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Our History
What was here before the city!
The City of East Lansing hasn't always been the bustling college
community filled with thriving businesses, organizations and restaurants that
it is known for today. In fact, before East Lansing was a City, it was little
more than a region of untamed land yet to be discovered by the earliest of
Native American and American settlers.
It wasn't until the
8,000 B.C.-12,000 B.C. time frame that the breathtaking Red
Cedar River first became a major attraction for settlers journeying to the
rolling farmlands now known as the City of East Lansing. Tribes of Chippewa
(under the command of Chief Okemos), Ottawa and Pottawatomie Native Americans
were the first to settle in the East Lansing area, and according to John
Towar's "History of East Lansing," the first modern settler, Robert Burcham,
did not arrive in East Lansing until 1849.
Back in those days, the current East Lansing downtown was an important junction
of two major Native American trails, the Okemos Trail and Park Lake Trail. Toll
roads did not arrive in East Lansing until 1850, when the Lansing Central Plank
Road Company was established to build such roads on various state highways
throughout Michigan. And once established, the only toll road constructed in
the area was the Howell to Lansing Plank Road (now known as Grand River
Avenue). This road, finished in 1853, separated East Lansing and the Michigan
Agricultural College (now known as Michigan State University) from Abbott Road
to the east.
Michigan Agricultural College was established in 1855 thanks to a large land
purchase by the state of Michigan. The state purchased 676.57 acres of land
from various area landowners (including John Burcham) to establish the college.
With its newly acquired land, the state began construction on what would one
day become the sixth largest university in the country.
Michigan Agricultural College construction began with College Hall. College
Hall was not only the first building to be constructed on the new campus, it
was also the first building built for agricultural science education purposes.
By 1857 there were only approximately 80 people living where East Lansing would
one day be. Of this small population, 70 students and less than 10 faculty
members made their home around the Michigan Agricultural College campus. At
that time, there were only four houses for college faculty members.
By 1888, however, the number of people residing in East Lansing had increased
by almost 500 percent. The population steadily rose, with 370 people, 330
students and 40 faculty members adding to the City's population in the late
19th Century.
As the population of the school continued to expand, the need for housing also
grew. In 1887 William J. Beal and Rolla C. Carpenter bought and platted the
land east of Harrison Road between Grand River Avenue and Michigan Avenue. This
area was the "first formally-developed housing community" in the City according
to Whitney Miller's "Collegeville Revisited." Beal, a professor of botany and
horticulture from 1871 to 1910, is credited with developing hybrid corn. He was
considered a national leader in the development of horticulture, plant genetics
and botany. Carpenter was a professor of mathematics and engineering.
A need for off-campus housing soon developed as the area's student body continued
to expand. In the 1890s boarding homes and rooms-for-rent became available, and
in 1895 Beal helped ease the housing shortage by developing property directly
north of Collegeville.
Infrastructure advancements continued in 1894 when a streetcar line was
extended from downtown Lansing, along Michigan Avenue to Harrison Road. The
line was later extended onto campus in 1901. As travel became easier, the
population continued to grow.
According to Miller, "The land belonging to the college and the surrounding
community was originally split between Lansing and Meridian Township," causing
many political and bureaucratic scuffles. On May 8, 1907, the issues of domain
were resolved when Gov. Fred Warner signed the historic incorporation papers
which established East Lansing as an official fourth class City.
Please visit
East Lansing Historical Society Web site for more information.
For more information on East Lansing see these references:
1. East Lansing:
Collegeville Revisited by Whitney Miller
2.
At the Campus Gate, A History of East Lansing by Justin Kestenbaum
3. Out of a Wilderness, An Illustrated History of Greater Lansing by Justin L Kestenbaum
4. http://kevinforsyth.net/ELMI/
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