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

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY

Titus, Malvin-justice of the peace.
VanEttery, Jacob-hotel.
Wallace, Joseph B.-cooper.
Wallace, Russell-cooper.
Winslow, E. M.-physician.
LOWE FAMILY.
By GERTRUDE Low CHAPPELL, Mother of Mrs. L. A. Randall,
Dansville.
My father, Heman Lowe. came to Michigan in the spring of
1834 and located land on the plains in Ingham county near Low
Lake. On August 20 of the same year the family started for
Michigan and arrived in Detroit the first day of September. We
rode in the stage to Ann Arbor, where we arrived at 10:00 o'clock
at night, and put up at the Clark House. We wintered at Honey
Creek in Mr. Sawhill's little log house, about 12 x 14 feet in size.
In the spring of 1835 my father and his brother Peter came to
Ingham county and built a log house and in April moved his family there in the wilderness, six miles from any house except a
shanty built in the south part of Stockbridge by David and
Thomas Rogers. Ours was the first house built in Ingham county,
then a territory; no one but Indians for neighbors and the rest
unbroken wilderness. The next fall John Dutcher came, and
others soon followed so that we had quite a settlement around the
Lake.
Sister Rachel married Hiram Stocking the following year, and
that was the first wedding in the county. Her babe, born the
next year, was the first white child born in the county. Its little
life was short-lived as it lived only a few weeks.
The circuit preacher came once in four weeks and held services
in our home until a log school house was built. The first school
was taught by Melissa Stephens, who received 75 cents a week.
Abigail Bullock was the next teacher.
The first town meeting was held at Hiram Stocking's, where the
voters from three towns gathered, and I helped get dinner for the
board.