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

INGEIAM COUNTY NOTES

181

forest we pass a white school house, through the woods we go down
a hill, and at our right Toll Gate No. 3, kept by Mr. Doyle. A
long white house shows through the foliage and for a background
a fringe of maples and willows denote a stream of water. This is
the Mullett's home and farm. The red bridge beyond is Red
Bridge and Jack throws off a mail bag for the Red Bridge post
office.
John Mullett, Sr., was a civil engineer and was intrusted with
the work of surveying most all of the township and east of it,
establishing the meridian line of this lower peninsula of Michigan. His son, John, Jr., was county surveyor of Ingham county
for several years, and surveyed and laid out the village of L'Anse,
the county seat of Baraga county, Upper Peninsula. Four miles
east of Red Bridge we go and the driver is urging his team, for it
is nearing the noon hour and the passengers are to dine in
Williamston.
A mile from Williamston we pass a log school house on the hill
and the scholars are swarming out of the low doorway and shouting greetings to Jack, the driver. On the hill beyond, on the
north side of the road, is a fine young orchard and a substantial
farm house, the home of Squire Leighton. We rumble across a
long bridge and pass the Old Western Hotel, or Shuart House,
and pull up at Lombard Hotel for dinner and to change horses.
My recollection of this hotel is of a long wooden structure with a
two-storied veranda running its entire length. At the bar we
find Loringer, who has dispensed liquid refreshment at this place
for years.
My earliest recollections of Williamston dates back to the
spring of 1866, when I visited there with my father. I can remember Waldrow's store, Bill Steel's shingle mill and the old
brown school house on Putnam street where Captain John Elder
taught the young idea how to shoot. This old school house was
the meeting house and only church Williamston had, and a Universalist minister named Olds, a brother-in-law to M. Quad,
twice a month drove from Lansing to deal out spiritual comfort to
his small congregation.
With fresh horses we travel eastward a mile and pull up at
Phelpstown post office to throw off a mail bag and pass Toll Gate
No. 4. North of the hotel on a side hill is the saw mill that