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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engine came into use. He served some time as city alderman.
Was a member of the State Pioneer and Historical Society; he
was always interested in the growth of Lansing, and had the
greatest faith in its future.
He died after a lingering illness Aug. 7, 1898, in the same neighborhood where he had lived so many years. He left a widow and
two children, Harry, who died in Birmingham, Ala., in 1905, and
Clara L., of Detroit.
Ellen L. Rice was born in Fairview, Cattaraugus county, N. Y.,
Feb. 10, 1834. Her mother moved to Howell, Mich., when her
brother, Lucius Mills, was pastor of the Presbyterian church there,
when Ella was eighteen years old, but they only remained there a
few weeks, coming to the young city of Lansing in November,
1852, where a son. Clane Rice, had obtained a position as typesetter on a Lansing paper.
They lived at the corner of Main and Cherry streets, the house
that some years later was owned by the late John H. Stephenson.
It soon became known that a new family had come to town and
that one of the young ladies could do plain and family sewing,
and she was not left long with time hanging heavily on her hands.
The State Legislature was to convene in January, 1853, and for
weeks Miss Rice was at the old Lansing House, a hostelry conducted by H. Jipson, making bed and table linen before the State
solons should arrive. As this was long before the days of sewing
machines and wide sheeting, it was considered a good days work
when she could sew over-and-over the long seams and hem the
ends of six sheets, or make twelve pillow cases in a day.
There was good society of young people and plenty of sports to
entertain them. I have heard her tell many stories of early days of
trials and joys. Her family went through the regular siege of
"chills and fever," and having come from among the hills of western New York, did not realize what a trial that disease was, and
when given a dose of the usual medicine, calomel, by their attending physician who thought, probably, that everyone knew the
effects of that medicine, so did not explain the results of taking
cold, consequently when on one cold rainy day Miss Rice exposed
herself to the elements, there came more "trials" and no "joy" in
sight.
In those days the sick and those in trouble were promptly called