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, WITH HISTORY

473

REVOLUTIONARY WAR MAP IS TREASURE OF STATE
MUSEUM, COLLECTION OF QUEER LAMPS.
Among the innumerable articles of historical interest and value
in the Museum of the State Pioneer Society in the Capitol building
is a war map drawn during the Revolutionary war.
The map, drawn on thick paper with black, red and green ink,
shows the strategical moves made in a battle at Gloucester, Mass.,
between the Americans and French against the British.
The map was evidently drawn during the progress of the battle
for it shows the path taken by American and French soldiers in an
assault against a red coat redoubt, which was captured after a
fierce struggle, according to data on the map.
The drawing, which is faded so as to make it indistinct, shows
the Americans and French drawn up in a semicircle before the
British troops, who were huddled up in a bend of a river.
The lettering on the map is very curious, being the old style
stilted letters originally used.
Another exhibit in one of the cases is a queer shaped jug used in
olden days by traders to carry whisky to the Indians. Firewater
is painted in red letters on the outside of the jug, although this
label looks like a latter day addition.
A collection of lanterns and lamps is another interesting unit of
the Museum. The lanterns date back to the old Paul Revere lantern, and up through the lighting apparatus of the succeeding
century and a half including the old bear's grease lamps, and the
gorgeous affairs of gilt and glass, popular the latter half of the last
century.
Among the collection of books is a history over 100 years old
showing a map of the Great Lakes. Lake Michigan is considered
narrower than on present maps, while Lake Superior arches far
up into Canada, much farther than in reality.
The collection of old pewter in the Museum is considered to be
very good in view of the fact that old pewter is rare, most of the
"real thing" being melted up by the pioneers for bullets in time of
need. The Pioneer Society has a large case filled with this rare
and interesting ware.-State Journal, 1920.