USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Lansing > Past and present of the city of Lansing and Ingham county, Michigan > Part 9
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PAST AND PRESENT
INCORPORATION.
Lansing was never incorporated as a vil- lage but remained a part of the Township of Lansing, and. together with the rest of the township, elected the township officers until it was incorporated as a city, by an act of the legislature, February 15, 1859. It was at that time divided into three wards. In 1861 the wards were increased to four, in 1871 to five and in 1874 to six. No doubt, the number will soon be again increased, by subdivision, on account of the rapidly in- creasing number of inhabitants.
The following is a list of the names of men who have held the office of Mayor of the City of Lansing :
1859, Hiram H. Smith. 1860, John A. Kerr. 1861-62, Wm. H. Chapman. 1863-64-65, Ira H. Bartholomew. 1866, Wm. H. Haze. 1867, Geo. H. Peck. 1868-69, Cyrus Hewitt. 1870, Solomon W. Wright. 1871, John Robson. 1872-73. John S. Tooker. 1874-75. Daniel W. Buck. 1876, John S. Tooker. 1877, Orlando M. Barnes. 1878, Joseph E. Warner. 1879-80, Wm. VanBuren. 1881, John Robson. 1882-83, Olrando F. Barnes. 1884-85, William Donovan. 1886, Daniel W. Buck. 1887, Jacob F. Shultz. 1888, John Crotty. 1889. James M. Turner. 1890-91, Frank B. Johnson. 1892, A. O. Bement. 1893, A. O. Bement. 1894, Alroy A. Wilbur. 1895, James M. Turner.
1896, Russell C. Ostrander. 1897-98-99. Charles J. Davis. 1900-01-02-03, James F. Hammell. 1904, Hugh Lyons, term expires in 1906.
When the land was cleared all of the for- est trees were cut down and for years the streets were devoid of shade of any kind. The common council passed an ordinance requiring owners of lots to set shade trees in the streets on which their lots abutted, and provided that if they neglected to do so within a certain length of time, the city would cause it to be done and assess the ex- pense to the abutting real estate, and the result is that Lansing streets are as well and beautifully shaded as those of any city in the State, though it required a good deal of patience to wait for the trees to grow, which is rewarded by the pride of those who waited in the present conditions, which no others can so fully appreciate.
IMPROVEMENTS AND GROWTH.
The building of the Capitol settled it "for good and all," that Lansing was to be permanently the capital of Michigan. The question of removal had been more or less agitated up to the time the appropriation was made and work actually begun, notwith- standing it was located by constitutional pro- vision in 1850, and no one was inclined to invest much money in permanent improve- ments, public or private, for fear that threats of members of the legislature and others who wallowed through the mud to get here, might possibly have effect ; as well as the curses aimed at the town and the legislature that located the capital. But the building of the Capitol settled it and a new life began for Lansing. Prior to that, however, some improvements had been made, such as, pre- sumably, would be made if the town re- mained only a country village.
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Washington avenue was graded in three sections. From Main street to Washtenaw street in 1859; from Washtenaw street to Ottawa street in 1859, and from Ottawa street to Franklin street in 1861. This was the first public or municipal improvement of any account. Now, the city limits having been extended, the city is 21/2 miles wide, east and west, by 31/4 miles long, north and south. There are ninety-three miles of streets in the city and nearly all of them are graded, and three miles of them are paved with brick pavement.
SIDEWALKS.
Before Washington avenue was graded, the old sidewalks were, necessarily, taken up and after the grade was completed new plank walks were laid, six feet wide, the planks laid crosswise on three 4x4 stringers. Many years these plank walks were the only kind laid; but, as they became old and di- lapidated, they were the cause of many dam- age suits against the city and several large judgments were obtained for injuries re- ceived by persons from falls, and the com- mon council has prohibited the laying of plank walks, except by special permit, and now there are eighty-eight and a half miles of sidewalks in the city, about one-half of which are cement (artificial stone), and as every year many plank walks are being re- placed by this material, it will not be long before the plank walk will be only a mem- ory, so far as Lansing is concerned. There are a few brick walks.
PAVEMENTS.
