USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 8
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PAST AND PRESENT
the capitol and procure a conveyance of the same. The selection was on section 16, and the whole of the section was reserved from sale.
It became necessary to give a name to the place and many were proposed, and, finally, the "Town of Michigan" was decided upon, and it bore that name until by Act. No. 237 of the Laws of 1848, approved April 3, 1848, it was changed to "Lansing." By au- thority of law, Abel Silver, Commissioner of the State Land Office, had a plat made and recorded of the "Town of Michigan" and had it lithographed. A few of them have been preserved and are owned by in- dividuals. The lots in the plat were ap- praised and offered for sale at the appraised value. Many were sold at once, but many away from the capitol, were not taken for years.
The following from the pen of that lov- able and universally loved man, Alpheus Felch, published in the State Republican of September 26, 1873, should be preserved in all histories of the State or of this city. It shows how the school section was reserved from sale and saved to the school fund :
"In the Legislature of 1847 the question of removing the State capitol from Detroit. was agitated early in the session. Several towns on the Central Railroad were talked of for its future location. When it was first suggested that a location should be selected father north, and in a portion of the State then little more than a wilderness, the proposition struck most persons as almost ridiculous. But, as the question continued to be agitated. this proposition continually gained strength. Some imprudent remarks of one or more of the Representatives from Wayne county added to the zeal of those who desired to remove the seat of govern- ment from Detroit, and ended in effecting it.
"At length Lansing was spoken of as a
central and proper place for the new loca- tion. Nobody knew anything of Lansing. Everybody asked, 'What and where is Lan- sing?' The answer told little more than that it boasted of one or two dwelling- houses in the midst of a forest region, and one saw-mill, propelled by the waters of Grand river. The proprietor of the little hamlet, it was said, was there urging the claims of his obscure, moline location to the dignity of the State capital.
"After the project had obtained so much strength as to render its success quite prob- able, it was told me that certain persons who were urging the project had their eyes upon the school section of land which ad- joined the proposed location, and which still remained unsold.
"As yet nothing had been publicly said of the school section in connection with the project. It now seemed that if the proposed location of Lansing should be made, the school section would become very valuable, and the purchaser of it would secure a for- tune. Without this to increase its value it was not deemed worth the purchase, even at the low price demanded ($4 per acre), and on the long credit given upon the sale of the school lands.
"At length I became satisfied that there were persons watching the progress of things in the Legislature, and who now re- garded the prospect of success as so favor- able that they concluded to make a purchase of the land. It was manifest that in all human probability this portion of the do- main given for public schools would even- tually become very valuable, and I resolved, if possible, to secure the benefit of its in- creased value to our great educational fund.
"The State Land Office was then kept at Marshall, Judge Silver being Land Com- missioner. The school lands were open for sale at his office, but the Governor had the
STATE CAPITOL
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
right, in his discretion, to withdraw any specified portion of the lands from sale. I thought it my duty to exercise the right in this instance. Accordingly, I caused an or- der to that effect to be forwarded to the Commissioner by mail. The mail train left Detroit in the morning, and the regular time of its arrival at Marshall was about the middle of the afternoon. As I afterwards learned, the parties above referred to sent an agent the same morning to make a purchase of the land. The agent and the mail contain- ing the order withdrawing the land from sale went by the same train. But it so hap- pened that the train was delayed by an ac- cident at Marengo, and did not arrive at Marshall until some time in the evening. The Land Office was of course closed, but Judge Silver's mail was taken to his resi- dence that evening, and among other letters was the one inclosing the order.
"In the morning the purchasing agent was waiting at the office door when the Commissioner arrived for his daily duties. The agent entered with him and made im- mediate application for the purchase of the land. To his great surprise he was informed that it was not subject to sale. And his dis- appointment was not diminished when he learned that the same train upon which he came for the purpose of making the purchase brought the order withdrawing the land from market.
"If no accident to the train had happened the agent would have completed his purchase within the regular office hours, and before the mail could have been distributed and the order received by the Commissioner.
"This little accident saved to our noble common school fund the great benefit which it has since derived from the section of land now graced with the capitol of our Penin- sular State."
