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 INGEIAM COUNTY

labor with hands or brain. It is what makes men. He paid a
pleasing tribute to the pioneer, not neglecting to eulogize the
pioneer women.
H. H. Smith, of Jackson, was the first treasurer of Ingham
county and received $14 for his services. He came into the
county in 1836. There were 35 present who had been in the
county over 50 years, and one of those came here in 1834. Again
it was voted that the president and secretary should secure such
assistance as was needed in obtaining the historical events of each
township, compiling them and securing their publication.
At the annual meeting of the Ingham County Pioneer Society
for 1890 the list of deceased members was the largest ever reported, the number being 106. The matter of collecting material
for a county history and having it published was again brought
up, but as no funds had been provided for that work the committee in charge had done nothing toward it. It was then voted
that a fund be created for that purpose, and that each member of
the society write a history of his family to add to the records.
Officers elected: President, John A. Barnes; Secretary, O. F.
Miller; Treasurer, Perry Henderson.
Hon. S. L. Kilbourne gave a pleasing address, in which he said,
"It was the men who rowed, not those who drifted, who made
Ingham county."
Mrs. Silas Bement, of Leroy township, read the following paper:
Another year has rolled around and again some of the pioneers
of Ingham county have met to commemorate their days of anxiety,
toil, care and privation. Of those pioneers, only for the benefit
of the present generation, it would be needless to rehearse the
things said and done, for in the minds of those who participated
they are written as with indelible ink, never to be effaced while
life lasts. How well I remember those log houses, those new rail
fences and the well trodden path through the woods from house
to house; for we used to look after each other in those times, and
if there was a neighbor two or three miles away that had not been
heard from for several days someone was sent to see if any of the
family were sick or if some accident had befallen them.
If this proved to be the case we would all take turns in giving
assistance and relief. Those were days of hallowed contentment.
We were all striving to make homes. There was no envy, each