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 INGIIAM COUNTY

Today I had the pleasure of showing you the rifle purchased by
my father in Auburn, N. Y., in April, 1837, which figured largely
in furnishing the meat for our family.
The scenes have changed. The forest that then covered this
entire land has gradually receded and disappeared at the everpersistent and irresistible hand of the pioneer. Today in place
thereof we behold the fertile fields waving with a rich harvest,
or bedotted with herds of high bred stock; the orchards laden with
luscious fruits are to be seen upon every hill top and valley; the
spacious farm houses with a fine array of outbuildings, school
houses and country churches meet our gaze at every glance, and,
in fact, we find the whole country dotted over with thriving cities
and villages, with their various improvements, such as street cars,
water works, electric lights, and a network of railroads throughout
the entire State. Everything seems to take on an air of disgust
at the slow-coach way in which business was done half a century
ago; this is not confined alone to business and travel, but the
farmer of today instead of taking the sickle to reap down his
harvest, as did the pioneer, gets upon his self binder, and goes
forth doing the work in one day that would have required fifteen
or twenty days of the pioneer. In making up your laurels for
the ones who are responsible for the many advantages and inprovements that have come to us during the years, let care be
taken that the pioneer is not forgotten, for the great strength of
muscle and unspeakable courage coupled with the deprivations
necessary to reap down a mighty forest and make thereof a fertile
field, with a score or more of inconveniences incident to pioneer
life, are fully equal in merit to the strength of brain necessarily
sacrificed by the inventor, and again it is the pioneer who led the
advance and paved the way that the others could follow."
On June 21, 1888, the Ingham County Pioneer Society met at
Rayner's Opera House for its annual meeting.
The names of 60 genuine pioneers, who had died during the
year, were read, among them that of Gilbert Drew, who was over
90 years of age.
Mason citizens served the dinner at the Baptist church, with
plates for 171.
Officers elected: President, Thaddeus Densmore; Secretary,
J. A. Barnes; Treasurer, Perry Henderson. About a score of