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 IN'GHAM COUNTY

and watched the lights to see if there was any peculiar demonstration when the lights went off, they evidently being of the same
mind as the newly arrived son of Erin, who when told to listen
for the "sunset gun" asked if the sun always went down with a
"bang" in this country. To their great amazement nothing
more serious happened than that darkness followed light.
From that small beginning the lighting system of this city has
grown to its present proportions, and the demand for the product
discovered by Benjamin Franklin is steadily increasing. It
would take too much time to note the many improvements made
in the system, but the one now contemplated is the greatest one
ever brought before the people since electricty was installed here.
Another item of interest recorded in 1888 is in regard to a soldiers' monument. The idea originated in Phil TMcKernan Post,
the only post in the city at that time, and the work was placed in
the hands of Andrew Mehan and L. J. Ford, members of that
order. Much interest was shown in the movement, and in the
fall Phil McKernan Woman's Relief Corps, which was organized
in January of that year, took hold of the matter with a vim and
devoted their energies to raising money for the monument. They
gave four entertainments one week, held a fair, gave a concert,
had a spelling school and served a public supper, and the entire
proceeds was turned over to the managers to be added to the
monument fund. In these days there is much speculation in
regard to the money thus raised, which has never been accounted
for, though many theories regarding it are afloat. About that
time a Soldiers' Monument Association was organized in Lansing,
with Mrs. Harriet A. Tenney as president, and their work was
rapidly pushed to completion.
In April of that year we find that J. C. Squiers made an abstract
of the cemetery lots and found that the first interment was that of
Dearsa, the wife of Hiram Converse, who was buried June 29,
1840. Does anyone know when the land was set aside for cemetery purposes?
In 1887 lot 510 was deeded to J. A. Sherwood, in trust, as a
burial place for soldiers who had no cemetery lot and whose
friends were unable to bear the expense of burying them. That
lot is now filled, and later another lot was secured, which is also
nearly filled, besides a lot purchased by the Woman's Relief Corps
in which soldiers and their wives could be buried side by side.