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 INGHAM COUNTY

county was Dr. Minos McRobert, and the next was Dr. J. W.
Phelps. The first Methodist preacher in the county was Rev.
Mr. Jackson. The first lawyer in the county was J. W. Burchard,
the first sheriff Richard Lowe, and the second A. Winchell.
"The Capital was removed from Detroit to Lansing in 1847.
The bill for removal was presented by Mr. Throop of Wayne.
The name of the place was left blank in the bill, and votes were
taken to fill it with Lansing, Marshall, Jackson, Eaton Rapids,
Red Bridge, Ionia, Lyons and Flint. The vote was taken in
favor of Lansing, March 13, 1847, in the House. It had passed
the Senate on the 9th, and was approved and signed by the Governor on the 16th. Alpheus Felch was Governor, and Wm. L.
Greenly Acting Governor.
"Felch had been elected by Congress on February 2, so that
Gov. Greenly signed the bill. The vote stood in favor of locating
in Lansing: House, 48 to 17; Senate, 12 to 9.
"The first communication sent to the Legislature was by Jas.
Seymour offering land on which to locate the Capitol, and this
was presented to the legislative body by Mr. Parsons. Afterward John Mullett, Townsend & Bro., Justice Gilkey, H. B.
Lathrop, George W. Peck, Mr. Mead and Hiram K. Andrews
made similar propositions.
"The committee appointed to locate were James A. Glenn,
Daniel Smart and Alonzo Ferris. They came to Lansing about
the 20th of April and examined the several locations offered.
On or about the 22nd of May they decided to locate the Capitol
at the center of section 16 in the township of Lansing. The
announcement was made the same afternoon. George Matthews,
Smith Tooker, George Pease, Whitney Smith and myself were the
first to arrive at the stake. The brush and some small trees were
cut down with jack knives in order to clear a place to play ball,
and we played until six o'clock that night.
"Smith Tooker built the first shanty in the city of Lansing. It
was sixty feet long, and crowded with people who slept on the
ground inside, and were very glad to get so good a shelter. I
boarded with him and built Smith & Case's store at North Lansing. This was the first frame raised in the city after the Capitol
was located. The Seymour House was raised the next day.
"The first store in the city was kept by D. C. Leach, then a