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

231

COAL VEIN DISCOVERED BY WEBBERVILLE
DITCHER.
Burned With Intense Heat in Cook Stove.
1919.
Last week while Archie Hawley, of Webberville, was digging a
drain near the village he run into a vein of coal; taking some of
the newly discovered article home and putting it into the cook
stove he found it burned with an intense heat and very little
smoke. It undoubtedly is a part of the vein which underlies the
whole section of that part of the country.
A short time ago Guy Haskins was digging a drain on the George
Millis farm near Webberville and found a large deposit of shale,
resembling that used for glazing tile and brick. Mr. Millis submitted a sample of it to a company in Jackson, who pronounced
it first class, and predicted that if it was there in quantity a brick
and tile factory would be built in Webberville in the near future.
An Indian dance as described in the Ingham County News for
August 5, 1875, and signed "Pioneer." Not even the location
was given.
"The representation of an Indian dance in Barnum's show in
Lansing on July 5, was quite a tame affair compared with one I
witnessed in this county (Ingham) in the fall of 1837. There were
about 200 of the redskins present. Our Indians, that is those encamped in our vicinity for the winter, numbering about 50, commenced preparations for a two day feast several days previous to
the appointed festive time by clearing a piece of ground, about 40
by 200 feet, of overy obstruction, cutting the few small trees that
grew on the otherwise smooth and level plat of ground close to
the surface of the earth.
"Then crotched sticks were driven into the ground lengthwise
of the cleared plat, leaving them about fifteen inches above the
earth, and on these poles were placed. White ash wood cut
about two feet long and split fine was then placed with one end
on the ground and the other leaning against the poles. The meats
for the feast had already been prepared. On the day preceding