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

LANSING TOWNSIIPr AND CITY, WITII HISTORY

583

an Indian skeleton in a sitting posture. The skeleton was given
to a doctor. It is my impression it was Dr. S. D. Newbro, who
practiced in North Lansing about that time.
The building of the Ramshorn Railroad was an important
event in the life of our city. We had our share in it as its track
was diagonally across the farm. Great was the day when the
first train went through, and long to be remembered was the first
train load of soldier boys bound for southern camps in 1861. Our
own hearts were burning with excitement for out from our home
three boys were bound on the same mission. The fourth enlisted
in Kansas.
Much of the old place is still in the Ballard name, the farm house
with its great hewn timbers still stands on its original foundations,
and there too is the big black walnut tree in front that Brother
Henry transplanted from the woods before he went into the army.
For a time between the years 1855 and 1861 eight boys and girls
went from this home with dinner baskets to school. Two of them
to the Michigan Female College and six to the Cedar street school.
When I first went to school Mr. Taylor was the principal and
Mrs. Taylor taught the primary. This Mr. and Mrs. Taylor
were teachers of large influence in Lansing in the years from 1850
to 1860. They first conducted a popular private school uptown.
While we lived up there Sister Sindenia attended that school. I
have a vivid remembrance of one day going to school with her.
It is the first event I really do remember. Doubtless the reason
it made such a lasting impression upon my mind is because the
occurrence struck terror to my young heart. At close of school
we started home in the rain when a cyclonic wind struck us. I
was clinging to her hand as hard as I could, she was trying to keep
the umbrella over us, but the umbrella was blown into space, and
we were tumbled into the corner of a rail fence, somewhere about
the three hundred block on South Capitol Avenue, and we were
well drenched before we were able to pick ourselves up and proceed those few blocks home. No doubt my discomforture over a
ruined hat and dress had no small part in my distress.
One of the enjoyable memories of our Cedar street school years
was the spelling contests. When we were about fourteen years
old I remember standing with two boys after the rest of the school
had dropped out of the long line around the room. The two boys