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

LANSING TOWNSHlII' AND CITY, WITI HISTORY

539

proprietor of the old Columbus House. It stood where the
Hudson House later stood, which burned last winter, and is now
being replaced by the new arcade and theater. Darling's middle
name was Columbus and by that name he called his hotel. It was
the first building ever put up on that site. Instead of a basement
and foundation of masonry, the Columbus House was built on a
foundation of beech stumps. They were sawn off square, a short
distance above the ground, and the building built on them as
supports. In after years, when the Hudson House succeeded the
older Columbus House, the old stumps were found.
Mr. Green has always been public-spirited as well as aggressive
in his private affairs. He was one of the commissioners to remove the cemetery from its site, now known as Oak, or East Side,
Park, to its present location. He was one of the committee of
three to locate the fair grounds of the old Central Michigan Agricultural Society. The site of the old grounds is now occupied by
the Oldsmobile plant. The fair grounds were laid out and the
track built in 1867, but even as late as that oxen were used to
plow for the race track buildings.
Mr. Green was city treasurer in 1866 and 1867 and held other
public offices. He expects to be present at the annual meeting of
the Chamber of Commerce.-State Journal.
SEARCH FOR STRAIGHTEST BACK UNCOVERS BIT OF
LOCAL HISTORY.
Grand River Boat Club, Back in Seventies, Met All Comers on
Water.
Ah, the old Grand River Boat Club-what a flood of memories
is conjured up for those who remembered the days and activities
of that organization.
The straightest back in Lansing-it was the clue which put the
State Journal upon the trail of perhaps the best of the series of
"Old Timers" stories.
"See that straight man over there?" said one old-timer, calling
attention to another, across the street. "Well, that straight back
of his goes back to his boating days on the Grand river."