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

28

PIONEER HISTORY OF INGIAMI COUNTY

Cooley entered his land at the U. S. Land Office in Ionia, May 8th,
1837, and gave his residence as Ingham county, Michigan. Coe G.
Jones entered his land October 3, 1837, and gave his residence as
Monroe county, New York. No one will deny that Mr. Cooley
settled here before he entered his land, which must certainly
have been as early as the 10th of April, 1837.
"The statement of H. H. North that F. R. Luther visited the
family of Coe Jones in the winter of 1837 is a mistake, as the
letter of Catherine Jones, widow of Coe Jones, will prove. This
visit must have been at least twelve months later, for the Jones
family did not come into the county until about eight months
after the visit was said to have been made. The accompanying
letter of Mrs. Jones must convince every candid person that I
was correct in my statement. 'Coe G. Jones had a piece of land
on section 4 in Lansing township in October, 1837. I married
him in York Center, Genesee county, New York, on the 11th day
of September, 1838. Mr. Cooley's family came in the spring
before we did; we moved into Lansing, October 16, 1838. We did
not know that any family lived in the township until the spring
of 1839, when our cattle strayed off, and in looking for them Mr.
Jones found the Cooley's.
" 'I remember that F. R. Luther came to our house in the spring
of 1839. My daughter Harriet was the first girl born in the
township, and Nathan L. Cooley was the first boy born there.
She was born on March 24, 1840, and he on January 6, 1840.
Catherine Jones.' "
Mr. Cowles saya: "People ask, where is Jefferson? I answer
that Jefferson is not, but was once a village of thirteen houses,
three and one-half miles north of Mason, and was a strong competitor for the county seat. George Howe, deceased, of Manchester, WVashtenaw county, and a Mr. Noble, of Monroe, were
the contending parties, and the latter succeeded."
J. P. COWLES.
The late A. E. Cowles, who compiled a history of Ingham
county, says in his reminiscences this regarding Jefferson City:
"The 'City of Jefferson' was located on section 29, in Alaiedon,
at the junction of Mud Creek and the old road that ran north to
Delhi, and later to Lansing.