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 TNGTTAM COUNTY

I suppose a story of pioneer life would hardly be orthodox
without some reference to bears, wolves or wildcats. I never saw
but one, a bear, and it was dead. It had invaded one of our fields
and was hugging a pig when my oldest brother took a shot at it
that put an end to its depredations.
At one time my aunt. Mrs. Chapman, was going through the
woods with her two little girls when just ahead of them they saw
a bear. She said to them, "Don't be frightened, but let us make
all the noise we can," so they began to clap their hands and yell.
Mr. Bruin looked at them awhile, then turned and loped off. Her
husband was a little skeptical, thought it might have been a dog,
and asked how long its tail was. She said, "It didn't have any
tail at all." The next day Mr. Tryon looked the ground over
and said there were bear tracks there.
One summer there was something very unusual done in the
neighborhood. Three barns were built, all in sight of the school
house, and it was arranged to have them all raised the same day.
We were allowed to watch the work to some extent, and when one
frame was up we could see the men hustle to the next until all
were completed. A few years later a barn on the farm where the
school house stood, and only a few rods away, was built, and the
teacher was kind enough to watch and when a bent was about
ready to go up we were allowed the liberty of the windows.
We in this country have always heard much about the Pilgrim
Fathers, but a few years ago a writer, who had a streak of humor
in his make-up, asked what about the Pilgrim Mothers? Where
were they while the Pilgrim Fathers were doing such great things?
What I have written so far has concerned the doings of the pioneer fathers mostly. Now let us look at some things the pioneer
mother had to prepare in whole or in part. I wonder if any
woman here thinks when she buys a spool of thread that the pioneer
mother could not do just that? When my mother wanted thread
to make up the family underwear she bought No. 20 cotton yarn
and doubled it three times for sewing; if for basting she used single
thread. After doubling it had to be twisted, and here is where the
oldest girl of the family came in. She could trot back and forth
at the wheel before she was big enough to do heavy work.
If, in the future, anyone should happen to read this, I hope it
will not be thought that this was the only kind of thread in use at