lots from sale until he shall receive notice from the Secretary of State, whose duty it shall be to give the same, that such lot or lots have not been aeeepted.

"SEC. 4. The Governor, Secretary of State, and Anditor-General may, in their discretion, select one or more blocks of the said town plat, anywhere on the sebool section, for a burial-ground, and, upon filing a proper description of the block or blocks selected in the office of the Secretary of State, said block or bloeks so selected shall be appropriated for that purpose.

"To take effect upon its passage.

" Approved Aprit 3, 1848."

Advantage of this act was taken by a number of the religious denominations, as shown by the following state- ments furnished by the deputy secretary of the State Land- Office. It would appear from the dates annexed that the time provided in the bill must have been subsequently extended :

Lot No. 1, Bik. 83 .- Sold to First New Church Society, Dec. 21, 1850, for $5; paid in full; number of certificate, 340 ; not patented.

Lot No. 1, Blk. 95 .- Suld to First Baptist Chureb, Aug. 4, 1856; Joint Resolution, No. 13, 1855 ; number of certificate, 922; patented Ang. 4, 1856.

Lot No. 1, Blk. 96 .- Sold to St. Paul's Parish, Dec. 21, 1850, for $5 ; full paid ; number of certificate, 341; not patented.

Lot No. fi, Blk. 96 .- Methodist Episcopal Church, Act No. 231; Laws of 1848; no certificate issued ; deedcd to eburch.

Lot No.7, Blk. 96 .- Central Presbyterian Church ; sold for $5, Dec. 23, 1850 ; full paid ; number of certificate, 342; not patented.

Lot No. 1, Bik. 113 .- Universalist Church ; no certificate issued.

Lot No. 1, Blk. 127 .- First Presbyterian Church, for $5, Dec. 24, 1850; full paid; number of certificate, 343; patent surrendered and canceled under Joint Resolution No. 22, of 1853.

Lot No. 10, Blk. 128 .- Trustees of Plymouth Church ; sold for $5, Sept. 27, 1867 ; full paid ; number of certificate, 1132; not patented. Lot No. 2, Blk. 245 .- First Wesleyan Methodist Church ; sold for $5, May 4, 1855 ; full paid; number of certificate, A 884; patented May 4, 1855.

Lt Ns 1 and 2, Blk. 82 .- First Presbyterian Church, Feb. 12, 1853; Joint Resolution No. 22 of 1853 ; no certificate issucd.

SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF LANSING.+

The township of Lansing was organized in February, 1842, and three years later but sixteen votes were polled at the fall election. A road was cut out along the east side of the river for the convenience of the south part of the township, where the North and Cooley families had settled.

In March, 1847, the Legislature located the capital in

* Now the city of Lansing.

+ Prepared by C. B. Stebbins.

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CITY OF LANSING.

the township of Lansing. Commissioners were at once appointed to select the site, limited only to the bounds of the township. They found the school section (16) an un- broken forest, with not a tree cut, except the road above mentioned. The family of Joab Page and his sons-in-law, living in a rude log house, was the only one within the present limits of the city, which comprised nearly one- fourth of the then township, in which there were then about twenty families in all.

The commissioners about the middle of April located the site near the centre of the school section, through which Grand River flowed towards the north. Schools had been kept about two miles south and about the same distance north of the site, but to this time there had been no school nearer. The commissioners platted the school section into " city lots," which they appraised, and on the 1st of July sold a large number at auction. The whole were eventually sold, and realized to the primary school fund about $100,000. The sale of the lots brought a rush of speculators, some bringing their families for a permanent residence. Some were sheltered in tents, some in log shanties, and some in more pretentious shanties of boards. One of the number describes the scene as not unlike a primitive backwoods camp-meeting. By midsummer several families were set- tled in such dwellings as they could extemporize, and build- ings were going up as fast as the owners could clear off their lots and obtain materials. The commissioners cleared off some of the streets, and the State-house absorbed most of the seasoned lumber. By Jan. 1, 1848, the State-house was completed, and the place began to look quite village- like, but scattered amid stumps and fallen trees for a dis- tance of more than two miles.

THE FIRST SCHOOL.

But the new-comers did not wait till that time before they began to think of schools. May 1, 1847, Miss Eliza Pow- ell, now Mrs. John N. Bush, commenced a school at the lower town in a board shanty, whose only window was an opening in the wall, having a door hung with leather straps at the top to close the room when not in use. She commenced with ten pupils, which number in three months increased to thirty. We can find no one who remembers whether she was employed by individuals or by district officers ; probably the latter, as a school-house was built the same autumn where the First Ward school-house Dow stands. We are unable to learn anything definite as to the organization of the district, and the district records cannot be found. The winter school in 1847-48 was kept in the new house by Elihu Elwood.

