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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7PIONEER HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY

when some boy would ride a horse to the post office at Eden and
carry back all the mail going his way, to the coming of the mower
and the reaper, later the hand binder and finally the wire binder
and the binder of the present day.
The mode of travel has changed from the oxen to the horses,
then the high-wheeled bicycle, then the two wheeled bicycle
with pedals on the front wheels, then the bicycle with the chain
drive, and at last the horseless carriage. One of the first was
built by R. E. Olds at Lansing. Afterward came the many styles
of motor cars and trucks of today. There were wild animals in
the early days. I have seen fresh bear tracks when driving the
cows home, but never happened to meet up with Bruin.
I have shot a number of wild turkeys, and many squirrels were
here until about 1880.
There have been vast changes in the township since about
1865, the time of my first remembrance of the farms and farmers.
Transportation changed from ox teams to fine automobiles. Fron
the weekly mails with the Rural New Yorker, the Ingham County
News and the Little Corporal, to the R. F. D., which brings mail
to our doors daily, and many trains each day that bring both
weekly and daily papers, numerous magazines, and to supply further needs the telephone and radio.
We should be thankful for having been permitted to grow up
and come hand-in-hand with all the benefits and pleasures the
years have brought.
REMINISCENCES.
Friends and Neighbors of District No. 4 and Vevay Township.
Upon the occasion of your meeting to organize a Vevay Township
Pioneer Association, I congratulate you upon the pleasure which
the event will furnish, and regret very much that Mrs. Chapin and
myself cannot be present. The story of how things came to be
as they are is certainly next in interest to the question of what
the outcome shall be.
I have been asked to give some reminiscences of the early days
of this district, but as my personal recollections commence
about the end of the Civil War when the heavy blue overcoat