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

LANSINA TOW\NS11 II AND C(ITY, VXITI lHISTORY

511

OLD BOOSTER BOOK OF LANSING TELLS WHEN FUEL
WAS CHEAP.
Advantages of Early City are Set Forth in Full in Effort to Stimulate Manufacturing and Jobbing Business IHere in Large Way.
In 1873 the advantages of Lansing other than those known as
natural advantages were much different than those of today.
A book published by the Lansing Improvement Association in
that year under the title of "Iansing, the Capital of Michigan,
Its Advantages, Natural and Acquired, As a Center of Trade and
Manufaclture,"' had for its purpose to show "how Lansing had become the commercial and financial, as well as the political Capitol
of a great State."
The pamphlet was issued as booster material for the city by the
association, whose officers were J. J. Bush, president; A. N. Iart,
vice-president, and E. W. Sparrow, secretary and treasurer. The
purpose of the organization was to promote the building up of
manufacturing and jobbing interests of the city.
The book covered every phase of civic activity and reviewed all
the industries and business projects of the city.
A good idea of the size of the city at the time of the publication
of the book may be gained by perusal of a map of Lansing in the
front of the book which shows the Grand Trunk depot to be far
south of the city limits of that time, which were located at the
present Washington Avenue bridge. The territory immediately
west of the State Capitol building between Allegan street and
Michigan Avenue was not even platted at that time. The old
I. O. O. F. Institute, which is now the Sclool for the Blind, was on
the edge of the territory bounding the city on the west and was
outside the city limits, while the Industrial School or "Reform
School," as then called, was on the eastern boundary.
CITY IS AMPLY PLANNED.
The city, as first platted, was two miles in length north and
south, by one mile east and west. It was laid out on a liberal
scale, the main avenues being seven, and the other streets five rods
in width. Eleven acres were reserved for the grounds upon which