Mr. Felch was Governor at that time, but
resigned before the bill locating the capital was passed and was made United States Senator; and Lieutenant Governor Greenly became Governor, and, as such, approved the bill.
Also the following by Hon. Alfred Mil- ler of Saginaw, published in the Saginaw Courier, and included with the above in Durant's History, will be interesting read- ing for future generations :
"The writer was a member of the Legis- lature for Saginaw county for the year 1847, and, from the beginning, was a strong ad- vocate for the location of the capital at Lan- sing,-first, because he wished some meas- ure adopted by which the people on the line and south of the Central Railroad could 'come to the knowledge of the fact, that the country in Michigan north of the tier of counties through which the road passed was other than the hyperborean region, unfit for cultivation, that they at that time believed it to be; and, secondly, it was believed that if the capital was located at Lansing a di- rect communication would be opened to Sag- inaw, and a large amount of trade brought to this vicinity from the rich farming coun- try which would speedily be developed by adopting that measure.
"After the subject had been discussed in private circles, the location of Lansing had many advocates. All the northern members, both east and west of the meridian line, were in favor it it; and when the matter came up for discussion in the committee of the whole, the names of all the places were re- cited which had been proposed by members of the committee to fill the blanks till the name of Lansing was inserted, when, a majority voting for it, the bill for the loca- tion of the capital was reported to the House by the chairman of the committee, recom- mending Lansing as the point; and the House confirmed the action of the commit-
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tee. The bill was passed and sent to the Senate.
"When the bill came up for final action in the House, the whole of the Wayne county delegation voted for it, supposing that if the measure was carried in the House the Sen- ate would reject it, and thereby defeat the location at that session, and that the capital would then remain permanently at Detroit.
"No point on the Central Railroad could get a majority, for the reason that when a location was proposed all the advocates for rival locations at other points on the line of that road would vote against it. But no one was jealous of Lansing, for, at that time, it had but two or three log houses and one saw-mill.
"The advocates of the removal from De- troit believed they had the majority of the Legislature on their side, and that they would effect their object; while those op- posed to its removal believed that no point could be selected that would command the vote of a majority in each House. But after the bill had passed the House, and was in the hands of the Senate to confirm or reject, the excitement became very great. There was a heavy requisition on livery-stables, and there were many explorers of the wilder- ness in the vicinity of the saw-mill at Lan- sing. There were parties looking after the interests of the State, as well as private speculations. The former ascertained that the most eligible location was on the school section, which was the property of the State.
"Many applications were made by indi- viduals for the purchase of that school sec- tion, but it was withheld from sale, and the capitol finally located on it, which proved of great pecuniary advantage to the State."
CAPITOLS AND STATE OFFICE BUILDINGS IN LANSING.
The first capitol in Lansing was a two-
story frame, erected in 1847, on block 115, sixty by one hundred feet, with a small tinned dome that the writer thought mag- nificent, as it glistened in the sun's rays. His father used to tell of, with other men, clear- ing off the trees and brush and playing a game of ball on the spot right away after its selection.
In 1865 sixteen feet were built on to the south end. The total cost, including the ad- dition was $22,952.01.
This building served for Senate Chamber, House of Representatives and Executive Office, until the completion of the new and present capitol, and for State offices, until 1853, when a two-story brick building was erected on the ground where the capitol now stands, for State offices, when all of the offices were removed to it; the Legislature, the Governor's office and State Library re- maining in the old capitol building. And after it was provided that two terms of the Supreme Court should be held in Lansing, the room previously occupied by the Auditor General's Office, on the first floor of the old capitol building, was fitted up for a Supreme Court room. The office building erected in
1853 was taken down in 1871 to make place for the new capitol which the Legislature had decided to erect. But before this was done a building for temporary offices was provided for and it was erected on the north- east corner of the old capitol square in 1871, at a cost of $30,693.94, and is still standing -a three-story brick building. When that building was completed it was occupied by all of the State offices in rooms prepared for them, on the first and second floors, and by the State Library and Supreme Court on the third floor, where they all remained until removal to the new capitol.