The first pavement was on Washington avenue and was the cedar block pavement, laid in 1878, and afterwards on Michigan avenue and on Capitol avenue from Allegan street to Ottawa street. It was laid two
rods wide in the center of the street and outside of that, on either side, was cobble stone pavement to the curb. The block pave- ment made a good road so long as it was in good condition, but after a few years, like the plank road, it became worn and rough and little better than the corduroy, or log causeway, so common on country roads in early days.
The cedar block pavement is entirely out of date and will never again be laid, any- where, and as future generations may want to know what it was, we will say that it was made of sections, eight inches long, sawed from cedar trees that were from three to six or seven inches in diameter, the bark removed and the blocks set endwise, side by side, upon a foundation of sand, and the pavement was covered with sand until the interstices between the blocks were filled with it and travel had pressed it down hard, even with the surface of the pavement.
The first brick pavement was laid in 1893. on Capitol avenue between Ottawa and Shiawassee streets, and now Lansing has it on Washington avenue, Michigan avenue, Franklin avenue, Capitol avenue and Turner street, three miles in all, as heretofore stated.
Lansing also has a good sewage system with 37 miles of sewers.
BRIDGES.
The first bridge in Lansing was of logs, across Cedar river on Cedar street, built in 1842. It was carried away by a flood in 1852, and replaced by a frame bridge which was replaced in 1866 by a covered bridge.
The first bridge over Grand river was on Main street and built in 1847, by private subscription. It was carried away by flood and another was erected in the same place which was also destroyed by flood many years ago and there has been no bridge there since, and only by careful inspection can
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PAST AND PRESENT
any evidences be discovered that there was ever any bridge there.
The next bridge was built by James Sey-
was built there in 1848 which, he thinks, was about eight or nine years afterwards re- placed with another wooden bridge which
WOODEN BRIDGE, FRANKLIN AVE., SWEPT AWAY BY FLOOD ON APRIL 1, 1875.
mour in 1847 on Franklin street (now ave- nue). It was a wooden bridge and stood
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OLD BRIDGE, FRANKLIN AVE.
until 1867 when it was taken away and a covered wooden bridge was erected in its place. That was carried away by the flood in the spring of 1875. An iron bridge was built in its place, which was replaced in 1893 by the present wrought iron bridge.
The writer is unable to obtain much infor- mation regarding the early bridges over Grand river on Michigan avenue, more than he remembers, himself, that a wooden bridge
had several wooden arches over and across it.
In 1871 an iron, single arch, bowstring bridge was built on Michigan avenue. It was taken down in 1894 and placed across the river on Kalamazoo street and the pres- ent one on Michigan avenue was erected. It is the same width as the avenue, seven rods, and is said to be the widest bridge in the world; but that has been questioned. It cost $57,932, and is a very fine and substan- tial bridge. In 1873 the city entered into a contract with the Wrought Iron Bridge .
PRESENT BRIDGE, FRANKLIN AVE.
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
OLD BRIDGE, MICHIGAN AVE.
Company of Canton, Ohio, for the erection of five iron bridges, on the column and chan- nel arch bridge plan, for the sum of $30,610. They were completed in the spring of 1874. They were on Seymour street, Washington avenue, Shiawassee street, River street and Saginaw street. On the first day of April of the next year, 1875, all of these new iron bridges, except that on Washington avenue were swept away by the flood and with them went, as before stated, that on Franklin ave- nue. The first to go was the River street
OLD BRIDGE, MICHIGAN AVE.
bridge. The writer saw it as it gave way and swung into the stream and followed it to Michigan avenue bridge, which every one of the many watchers thought surely must go, but it did not, as has been stated in ac- counts of the flood, nor was the water so high that year as has also been stated. It did not overflow the streets so that "they were navigated in boats." If the water had been so high, Michigan avenue bridge would have surely gone; but, as it was, River street bridge went under it with a loud grating noise, springing it upward in the center, but not damaging it very much.
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PRESENT BRIDGE, MICHIGAN AVE.
Those who saw it almost held their breath during the time and were greatly relieved. when at last the two bridges parted company. All of the bridges went, in turn, and Lan- sing was left with only two. It was a sad day, never to be forgotten by those who were then living here. It was not so much the high water but the accumulation of ice and driftwood which did the damage. The same year the Canton Bridge Company re- placed the four iron bridges for the sum of $14.653.94, using some of the old material. One of those carried away was recovered in
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PAST AND PRESENT
so good condition that in 1893, it was placed across Grand river on Logan street.
