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

296

PIONEER HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY

neighborhood, had come from Orleans county, N. Y., and from
what I heard I knew they received a very hearty welcome. Soon
their log house located just south of Ira Eckhart's was ready for
them to move into. In 1849 came Josiah Fowler, Linus' father,
and he settled just south of where Dan Slaughter now lives.
"About this time came Alexander Henry and settled on the
place now owned by John Stimer. Naturally much news from
this little settlement drifted back east and another young man
was fired with the desire to come West, so in 1844 from Ontario
county, N. Y., came Jas. Jennings with his wife Malvina, and
settled in a log house just east of where his grandson, Jas. Jennings, now lives. Each year the red roses blooming by the roadside mark the site of what was then their little home. After living
there a number of years they went back East, but in 1851 they returned bringing with them their three year old son Isaac. Next to
come from the old home community was Lins Brown, who settled
on what was afterward the Mix farm.
"Were not these early settlers often overcome by the hardships
that they were obliged to endure in this new country, and did
they not often long for their old homes? Yes, they had a hard
struggle, but as the tree growing amid the rocks on the mountain
side and exposed to the fierce blasts develops strength and toughness of fiber, they in like manner became strong. I think they
were often lonely. I remember feeling very much that way myself at times, especially one cold winter night when the wind was
whistling through the trees and these lines from Lowell began to
run through my mind, 'Within thy walls thou sittest alone, alone,
alone, ah, woe, alone.' 'The world is happy, the world is wide,
Kind hearts are beating on every side.' I began to look about me.
From every side I could see the lights shining forth from those
little homes. Only candles or the flickering light from the fireplace, but they seemed just as bright as the lights of today. Perhaps that is because I am getting old, but how cheery and comfortable they looked. Yes, there was a great deal of happiness in
this little community.
"Demetrius Olmstead and Elijah Wilcox raised the first wheat
in this little settlement, and started bright and early one morning
with their ox teams to market their crop. The trail being very
muddy it took several days to go and come. They received fifty