Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY

The seat of justice for the county is at Mason, settled in 1838, and
became an incorporated village in 1865.
County commissioners adjudicated the affairs in this part of
Michigan between the years of 1818 and 1827, and from that time
until 1838 the commissioners and supervisors alternated in control.
Ingham county began to take charge of her own affairs in 1838,
and while the county seat was located in the "City of Ingham," in
Vevay township, a few miles east of Mason, no county buildings
were ever erected there. Egypt and Asia are not the only countries where are found records of forgotten cities, for a city was
once platted around the quarter posts between sections 1 and 12
in Vevay township.
This was planned to be the county seat and was named the
"City of Ingham." It is said that two or three lots were sold,
but no house or other building graced the spot until some years
later, and comparatively few of the present generation know of this
city which existed only on paper.
This place was chosen by a committee of three appointed by the
Territorial Governor, and their reason for deciding on this particular spot was because it was the geographical center of the
county.
The different townships had elected supervisors and the time
was at hand for a meeting of the board, but as there was no building at the laid out county seat, and anyway the city could not be
reached for want of roads and dry land, the meeting was held in
the nearest residence as provided by law, and this happened to
be that of Hiram Parker, a well known pioneer of the county.
It is easily seen that the wheels of justic revolved slowly in
Ingham county at first. For, while the county was set apart and
named in 1829, it was not formally organized by Legislature until
one year after Michigan became a State, and nine years after
it received its name.
Another forgotten city is that of Jefferson, which was situated
three and one-half miles north of Mason, and is said at one time
to have consisted of thirteen houses, a saw mill and school house.
"Jefferson City" aspired for county seat honors, and for a time a
bitter fight was waged concerning the matter, the promoter in
favor of Jefferson being George Howe, of Manchester, Washtenaw
county, while Charles Noble, of Monroe, worked for Mason, and