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

REPORTS OF PIONEER HISTORICAL MEETINGS

45

friends of the measure who then resided outside the county.
Hon. Charles P. Bush, then Senator from Livingston county,
and Hon. Geo. W. Peck, the Speaker of the House. Both were
earnest and enthusiastic friends of the measure, and soon took
up their home in Lansing.
To enable you to appreciate the progress this county has made,
there was in this county, according to the census of 1870, 25,268
inhabitants, of which 5,244 were in Lansing. That gave the
county 35.5 persons to each square mile outside of Lansing, while
Jackson county, outside the city of Jackson, had but 34 people to
each square mile.
In other words, the country outside of the two cities, Jackson in
the one county and Lansing in the other, is more populous in the
woods of Ingham than in the open lands of Jackson. I find an
argulent here in favor of timbered lands.
At the time the county was organized in 1838 settlers were in
every township in the county. Let us stop for a moment to
contemplate those hardy adventurous pioneers.
Pioneers are to be associated with discoverers and inventors.
High in our esteem stands the great discoverers like Columbus
and the great inventors like Guttenburg, Newton, Franklin and
Morse. And fortunate are those who are able to connect their
names honorably with the discovery of countries, the origin of
States, the invention of useful arts or implements, the discovery
of new modes in science, or new laws in nature.
The founders of States are justly held in grateful remembrance.
These Ingham county pioneers were founders of new communities, communities which are now prosperous municipalities.
The first of every nation occupies a very conspicuous, and in
some respects a very fortunate place in history. The mind delights to trace things to their beginnings, and to dwell on the
causes and actors that are connected with beginnings.
The people of Italy have looked upon Aeneas as the introducer
of civilization into their country. Heroic poetry has celebrated
his deeds and his virtues in matchless verse, and the inhabitants
have regarded him as "pios Aeneas." Romulus is regarded as
the founder of Rome. Go where you will in the seven-hilled city
and you find monuments commemorating his name and adding
to his fame.