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

54

PIONEER HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY

for some time that he was the first settler, when he discovered the
family of Mr. Rogers, six miles distant.
Mrs. Presley, Peter Lowe's oldest sister, planted the first gooseberry and currant bushes in this county.
Mr. Woodworth, eighty-five years of age, said the first voting
was done in Leslie in 1838. A committee selected the candidates
and they were voted into office in about five minutes. Thirtyfour votes were cast.
Wm. 1-. Horton said the town officers were chosen the same way
in Vevay for the first two years. In 1848 there were three partiesDemocratic, Free Soil and Whig.
Garrett Dubois, of Bunkerhill, built the first frame barn.
J. J. Tuttle, of Leslie, settled there in the woods in 1838, and
lived there four years before a team passed his shanty. He made
a living by burning trees into ashes and manufacturing blacksalts in the winter and making maple sugar in the spring.
George Webb, of Aurelius, came to Michigan when Jackson
contained only three houses. When he got to Mason he found
only one habitation, and that was a log shanty occupied by a
man named James Blaine. It stood near the spot where the residence of Judge Steele now stands. He helped chop ten acres in
what is now the city of Mason. He and Dr. MeRobert cut the
first crop of oats with a sickle. I-e bought his first yoke of oxen
with the bounty paid by the State for wolf scalps.
Ira Rolfe moved to the fine farm he owns in the southern part
of Vevay in 1836, and has lived there ever since.
There were others present who could have told equally interesting incidents, but time would not allow it. All enjoyed these
reminiscences of by-gone days and looked eagerly forward to the
next annual meeting for a continuation of these stories.
June 11, 1878, the sixth annual meeting of the Ingham County
Pioneer Society was held at the county fair grounds, where five
long tables were spread and laden with all the delicacies of the
season, to which those present did full justice.
The secretary reported the following deaths since the last
meeting:
Leslie-Hiram W. Hull, Rev. Ezra Rummery, Rev. E. K.
Grout.
Mason-Amos E. Steele.