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

654

PIONEER HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY

uneasiness. I have seen as many as twenty in our house at a
time. Very unwelcome visitors. Many a night do I remember
father placing the gun or ax handy in case of emergency. Later,
in about 1844, the government sent troops who gathered them up
and moved them to the west.
"When the flour gave out we had to go to Ann Arbor to mill,
taking four or five days.
"These things we could stand if we were only well, but sickness
came on-nearly everyone had chills and fever. About 1850 a
scourge of dysentery visited this section, and at times there were
hardly enough well ones to bury the dead. A young lady by the
name of Schoonmaker died and Lyman Case and I were the only
men able to carry the casket to the grave. One family of father,
mother and four children died.
"In 1837 or 1838 a new school house was built, and this served
also as a church. People came from miles around, women as well
as men walking a long distance through the forests.
"Sometimes we took the ox team and took a load of folks 30
miles east to quarterly meeting. We did not wear very fancy
clothes then. My pants and shirt were made of factory cloth
colored with white oak bark. Iat of straw, home made braid of
seven strands, then sewed in shape. Did not need coat or shoes
in warm weather.
"Our table was not overloaded, we sometimes could have eaten
more if we had had it. The neighbors were in the same circumstances, so there was no rivalry, but hearty good will and brotherly
kindness.
"I sometimes think that except for the sickness there was more
real comfort and happiness in those days than now."
Across the road from the Steven Wyman farm and through to
the hills on the farm recently owned by James Coon many Indians
camped in early days. Here the white children came to play
with the friendly red ones. One day a strange boy came with the
the others, and when they were gone the Indian boys discovered
that one of their bows and arrows had disappeared. Inquiry
was made by the Indians, but all of the white boys denied any
knowledge of the act. At last the chief became very angry and
said, "I raise the scalp," which frightened the boy and he ad