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 INGHAI COUNTY

by a spring-pole attached to one end of the house, the other to a
pestle eight inches through, with a pin put through for a handle.
After the corn was pounded they boiled it. The Indians troubled
them sometimes very much.
"In 1839 Mr. Cooley went to Jackson and worked at his trade
(that of tailor) and left his wife alone with the children. She did
not see a white woman for fourteen months. They were very
much bothered by wild beasts. One time Mr. Cooley was bringing some meat home, and the wolves gave him a close chase, but
he reached home with it. At another time he was in a thicket
picking blackberries, when a large bear came after him, but he
escaped with the loss of his hat.
"Sometimes he had to go ten miles for fire. The friendly
Indians and squaws helped them very much, but a few of them
were troublesome, and would demand salt and other things.
When denied they became very angry, but Mr. Cooley was resolute and stood up for his rights.
"On January 6, 1840, Mrs. Cooley gave birth to a son, the first
white child born in Lansing township. They named him Nathan
L. Cooley. The physician on that occasion was no other than
the friendly squaw, and she was the only woman present.
"They had to thresh their wheat on the ground. Mr. Cooley
took a grist one day to Eaton Rapids in a log canoe, and was gone
three days. The children could hardly wait to have their first
wheaten cake baked, and gave some of it to their playmates, the
little Indians.
"In the fall of 1839 or '40 they heard that a family had moved
into the woods, and that family heard at the same time that there
was a family living on the bank of the river. This family proved
to be that of Joseph E. North, Jr., and they soon came down to
see the Cooley's. They found the Cooley's by following the section lines. The next Fourth of July was celebrated at the home of
J. E. North, Jr. There were three families to celebrate together,
as J. E. North, Sr., had recently moved into the woods. J. E.
North named the town of Lansing.
"Mr. Cooley now bought a team, a cow, a pig and some sheep,
but a bear came in broad daylight and caught his pig, and the
wolves killed all his sheep. Mr. Cooley built a log house, and it
took all the men in five towns to raise it, and they were two days