Other floods have occurred since. but the greatest was in the spring of 1904, when the Logan street and Kalamazoo street bridges were swept away. The Logan street. luckily, was stranded in two parts, on the river banks and did no harm to the others, but it was so broken up it was of no further use and a new bridge has been erected in its place at a cost of $9,297. The Kalamazoo street bridge floated down against the Mich- igan avenue bridge, its old home, and lodged there. It was replaced on Kalamazoo street at an expense of $4,000, after raising the abutments to save it from disaster in future
OLD BRIDGE, WASHINGTON AVE. S.
floods. The water was much higher than in 1875. It flooded the low lots and streets and was from two to five feet deep on River street, from Kalamazoo street to Main street, and on Grand street, north of Shia- wassee street, the water was two feet deep on the floor of the office of the Lansing Wagon Works. The L. S. & M. S. R. R. tracks and floors of the station were under water, and the manufactories and lumber yards on the flats south of Michigan avenue, were flooded.
PRESENT BRIDGE, WASHINGTON AVE. S.
On February 17, 1902, the city awarded a contract to Stamsen & Blome of Chicago, for the construction of the present concrete steel bridge over Grand river on Washington avenue, at a cost of $31,500. It was com- pleted and accepted December 22, 1902, and seems to be very strong and desirable and it and the Michigan avenue bridge are worthy of the pride that the people feel in them. The' Franklin avenue bridge is also a good strong one and stood the flood very well in- deed, though it was considerably damaged by the ice and driftwood that ran against the girders and broke one of them. It was a great relief when it became evident that the bridge was surely going to stay.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
For the first eleven years of its existence Lansing had no fire protection whatever, and fires burned themselves out unless taken before they had obtained much headway and were extinguished by the "bucket brigade," which was formed by citizens in line passing pails of water from one to another until they reached the men who poured the water on the fire when the empty buckets were re- turned along the line to the well, cistern or
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
reservoir ; the men in line passing a pail of water up with one hand and an empty one down with the other.
Three brick reservoirs were built on Washington avenue, at a cost of about $1,- 000 each, holding about 1,000 barrels each. They are there yet.
In 1857 a fire company, a hose company and a hook and ladder company was organ- ized, and in 1858 a hand fire engine was purchased with hose, and while the members of the companies managed the hose and the chief talked very loud through his trumpet, and all used many "cuss words," the citizens and we big boys manned the brakes, fifteen to twenty on either side of the engine, and pumped for dear life, while others stood around and gave advice. A hose cart and hook and ladder wagon were also purchased.
In 1866 another hand engine was pur- chased. These were the pride of the people and did good service until 1871, when two steam fire engines were purchased, a "Sils- by" and a "Clapp and Jones," and there was rivalry between the friends of each and the companies as to which could do the best work.
The hand engines were sold, one to Les- lie and one to Alpena.
After the water works were established the Clapp & Jones was sold to Williamston and the Silsby was sold for old junk.
The first engine house was a frame build- ing at North Lansing. In 1866 the city purchased a lot on the south side of Allegan street between Washington avenue and Grand street for $1,200 and erected upon it a brick engine house at a cost of $7.000. In 1903, this building having become inade- quate for the requirements of the depart- ment, it together with the lot was sold for $3,000, and the old Universalist church on the southeast corner of Allegan and Grand streets, with the lot on which it stood, was
purchased by the city, with the intention of transforming it into an engine house ; but after the purchase, the common council became convinced that it could not be done and decided it best to sell the church prop- erty, after having caused Allegan street to be vacated, between Grand street and Grand river, and having obtained permission to build an engine house in the vacated street, and September 6. 1904, the contract was awarded for the erection of such a building for the sum of $10.950, not including plumb- ing and arrangements for heating and light- ing. This building was completed the fore part of February, 1905, and is a fine appear- ing and substantial engine house.
The common council becoming satisfied that it was better policy not to sell the church lot but to remove the old building and to use the lot in connection with the new en- gine house, the building was sold for $500, and has been taken down and removed.