The Legislature and Governor remained in the old capitol until they went "out of the old house into the new." After the removal
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
the old capitol remained vacant for a long time and was offered, with a large part of the grounds, to the city for $15,000, to be used for city hall and city offices, but the Common Council would not consider it. Probably if it had been submitted to a vote of the people the offer would have been ac- cepted. It was a great mistake that it was not. The building was rented for a manu- factory and was burned on the 16th day of December, 1882. The burning was wit-
stores and the west side with residences, ex- cept in the middle of it where stands the Masonic Temple.
After the removal from the State office building, on the northeast corner of the block, the lower floor was remodeled and fitted for occupancy for stores and were oc- cupied as stores for many years. Now in the building are the State Armory, the Labor Bureau, the Food and Dairy Com- mission and the offices of the State Geolo-
THE OLD STATE CAPITOL.
nessed by nearly all of the citizens and was a magnificent sight but a sad one for the old residents, some of whom shed tears. Repre- sentative hall had been used in early times for all sorts of entertainments : lectures, con- certs, political meetings, war meetings, do- nation parties, soldiers' aid and societies and dances, and the Senate chamber for smaller gatherings and by some of the churches for their Sunday services.
As everyone knows, the east side of the block (115) is now built up solid with brick
gist ; the new capitol, already, proving too small to house all of the State departments, several of which have been created by the Legislature since its erection.
The Board of State Building Commis- sioners provided for by an act of the Legis- lature to procure designs, estimates and bids, and to superintend the erection of the tem- porary State office and the capitol. adver- tised for designs for the capitol and, after careful examination of the many received, selected those of E. E. Myers, and a con-
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tract was entered into with him to be the architect and to superintend the work of construction. July 15, 1872, a contract was made with Nehemiah Osborn & Co. for the construction for the sum of $1, 144,057.20. The Legislature, in March, 1872, had ap- propriated $1,200,000 for the building to which sum the cost was limited.
The cornerstone was laid October 2, 1873.
the year 1873, Lansing City Directory, the pen used in signing the first Constitution of the State of Michigan in 1835, lithographic view of the new capitol. gold, silver and copper coins, specimens of U. S. fractional currency and a U. S. postal card.
The building was completed and was dedi- cated January 1, 1879.
From Durant's History, the following is
OLD STATE OFFICE BLOCK-ERECTED ON SITE OF PRESENT CAPITOL IN 1853 AND TORN DOWN IN 1871.
by the Grand Lodge of the Masonic fratern- ity with the usual impressive ceremony of that fraternity. Forty-eight articles were de- posited in the stone, most of which would not interest the reader but among them were the Holy Bible, package containing deposits in the corner-stone of the Territorial capitol erected in Detroit in 1823, a silver plate upon which was inscribed the names of Mayor, and Aldermen of the City of Lansing for
taken, bodily, it being a minute and correct description of the building and the style and manner of its construction, and of its dedi- cation :
MATERIALS.
The concrete upon which all the walls are laid is composed of limestone* from Bellevue, Eaton county, Michigan, broken with a "Blake Crusher" to egg size, and mixed in
*Carboniferous limestone of Michigan.
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
proper proportion with Louisville cement, coarse sand, and water. The footing-stones are of Lemont, Ill., limestone. The super- structure is of Amherst, Ohio, sandstone; the first base-course, outside steps, and land- ings, and steps to boiler-rooms, of Joliet, Ill., limestone *; the corner-stone of Massachu- setts granitet ; and the floors of vaults and flagging on the grounds, of Euclid, Ohio, freestone. The bricks for interior walls, floor- arches, etc., of which fifteen millions were used in the building, were manufactured in Lansing. The corridors of first, second, and third stories are tiled with Vermont marble. All the beams, girders. interior columns, roof- trusses, and stairways are of iron ; the cov- ering of dome, soffits under landings of grand stairways, and ceilings of Legislative hall are of galvanized iron ; the roof is cov- ered with very superior tin, manufactured expressly for it in Wales. The windows of the three principal stories and basement are glazed with the best quality of English plate- glass ; the panels in the ceilings of the House and Senate chambers are of the same quality of glass, embossed : the skylights over the Legislative halls are of American hammered glass, three-fourths of an inch thick.}
Ground was broken for the building in the summer of 1872; the corner-stone was laid with imposing Masonic ceremonies by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mich- igan, October 2, 1872, and the work steadily progressed to completion, on the 26th of Sep- tember, 1878, when the building was ac- cepted by the commissioners and a final set- tlement made with the contractors.
