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

830

I-PIONEER HISTORY OF INGIHAM COUNTY

family of children. The country was new and there was a plenty
of Indians, but it was not like when the pioneers of 1840 came.
There is just one little item and I will close. Who planted the
beautiful lilies in Cedar river? So far as I know, my father did,
Nathan Leighton, Sr. In the fall of 1876 he and my stepmother
visited at our old home in the state of New York. They went to
Great Sodus Bay, about three miles from Lake Ontario. While
there my father gathered about a dozen plants of the water lily
and brought them home and planted them in Cedar river, part of
them just back of where he then lived, east on High street, and
the rest up somewhere on the flats. Now I wonder if the lilies
are not of that planting in the fall of 1876?
MRS. ABBIE J. VANNETER.
WILLIAMSTON NOTES.
J. M. Williams, of Williamston, a pioneer of that township, has
sent some interesting documents to the Ingham County Pioneer
and Historical Society which show some of the business methods
of early days.
The first is a letter from Detroit to O. B. Williams, of Williamston, concerning materials for the first grist mill in Williamston, and is as follows:
Detroit, July 31, 1843.
Mr. O. B. Williams
Bot. of John Webster
1 spindle 1 step and Cap and crop tree................ $19.00
1 Bash......................................... 2.00
$21.00
0. B. Williams,
Dear Sir,
Your letter of 28' came to hand yesterday (Sunday) and
this morning sent by Central rail road the articles, as in the above
bill marked 0. B. Williams, Dexter, and requested the agent to
keep them in the Rail Road Ware House until you called for
them. Your farther orders will be promptly attended to.
Your Humble Serv't,
John Webster.
Detroit, July 31, 1843.