The first fire alarm bell was placed in the tower of the engine house on Allegan street in 1877. Until then the cry of "Fire. fire, fire," was the first alarm, sounding weird, especially in the night time, and was im- mediately followed by the vigorous clang- ing of all the church bells in the city. Now the cry of fire is seldom heard and the alarm of the church bells never. But. on the breaking out of a fire, any one can go to the nearest fire alarm box, of which there are 35 in the city, break a glass in the front of the box. turn a key to the right, which will open the outside door, reach in and pull down a hook once and let go of it, and elec- tricity carries an alarm to the engine house with information of the locality of the alarm box, which is transmitted to the water works station where the steam whistle gives an unearthly screech and then it gives, first, as many screeches as indicate the number of the ward where the fire is, and then, as many
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PAST AND PRESENT
as will give the number of the box-thus four and three says box three in the fourth ward, or box .43. When the fire is extin- guished one screech notifies the people of that fact. The present brick engine house No. 2, fronting on Washington avenue, near Franklin avenue was erected in 1890. at a cost of $4,000, is in good condition and an- swers its purpose very well indeed. It, also, has a fire alarm bell.
The present fire-fighting apparatus con- sists of two hose wagons, nine horses, one chemical engine, one hook and ladder truck, with 242 feet of ladders, and about 5.500 feet of 21/2 inch hose.
WATER WORKS.
The city water works were finished at a cost of $123,750, and began operation in 1885. The total amount invested up to the present time is about $500,000. The first pump was a "Worthington," having a ca- pacity of 3,000,000 gallons per day. This was added to in 1894, by the installment of of a "Holly," with a capacity of 5,000,000 gallons per day, making a total capacity of 8,000,000 gallons per day. It is claimed that prior to this addition, the works pumped on an average, 3,000,000 gallons per day. while since it has been necessary to pump only 1,500,000 gallons per day. The boiler capacity is 280 horse power. The stand- pipe is 152 feet high with a diameter inside, of 18 feet and has a capacity of about 2,000 gallons per foot. There are about forty-five miles of water mains connected with the works with three hundred and fifteen hy- drants. The water is obtained from twenty- seven artesian wells, most of them extend- ing into the rock and the others down to the rock and so arranged that surface water is excluded, with the result that the water is exceptionally pure. It is furnished the citi- zens at reasonable rates, with or without a
meter, which is furnished if desired. It is claimed that it costs less, if measured by a meter, of which 1200 are in use. The pres- ent debt for the works is $100,000, at in- terest, but they more than pay all expense and interest, and are a paying financial in- vestment for the city, besides being a great convenience and luxury for the people; which would be fully appreciated, if it is not already, by all of the people, if they should be deprived of the benefits for, say, two or three days.
LIGHTS.
For sometime after the capitol was located here the only lights the people had were can- dles and whale oil lamps. There were tallow candles, soon improved upon by the sperm, which was followed by a better one called the "Star Candle," which seemed to be a sort of quite hard white wax. With them was the odorous whale oil lamp, followed and im- proved upon, about 1856, by the "Burning Fluid" lamp, which was a fluid, judging by its odor, the principal ingredient of which was turpentine; burned in a lamp with two wicks from the fluid contents up through tubes equipped with small cap extinguishers to prevent loss by evaporation. This was followed by the kerosene oil lamp.
June 19, 1872, "The Lansing Gas Light Co." was organized and began to furnish light for individuals and the city, lighting the streets, in January. 1873, and soon had, under contract with the city, about a hun- dred street lights placed and furnishing light to the theretofore dark streets ; the city having, previously, provided no street lights except a few oil lamps on Washington Ave- nue south of Allegan Street.
In 1884 a company was organized under the title of "The Lansing Electric Light and Power Company." This company had done
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
considerable in the line of wiring and fur- nishing light for streets, hotels and public halls, with the arc light, the incandescent light not having been invented at that time, and had installed 50 arc lights for lighting the streets, when the company made a prop- osition to the Lansing Gas Light Company to sell to it, which proposition was accepted at a stockholders' meeting held May 22, 1885. The Gas Light Company continued the wiring and furnishing light until Decem- ber I, 1892, when it sold the plant, not in-
1903 were about $18,000 more than the ex- penses during that year ; but much of it had to be paid for improvements. The bonded debt is $60,000 and $20,000 is owing to the water works fund.
CITY HALL.
