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

LANSING TOWNSHIP AND CITY, WITI- HISTORY

459

wife and one child six months old, now the wife of Ex-Mayor J. E.
Warner, of this city.
"The journey was made from Cazenovia to Buffalo by canal, a
distance of about 175 miles, thence by lake on the old steamer
Michigan to Detroit. In those days steamboats had not reached
the magnificent proportions that they present today; the genius
of man had not then been taxed to provide the comforts and convenience for the traveling public that is displayed in this age of
our country's progression. The Michigan was a sort of Chinese
junk, nearly as broad as she was long, and judging from appearances would make just as good time stern foremost as she would
if called upon to part the waters of the great lake with her prow.
"On this occasion she was crowded to at least a third more than
her comfortable carrying capacity, there being not far from five
hundred passengers on board. We left Buffalo early in the
evening!we had been out but a short time when the wind that
had been blowing freshly all the afternoon increased to a gale,
and the lake soon became very rough. Such scenes as we experienced that night, I fancy, are seldom witnessed on the great
oceans. Nearly everyone was terribly seasick, and the old boat
seemed to be under water fully half the time. The captain headed
for Dunkirk, where we arrived about daylight. After that we
hugged the shore closely all the way to Cleveland. Then we set
out to cross the lake direct to Detroit, but were compelled to seek
shelter and safety among a group of islands where we lay to, as
sailors would say, for nearly two days. Finally, after an exciting
hazardous and seasick voyage of nearly five days we reached
Detroit, at that time only a small village, whose inhabitants were
composed principally of French, Indians and half-breeds. What
a wonderful change has been made in fifty-four years! From the
little begrimed and uninviting village has grown one of the most
magnificent cities on this continent, while the State at large has
kept pace with its proud metropolis.
"I brought the gearing of a wagon with me; went to a lumber
yard and got some rough boards, out of which I made a wagonbox, loaded up my worldly effects, bought a yoke of oxen, and
started out to find a home in the wild wilderness of Ingham county.
A slow, tedious journey of five days brought us to Dexter. Think
of the way the water came into the wagon box and the mud that