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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PIIONIEER H1-ISTORIY OF INGIIAM COI. NTY

ding. Eighty-five friends and relatives were present, and it was a
memorable occasion. Nearly three years later, on Jan. 31, 1905,
Mrs. Swan died. Two thrifty wild cherry trees, which stood in
the door yard and were trimmed and kept for shade trees when
the home was first bought, had been cut and sawed into lumber a
few years before, and from the lumber three coffins had been made,
for Mr. Swan, his wife, and their daughter, Mrs. Ina Davidson.
On Feb. 3 Mrs. Swan was buried in her coffin, and the other two
are stored away in the old home. Since then Mr. Swan has lived
with his daughter, Mrs. Davidson. She is very carefully preserving several phonograph records of violin selections by him,
and also has one of an old-fashioned song which he sings, "To
Make Me a Beautiful Boy." He knows a number of these quaint
old ballads of Revolutionary vintage, each telling a complete tale
in their many verses, set to tunes that have come down from
Shakespeare's time. And, in fact, although he takes a lively interest in things of the present, Mr. Swan longs for the good old
days that are past, for the music, the dancing, the wholesome privations and simple pleasures of pioneer days, when the settlers
would go as far to church as they would to a dance. Four miles
through the woods to hear a preacher was a short walk for them,
and all the country for miles around went afoot to Teal's mill
pond to see a baptism. They went to Sunday school at Hawley
Corners, three miles away, and while the elders and young people
were engaged with the lesson, the children were outside playing
marbles with wild gooseberries. Neighbors were more neighborly
then. On one night in the week every family in the community
would yoke up the oxen and drive to Swan's to spend the evening.
Next night another family would entertain. Wealth and poverty
made no social distinctions, and we are the losers, he contends,
for having exchanged the simplicity of pioneer life for the conveniences and luxuries of today. RoY W. ADAMS.