In 1875, in addition to the appropriation made in 1872, the Legislature appropriated for steam-heating and ventilation, $70,000; for changes in the construction of the roof. the steps to porticos, and interior finish, $30,-
000; for constructing the main cornice and balustrade of stone, instead of galvanized iron, as at first intended. $65,000.
In 1877 further appropriations were made as follows :
For electrician work and other improve- ments, $25,000 ; for improvement of ground and furnishing the legislative halls, library, etc., $40,000; and for completing the fur- nishing of the building the additional sum of $75,000 ; making the total appropriations to May 21, 1877, $1.505,000.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.
The new Capitol is located in the center of block No. 249, or Capitol Square, the main front facing the east and Michigan avenue. The block has a frontage on Capitol avenue of 660 feet from north to south, and a depth of 7421/2 feet from east to west, giving a superficial area of 490,050 square feet, or exactly eleven and a quarter acres.
DIMENSIONS.
The building, exclusive of porticos, is 345 feet 2 inches in length, and 191 feet 5 inches in depth, at center. Including porticos and steps, the length is 420 feet 2 inches, and the greatest depth 273 feet II inches. The extreme height is 267 feet.
The ground plan is cruciform, and the structure is surmounted by a lofty and finely proportioned dome.
HEIGHT OF STORIES.
Basement, 11 feet ; first, second, and third stories, each, 20 feet : fourth story, 16 feet. The east corridor of first floor is 29 feet wide, the west 19 feet, and the north and south ones, each. 18 feet. The clear diam- eter of the rotunda is 441/2 feet, and the height from floor to diaphragm 150 feet.
The State Library is 100 feet long, 45 feet wide in the center, and three stories in
* Sometimes called Illinois or Athens marble.
t.From Cape Ann on Massachusetts Bay.
tFrom Mr. Bours' pamphlet.
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PAST AND PRESENT
height, containing five galleries or tiers of cases. Height from main floor to ceiling, 59 feet, with shelf capacity for over 63,000 volumes, which can be easily increased to 100,000 by supplying cases upon the upper floor. The present number of volumes in the library is something over 40,000.
The legislative halls are each 70 feet in width from east to west ; the Representative hall being 75 feet and the Senate chamber 57 feet from north to south. The ceiling' of each is 411/2 feet in height.
The building contains, besides corridors, passages, closets, and wash and cloak-rooms, 139 rooms, as follows: Basement 38; first and second stories, each, 33; third story, 28; and fourth story, 7, besides 2 boiler- rooms and the necessary room for storage of fuel, situated under the north and south porticos, entirely outside of the building.
There are two grand stairways, situated on either side of the rotunda, and extending from the basement to the fourth story. There are also half-flights leading from the landings of these to the second, third, and fourth floors. There are also two stairways leading from the basement to the third floor, in the rear of the legislative halls, a stairway from the fourth floor to the highest gallery in the dome, and from that point to the lantern. There are also two circular stair- ways from the lower to the upper floor of the library, with landings at each gallery, and two private stairways connecting offices on the first floor with rooms in the basement.
The distance from Capitol avenue to foot of steps at east portico is 225 feet 31/2 inches ; from west steps to Walnut street, 243 feet 31/2 inches; and from the north and south steps to street, 119 feet 10 inches.
The Capitol, with the porticos, covers one and one-sixth acres. The girth of the build- ing is 1520 feet.
The building is lighted by gas supplied by
the Lansing Gaslight Company. There are 271 chandeliers and pendants, besides a large number of standards and brackets, with a total of 1702 burners within the building, besides 36 burners in the lamps to light the porticos and entrances to the grounds. 371 of the burners are lighted by electricity, dis- tributed as follows: In ceiling of Represen- tative hall, 150; in ceiling of Senate cham- ber, 100; in State library, 75; and in the dome and lantern, 46.