In 1851 the house was moved away and a two-story brick house erected in its place. It had four school-rooms, and cost probably $5000. Among the early teachers were George and Mary Lathrop and Jane E. Howe, now Mrs. H. D. Bartholomew. In 1850, 172 children were reported. Among the active early friends of the school were James Turner (deceased), D. L. Case, J. R. Price, and Smith Tooker. There was no abatement of educational interest in the district until the consolidation of all the districts in the city in 1861. This district was previously known as No. 2.

THIE SECOND MOVEMENT.

About the 1st of August, 1847, Mrs. Laura E. Burr, then recently married, came with her husband, Dr. H. S. Burr, from the State of New York. Mrs. Burr, still (1880) a resident of Lansing, was a lady of superior culture, and could not wait for a house before opening a school. She procured some rough seats, and on the 1st of September called the children together under the trees on the bank of the river on River Street. She commenced with nine pupils. Her school continued in the grove till cold weather, when their dwelling was so far completed that she could move the school into it, and by Christmas she had eighty pupils. Through the winter she was assisted by Miss Delia L. Ward, now Mrs. Mortimer Cowles. Mrs. Burr had pupils in drawing, Latin, and French. She tells how she one day walked to the lower town by the road on the east side of the river with her husband, and wishing to return on the west side he carried her across in his arms below the dam, and picking their way up through the roads, around swamps, and across ravines, they became lost, and found their way out only with considerable difficulty.

THE SECOND DISTRICT.

Io March, 1848, a district was organized, embracing all of section 16 west of the river. This was known as No. 4. May 20th, lot 6, block 117, was agreed upon as a site for a school building. This was the corner lot of the present site of the Second Ward house. It was voted at the same time to build a brick house, which was not built, but a frame building was erected the next year, and in 1850 the school was taught by Ephraim Longyear, assisted by Clarinda Grager and Sarah Burt. In September, 1850, the number of children of school-age in the district was 174; in 1851, 180; in 1852, 175; in 1853, 200; in 1854, 209; in 1855, 223. This shows that for several years the growth of Lansing was very slow. There was at first what, under the circumstances, might be considered quite a rush ; but there was very little business ; fever and ague held undis- puted sway, and a fatal epidemic-a sort of brain fever- carried off a good many ; among others, the husband and a brother of Mrs. Burr. Some of the people saw their mistake and moved away ; and the bad reports created a strong impression throughout the State that the capital would soon be removed, so that everything conspired to keep the people away from the town in the wilderness. In 1850 the population of Ingham County numbered only 8606.

The last school taught in the house above mentioned was in 1855, by Rollin C. Dart, assisted by Miss Mary Rice. The house was moved to the corner of Capitol Avenue and Kalamazoo Street, and sold to the United Brethren for a church. On the disbandment of that church it was con- verted into a dwelling-house-practically rebuilt. Two more lots were added to the site, and the present Second Ward house-the maio part-was erected and furnished at a cost of about $9000.

In 1859 the district reorganized, under the new law for graded schools, witli six trustees. The trustees elected were S. R. Greene, C. W. Butler, Franklin La Rue, Theo. Hunter, George W. Swift, and L. K. Hewitt. The first

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

two are still residents of Lansing, and all are living ex- cept Mr. Hewitt.

In the autumn of 1860 a portion of the roof was blown off by a storm, and repaired at an expense of nearly $1000. The last teachers previous to 1861 were F. G. Russel,- now of Detroit,-principal, with Misses Harriet A. Far- rand,-now an editor of the Chicago Advance,-Eliza A. Foote, and Emily Nash, now Mrs. E. H. Porter; the latter two still residents of Lansing.

Among the active friends of the school in this district in the earlier years, and still residents of Lansing, were Henry Gibbs, S. R. Greene, William H. Chapman, Charles W. Butler, Whitney Jones, S. W. Wright, R. C. Dart, Ephraim Longyear, II. B. Shank, Ezra Jones, A. R. Burr, and S. S. Coryell. Several of these have at different times been members of the board of education under the city charter.

DISTRICT No. 3.

March 31, 1851, District No. 3 was organized. It embraced all of section 16 south of Michigan Avenue and east of the river, with some three seetions of adjacent ter- ritory. Ileury Foote was the first director. A school was taught three months of that year in a house built for a dwelling, rented of William McGivren, on Cedar Street. a little north of Cedar River. In September $300 was voted to build a brick school-house, and a site agreed upon in the very corner of the district, near Michigan Avenue. But that was too absurd, and the next month the site was changed to block 219,-across the street from the rented house,-a plan adopted for the house, and the director was instructed to use " the utmost diligence" in letting the con- tract. But the next month the vote for the $300 tax was rescinded, and it was voted that " the inhabitants meet en masse next Saturday to repair the school-house," the McGivren house.

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 40

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