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

INGIIAM COUNTY NOTES

185

mills were becoming plentiful, and, in a well timbered country,
the supply of lumber was unlimited. It was at this date that a
company organized to build a plank road from Michigan, as
Lansing was then called, to Mason, but this particular road failed
to materialize, and not until eight companies had been organized
and incorporated, and failed in their intent, was a road of this
kind built, and then it was east from Lansing instead of south.
Many old residents of the county still remember the Detroit,
Howell and Lansing plank road, and could tell wonderful stories
of the stage drivers and their experiences did they feel so inclined.
This road had seven toll gates, where travelers paid for the upkeep of the road, but it did not prove to be all that had been
hoped for it and in 1870, when the residents began to find the excellent road building material that lay right at hand, the plank system was abandoned and the road made into a graveled turnpike.
Then the officials found a new problem facing them, and it was
necessary to have an act of Legislature authorizing them to abandon the toll system, for the charters permitting them to take toll
continued in force until 1908 for the Detroit and Howell road,
and until 1910 for the Lansing and Howell road.
One pioneer who traveled over this road quite extensively tells
of some of the dangers that beset the path of travelers before the
road was abandoned and rebuilt. At first the road was closely
watched and all repairs made as soon as needed, but later the dirt
foundation would frequently be washed out leaving space beneath
the planks, and horses and wagons would often break through
making travel dangerous.
Instead of repairing the damage, boards and sticks would be
thrust into these holes, and to avoid these, one had to go slow and
wind from side to side of the track, so that all felt relieved when the
road was finally torn out.
Among the rubbish in the vault under the county clerk's office
at the Ingham county court house was found an old book containing church and burying ground records, beginning in the year
1842 and continuing until 1853.