The style of architecture is classed as Pal- ladian,* and the building, while without the elaborate ornamentation of the more florid styles, is very symmetrical and of beautiful proportions, which are shown to great ad- vantage by the pleasing color of the material employed in the superstructure. While lacking possibly the grandeur of the pure Grecian, with its massive columns and en- tablatures, the effect, on the whole. is ex- ceedingly pleasing to the eye, conveying the idea of grace, beauty, and solidity, and af- fording a gratifying contrast to many of the other State capitols of the Union.
The main pediment in the center of the eastern front is ornamented with a beautiful allegorical representation of the rise and progress of the State, carved in bas-relief from the sandstone material of the struc- ture.t The grounds have been finely laid out and improved, and the approaches to the Capitol in all directions give it a grand and imposing appearance.
DEDICATION.
The dedication of the new Capitol took place with imposing ceremonies on the Ist of January, 1879, in the Hall of Representa-
*Named from Andrea Palladio, a famous Italian archi- tect, born in 1518, who introduced a new composite order of architecture into use, and erected many notable build- ing in Vicenza and other cities.
*Our space will not permit of a more particular descrip- tion of this fine building. For an elaborate description the reader is referred to the pamphlets by Allen L. Bours, Esq.
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
tives, in the presence of all the surviving Governors of the State, with one exception (Governor McClelland), and a large assemb- lage of the wisdom, beauty, and fashion of Michigan.
The exercises commenced at 9:30 a. m. with music by the Knight Templar Band of Lansing, followed by prayer by Rev. George D. Gillespie. The assemblage was called to order by His Excellency Governor Charles M. Croswell, after which the constitutional oath of office was administered to the Gov- ernor and Lieutenant-Governor elect, by Hon. James V. Campbell, chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Addresses were delivered by Ex-Govern- ors Alpheus Felch, William L. Greenly, Austin Blair, Henry P. Baldwin, and John J. Bagley. The report of the building com- missioners was then read by Hon. E. O. Grosvenor, vice-president of the board, fol- lowing which came the formal acceptance of the new Capitol on behalf of the State by Governor Croswell in a brief and compre- hensive speech, in which he thanked the building committee for the efficient and hon- orable manner in which they had performed their duties, and congratulated the State up- on the completion of the new edifice. The exercises were closed by the benediction, pronounced by Rev. Theodore P. Prudden.
OPENING ODE.
BY REV. GEORGE DUFFIELD.
[Sung at the opening of the House of Representatives at its first session in the new Capito!, Jan. 1, 1879.]
To Thee we wake our grateful songs,
O Thou to whom all praise belongs ;
O God, our fathers' God, to Thee, Like her who sang beside the sea, We sing this day; with heart and voice, We praise and triumph and rejoice.
Within these walls long to remain, We welcome now a shining train :
Here Justice comes, the first and best, And walks a queen before the rest ; Here Liberty, and Law, and Peace, From anarchy boast full release.
Beneath this dome let Truth preside, Let Wisdom teach, let Conscience guide, Let love of country all inspire
To keep unquenched the sacred fire; Till exiles far remote shall come,
Where freedom guards her lasting home.
High noon we meet! The opening year We welcome as an omen clear Of brighter, better days in store; When violence is heard no more, When the dear Flag, without a stain, O'er every State supreme shall reign.
BOARD OF STATE BUILDING COMMISSIONERS.
Presidents : Governor Henry P. Baldwin, from organization of board to December 31, 1872; Governor John J. Bagley, from Jan- uary 1, 1873, to December 31, 1876; Gov- ernor Charles M. Croswell, from January I, 1877, to completion of work.
Commissioners : Hon. E. O. Grosvenor, vice-president, Jonesville; Hon. James Shearer, Bay City ; Hon. Alexander Chapo -. ton, Detroit ; Allen L. Bours, Secretary.
E. E. Myers, Architect and Superintend- ent; O. Marble, Assistant to Superintend- ent ; Adam Oliver Superintendent of Grounds.
BOARD FOR FURNISHING THE NEW CAPITOL.
Hon. Charles M. Croswell. Chairman, Governor ; Hon. E. G. D. Holden, Secretary of State; Hon. William B. McCreery, State Treasurer ; Hon. Benjamin F. Partridge, Commissioner of State Land Office; Simon Strahan, Designer and Superintendent of Furniture ; Allen L. Bours, Secretary.
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