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

553

stantly employed and in fact there is no limit to this business as
the goods may be shipped to. any part of the country. The
manufacture of chairs is getting to be one of the important industries of the city owing to the abundance of maple, beech and oak
in the surrounding territory. One chair factory has been operating in Lansing for a period of four years."
"Iron manufacturing," said the book in commenting on other
industry, "is still in its infancy, but little as yet having been
accomplished in this line. Messrs. Cady, Glassbrook and Company, at the north part of the city, who succeed Metlin and Company, manufacture agricultural implements, sawing machines,
and do a general jobbing and machine business. They are the
leaders of Lansing's iron workers. They employ about 10 men
and will turn out about $15,000 worth of business this year. The
Lansing Iron Works does an extensive business in steam engines
and railroad work. E. Bement and Sons are making a specialty
of agricultural implements. They have been located in Lansing
for nearly four years and are steadily increasing their business each
year. They are employing on an average of 15 men and will turn
out about $18,000 worth of business this year. They are rated as
Lansing's leading manufacturers."
In the seventies the leather business was one of the chief industries and Lansing had a number of tanneries.
At that time Lansing had four banks: The Second National
Bank, capital $100,000; the Lansing National Bank, capital
$75,000, and two private banks, C. Hewitt & Co. and Eugene
Angell. The book described the situation as follows: "There is
about $250,000 invested in the banking business. There is also
some money besides invested in brokerage business and other
financial enterprises. All of our banks and capitalists passed
through the late money crisis without suspension and have continued to do business as usual with good prospects for the future."
The State Insurance Company of Lansing was mentioned in the
book as one of Lansing's foremost business enterprises.
Under the chapter on public institutions, the book dwelt for
some time on the many State offices and institutions in this city.
That the city was justly proud of the Michigan Agricultural
College was shown in the space devoted to the institution in the
book. The paragraph which started, "The buildings stand upon