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

in the night the ghosts would come our of the water and turn the
road up side-wise or sink it entirely. That was the reason it was
called Ghost Lake.
Fifty-seven years have passed and upon inquiry I think the
ghosts must still be on their job, as in 1919 the people are having
the same trouble with that road, which to be more modern is now
called the Mud Lake road.
As we came farther east it was nothing but swamp and woods,
with one or two log houses. Soon we came to what was then
known as Delhi Center, where were not more than six buildings,
besides the tavern, later known as the hotel, and still later as the
old hotel. Here one could get what he wanted to drink and all he
wanted. The large dance hall always called great crowds from
far and near.
Delhi had a bunch of about a dozen fighters, and they would
challenge the fighters from Aurelius, Dansville, Williamston and
other towns, and when there was a dance the fighters from some
other town would come to Delhi to clean up the bunch here.
When they first got here they would not be in fighting mood, but
as soon as they thought they were properly filled on drink they
would go at it, but they generally got too full to be very great as
fighters.
If Delhi got the most black eyes then the men from there would
visit the home of their victors, and that made an endless chain of
fights.
' My home was about one hundred rods south of here (the M. E.
church in Holt) and I remember one morning after one of these
dances of passing five men lying dead drunk beside the road as I
went to school, and the scholars from the north said there were
more than that up their way. As they also sold liquor at the
"Five Corners" (now known as North Holt) there was no reason
for a man to go thirsty. People say that the world is growing
worse, but I cannot conceive anything worse than some of those
"good old times" we occasionally hear tell about.
When the ladies went to the dances they carried their party
gowns in a band-box, and those from a distance generally arrived
about five or six o'clock. These boxes were not disturbed until
just before the midnight supper, when the ladies would retire to