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

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they became acquainted with the old body servant of George
Washington, and learned from that source many interesting anecdotes of the Father of our Country.
After a time they moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, going up
the James river. While there they often attended the Episcopal
church that Jefferson helped build and many times visited the
old Jefferson home.
The old historic college was just outside the town. It would
seem that college pranks were worse then than now. The southern kitchens were detached from the houses. Mrs. Whiteley had
a famous old colored cook, Aunt Judy, who was noted for her
beaten biscuit, always beating them thirty minutes. Oftentimes
the students coming into town from the college in the late afternoon for their mail would surround the kitchen, hold up the old
colored woman, take her hot biscuits from the oven, also any other
eatables in sight, and as they devoured them would laugh at her
funny remarks.
One of the worst college escapades happened during the time
the Whiteley's lived in Charlottesville, when the students captured
the old village doctor. He was very venerable and dearly loved
by the entire community. He drove a very large, old white horse,
and old fashioned one-horse shay. One dark stormy night he
drove out into the country to see a patient. When coming back
on a lonely road through the woods he was suddenly held up by a
band of students. The doctor was bound and gagged, the horse
killed and disemboweled, and the doctor placed inside with just
his head and shoulders out, then the carcass was sewed up. The
shay was hung in the top of the highest tree. The aged doctor
was rescued in the morning more dead than alive. The whole
community was highly indignant and many students were suspended.
The story is that at one time Edgar Allen Poe attended this
college and was suspended for his pranks.
About 1826 Mr. and Mrs. Whiteley moved from Charlottesville
to Palmyra, N. Y., and soon after Mr. Whiteley commenced the
erection of the Whiteley block. That was ninety-six years ago,
and the building is standing today well preserved, showing what
care and pains he took in its erection. He was a long time in
completing the building, for workmen were hard to find, and the