Prior to 1896, the common council, city offices and jail had occupied rented rooms. In 1893 the city commenced to carry into effect the project that had been talked for a long time, of securing a location and build-
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CITY HALL.
cluding real estate, to the city for $45,000. Since that date the city has owned and oper- ated the plant furnishing light for itself and citizens and made a good profit over and above all expenses, interest on debt, etc. The power is furnished by its own power plant in a building adjoining and connected with the water works plant. At the time of the purchase there were 134 using the light ; now there are 1,200, not including 168 arc lights for street lighting. The receipts for
ing a city hall that should furnish quarters for the council, offices and jail and, in the fall of that year purchased lots 4 and 5 of block 101, for the sum of $15,000 and in June of 1894, purchased lot 3, block 101 for $6.000, making $21,000 for the site. Prior to the burning of the old capitol building. heretofore mentioned, the city could have purchased all of the block on which it stood (block 115), except the two north lots for $15,000, but declined to do so. In 1895 and
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PAST AND PRESENT
1896, the present city hall was erected upon the above site. It was planned and built much larger than was or is required by the necessities of the city; for it not only contains a court room for the circuit court, judges' office and jury room, required to be supplied by the city by the act of the Legislature providing for the holding in Lan- sing each year two of the four terms of the
CARNEGIE LIBRARY.
Andrew Carnegie was born in 1837 in Dumfermline, Fifeshire, Scotland. He came to the United States in 1848, held the posi- tions of weaver's assistant, telegraph mes- senger boy, telegraph operator in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and advanced by successive promotions to that of
CARNEGIE, PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY.
circuit court, but it provided offices for all of the county officers, in the hope that the county seat might, in the near future, be re- moved to Lansing, which hope has been dis- pelled by the erection of the new court house at Mason.
The contract for building the city hall was awarded to C. M. Chittenden for the sum of $108,069. II, but its actual cost was $134 .- 838.13.
superintendent of the Pittsburg division of that railroad system and became interested in several enterprises and in Pennsylvania oil lands. During the Civil War he rendered valuable services to the government as super- intendent of military railroads and govern- ment lines. After the war he entered active- ly into the development of iron works of various kinds and in 1868 he introduced into this country the Bessemer process of making
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INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
steel. As a result of his enterprises he be- came a multi-millionaire and a philanthropist. In 1901, when he retired from business, it was estimated that his benefactions exceeded $40,000,000, and, declaring that he did not wish to die a rich man, he has been giving large sums, principally in the endowment of libraries ; and a large number of these in the United States, Canada and England owe their existence to him.
The Lansing Public School Library was authorized by amendment of the city charter in 1861. Until 1883 the annual tax for its support did not exceed $100. In 1882 the Young Men's Lecture Association donated its money, about $1.500, to the public library and in the same year the Ladies' Library Association of the city donated their books, 2,000 volumes, to the school library, which swelled the number to about 3,000 and the number has increased rapidly until it now has 14,000 volumes. It was housed in the high school building until 1897, when it was removed to rooms on the first floor of the city hall, but the rapid growth of its patron- age soon made larger quarters imperative and it was removed to rooms on the same floor in the southwest corner, where it still remains, but will be removed to the new library building very soon, the time for removal having been set for the fore part of 'February, 1905.
In 1901, the library contained about 6,000 volumes and it became evident that it would be but a few years before a school library building would be a necessity and it was thought advisable that an application should be made to Mr. Carnegie to donate a sum sufficient to erect such a building and, No- vember 21, 1901, Mrs. Mary C. Spencer, State Librarian, wrote to him, setting forth the condition of the school library, the popu- lation of the city and its rapid growth, the liberal patronage the State library, its circu-
lating library, and the school library was re- ceiving and the necessity of greater library privileges, and respectfully requested him to consider it all and decide if, in his great liberality, he could not include Lansing as one of his very numerous beneficiaries. Her candid and ladylike appeal received Mr. Carnegie's immediate attention, on his re- turn from abroad, and in January, 1902, she received his reply. saying he would give the sum of $35,000 for a library building in Lansing, on condition that the city- would promise to appropriate and spend ten per cent of that sum, $3,500, each year for its maintenance. Mrs. Spencer did not stop there, but continued to work to have the proposition accepted, for, strange as it may seem, there was strenuous opposition to it : but on February 22, 1902, it was submitted to a vote of the tax-payers of the city and carried by a vote of nearly four to one.
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