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

homes in the township, or at David Potter's saw mill near the
center of the township, but for many years have been held at
Aurelius Center.
"Late in 1837 and during 1838, there was a village started on
the banks of the Grand river in Aurelius, called Columbia, and in
1838-39 there were 13 families located in this village; a saw mill
was built and was run for some time. It had the appearance at
that time of becoming a city some day, only to be completely
abandoned within three years. Eighty acres of land had been
surveyed into village lots and a plat made, though it was never
recorded. It doesn't look now as though it had seen better days.
"I had thought to tell of those first settlers who organized the
township, and what became of them, especially those 15 first
voters: Reuben R. Bullen, G. B. Webb, Elijah and Geo. Wilcox,
the Hayward brothers, Erastus Ranney, John Barnes, Wm. Isham
lived their day and died in the township. A. D. Olmstead went
just across the line into Onondaga, Joseph Bullen to New York,
Zaccheus Barnes to Lansing, the others I cannot follow.
"There were many scenes, incidents and accidents I might recall, and will mention a few: pike pole barn raisings with hair
raising incidents and accidents; bull push log raising with many
happenings; how the Indians got honey from the top of a high tree
without cutting it down; the shooting matches just before Thanksgiving; the big days when we washed sheep; the political campaigns with big gatherings, pole raisings and torch light processions; chopping and logging bees; jockey baseball games; about
the man who dodged under a beech tree in a thunder storm with
the remark that lightning didn't dare strike a beech tree-lightning won; when two political nominees drank out of the same
campaign jug, and what happened; when 12 Aurelius boys were
drowning in Grand river at the same time, a story attached; about
when a man got into the top of a tree, 50 feet from the ground, and
couldn't get down-another story; about the big trees in Aurelius
in the old days, some 11 feet in diameter one foot above the
ground. Then there was tremendous excitement prevailed over
a large section of southern Michigan when the Capitol was located in Ingham county. How much I can recall of the doings of
that excited period, and without referring to any recorded history might be more lengthy than interesting."