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

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY

pens for pigs, calves, sheep and chickens were built with high
strong wall of logs.
Because of the danger of extinguishing the family if we remained
near the swamps, we moved into town again, and my father and
brother David conducted the big store of the town, on Washington Avenue about where the Capitol National Bank now stands,
where they sold everything under one roof, from silks to buffalo
robes, from codfish to pitchforks, without the dignity of the modern department store. I have in my possession some bills of invoice preserved from father's papers. South of Allegan street
was the Capitol block where the State House was built. On the
northwest corner of this block was the house where the Auditor
General lived. His name was Swegles. North of Ottawa street
some cottages had been built and we lived in one of them. Those
houses stood until the Tussing building was erected. Later,
about 1852, we lived in the Bennett House, which for many years
stood in the middle of the block between Ionia and Shiawassee
streets, east side of Washington Avenue. This block dropped
down from the street and some steps led down to the walk to the
house. One of the principal hostelries of those years was the Ohio
House, on Washtenaw street facing the south side of the Capitol
block. When it was sold out father purchased some of the dishes.
One large blue and white platter, decorated with pastoral scenes,
is now a prized possession of Sister Alice (Mrs. W. O. Crosby).
One winter night the store burned, father had a few months before purchased a tract of land north of town, just within the
present city limits. I have the government deed by which Uncle
Sam transferred the land to Appleton Ballard. Before spring the
house was enclosed and the family moved in, and the boys were
clearing off the forest of heavy timber to make place for spring
crops. We did not see many horses in those days, but the sturdy
oxen did valiant service in starting Lansing's prosperity. For a
time the family continued to attend the Free Baptist church on
Kalamazoo street between Washington and Capitol avenues.
I can remember riding on Sunday mornings behind the ox team
up Washington Avenue in a not very straight path, as we had to
dodge the stumps, oftentimes with mud half way to the hubs.
Later the First Methodist church at North Lansing became the
church of the family, and through the remainder of his life my