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

533

deep sighs and hand holdings and heart flutters began in Lansing.
Yes, it must be some such picture, for today, in her 89th year,
Mrs. Sarah Merrifield, at her home, 301 Seymour street, giggles
like a girl when she tells the old story. Probably she remembers
still how the tongue of Edward Randolph Merrifield was loosened
and how he told why, of all the girls present that night at the
pioneer ball, he wanted to know only her. Anyway, the story, in
one way or another, was told.
On Dec. 11, 1851, there was a marriage at the home of Rep.
John Thomas. Assessor "Bill" Hinman's grandparents were
there, and his newly married parents were there and probably a
lot of those Torrent Engine Company firemen. Anyway, whoever
were present as guests, Sarah was married to Edward and they
lived happily ever after.-State Journal.
LANSING, BACK IN '57, CLOSED SHOP WHEN NEW FIRE
"MACHINE" ARRIVED.
"To turn out in uniform and exercise with the machine on
Tuesdays."
So runs the minutes of old Torrent Fire Engine Company No. 1,
told of along with other circumstances of Lansing's first engine
company, back in 1857, in the State Journal Friday.
Search the old record as one will, no more enlightening reference
to the engine of those early firemen can be found than occasionally
the word "machine." However, the old "machine" has a story
all its own, rather romantic, too, in the ramifications of all circumstances concerning it, and the story deserves to be told. A lead to
the story comes through James P. Edmunds, president of the
Bates & Edmonds Engine Company, whose father, J. W. Edmonds, was an assistant foreman of the old Torrent Company in
1857 and afterwards a chief of the volunteer department.
Triumphal entry to the city, over a flower-strewn way, honorable and exciting service through a period of perhaps two years;
then sold far up north for service much as "Uncle Tom" was sold
down South to ignominious slavery; then rescue and restoration
to an honored place back at its old home in Lansing is, in brief,
the history of Lansing's first fire engine.