Lansing's Early Days

For a larger view of the above image, click Lansing, circa 1855 - Large View.

Click Lansing, circa 1855 (Photo on Seeking Michigan) to view the photo and description on Seeking Michigan, the Archives of Michigan's digital collections Web site.

In 2009, Lansing celebrates its 150th birthday! The image above seems fitting for the occasion. It's the oldest known photo of the city and likely dates from about 1855.

You may be wondering why the math doesn't add up. If we subtract 150 from 2009, we get 1859. How, then, could this photo have been been taken in 1855? The 1859 date signifies the year of the city's official incorporation. How long did Lansing exist before it was incorporated? Well, therein lies a tale.

Said tale actually begins in 1847 - twelve years before Lansing's incorporation as a city. In that year, the Michigan legislature needed to establish a permanent state capital (The 1835 state constitution mandated that this be done at that time.). Many Detroit legislators wished Michigan's capitol to remain in their city, where it had been since territorial days. Outstate legislators objected strongly, however. An intense competition developed amongst various communities. Finally, the legislature voted to build a new capitol in Lansing Township, Ingham County.

On the surface, this might seem an odd choice. In 1847, the future site of Lansing contained only a dam, a mill and a few dwellings. Otherwise, there was only wilderness. After the capital site was chosen, three "capital commissioners" journeyed to the area. To get there, they had to take a train to Jackson (There was no closer rail terminal.), and then walk three days through the woods.

Nonetheless, the site did hold advantages. As noted, many Michigan communities vied to be chosen as the capital. Legislators could side step these rivalries by choosing a site where no actual town existed. Lansing Township was also centrally located, being roughly equidistant from many of the most populous Michigan communities (This, of course, is still true today.). Although the site was north of the rail line, some considered this an asset. The site's selection would likely encourage settlement in a more sparsely settled area.

The legislature voted to designate the new capital as "the Town of Michigan." The next year, it was changed to "Lansing." The town and the township now had the same name. (Lansing Township took its name from the village of Lansing, New York. Lansing, New York was in turn named after John Lansing, a prominent New York citizen. Many 19th Century Michigan settlers hailed from New York state, and southern lower peninsula location names often reflect this.)

As indicated by the photo above, the town grew rapidly. Once it was chosen as the capital, many enterprising individuals quickly moved there. They - and many state legislators and other government workers - often needed lodging. Hotels were thus in demand, and it's hardly surprising that the Lansing House hotel is prominent in the above image. (The Lansing House stood at the corners of South Washington Avenue and East Washtenaw Street. It was across the street from the current site of Lansing's Knapp building. This photo was taken from the west of the Lansing House, looking east, and if one looks closely, the Grand River can be viewed in the background.)

Lansing became an incorporated city in 1859. A public celebration of February 15, 1859 marked the occasion. According to Lansing historian Justin L. Kestenbaum, "hundreds of persons attended," and "there were speeches, dances and parties." At that time, the city had little past, but a large future ahead. Now, 150 years later, Lansing can both look forward and back - cherishing its past while remaining hopeful about the future.

-Bob Garrett, Archivist
E-mail:garrettr1@michigan.gov

The image above is included in the Archives of Michigan Early Photography Collection. Over 200 nineteenth century cased images comprise this collection - one of many available on Seeking Michigan. Click Early Photography Collection to browse these images.

Lansing will be celebrating its 150th birthday all year long! Many events have been planned, including the Parade of the Decades (to be held May 16th), the Lansing Summer Party (August 2), the Lansing 150 Labor Festival and a "Grand Finale" (November 20.). Click Lansing Sesquicentennial Web Site for more details.

The following books were consulted for this article. Clicking on the title retrieves the ANSWER library catalog records.

Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State by Willis F. Dunbar and George S. May

Out of the Wilderness: An Illustrated History of Greater Lansing by Justin L. Kestenbaum

Lansing and Its Yesterdays (A Compilation of the Historical Material Published in the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Edition of the Lansing State Journal, January 1, 1930)

Click Archives of Michigan to visit the Archives of Michigan home page.

Click Image of the Month Archives to access former Image of the Month pages.

Archives of Michigan
Michigan Library and Historical Center
702 W. Kalamazoo Street
Lansing, MI 48913
Phone: (517) 373-1408
E-mail: archives@michigan.gov

This page is the Archives Image of the Month page for May 2009.