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

LESLIE1 TOWNSHIP AND ITS HISTORY

633

log houses, and did their cooking over fires built out of doors.
Bread was baked in an iron skillet over the coals. Fires were
kept throughout the night to frighten the woves away. Indians
were frequent but unwelcome visitors. With hearts yearning for
the homes and friends they had left, they labored diligently to
establish their new homes as waves of homesickness swept over
them. A letter from the old home was hailed with pleasure, though
oftentimes after word had reached them that a letter was awaiting them at the nearest postoffice, they would have great difficulty
in raising the money to pay the required postage of twenty-five
cents. Money was a scarce commodity in those days, and there
was but very little of it in circulation among the settlers, black
salts and maple sugar being the basis for all their financing.
Of their hardships they never complained, and one daughter
of an early settler was heard to say, "I remember when we had
only salt and potatoes to eat, and we thought it more of a picnic
than a hardship-at least the children did."
Elijah Woodworth built the first log house in Leslie in March,
1836, on what is now Bellevue street, near Huntoon Creek. Soon
there was one built near Five Corners by Mr. Loomis; another
near the Methodist church by Henry Meeker, and a frame one,
now called the Dowling residence, by Mr. Elmer on Bellevue
street.
The first school house in Leslie township was built in the fall of
1837, a frame building, located near where the Congregational
church now stands, and is now used as a part of a carriage house
by J. R. Baggerly.
The first teacher was Stillman Rice, and the second Mrs. Butler, followed by Miss Messenger. This first school house was
used for both school and religious services.
One incident was told by an old resident: "I remember the
school house distinctly. We spent many exciting afternoons in
it, choosing sides for a spelling down contest. There was a
play house too, built in the woods just west of Mr. Tuttle's residence. There the largest boy or girl was elected father or mother
and they had a busy time keeping order in their unruly family."
In time the first building was vacated and a brick house erected,
which is now used as a chapel by the Congregational church.
In 1868 the present high school building was erected, but its