tlement going west, and the end of the white man's path; beyond was a vast wilderness. That was in 1829, and where now is the west end of the road leading west? It is where the waves of the Pacific Ocean wash the strand. The second day they crossed the Short Hills. The snow was now nearly a foot deep. They encamped for the night west of the Hills.

ARRIVAL AT GRAND RIVER.

After seven days' work and fatigue they crossed Grand river, where they found the body of a log house that had been put up by Mr. Blackman the fall before. The roof was on, but was without chinking, floor, door and windows, indeed they had to cut a hole to get into it, being left in that condition to prevent the Indians from destroying it during the winter. Here they stayed two nights. This was the first building erected on the site of the present city of Jackson, and the first in the county. They hung up their tents as curtains on the wall to break off the winds. This was as far as the volunteers proposed to go; but before they parted with the commissioners and their party, it was thought proper to have a name for the village that was to be. Accordingly the last night of their stay here they organized a convention by electing Hon. H. Rumsey as president. He was provided with a log for a chair, which favor he appreciated and acknowledged in a very appropriate speech. A committee, consisting of Messrs. Stratton and White, was appointed to report a suitable name. While the members of this body were out, that is, the smoky side of the logheap, the president arose, and in a grave and solemn manner, said: "Gentlemen,-In my intercourse with mankind, I have remarked that men who are respected at home for their orderly and moral conduct, when away from home and in a strange land are too often forgetful of their own positions as gentlemen and good citizens, and thereby bring disgrace not only upon themselves, but upon their neighborhood. You are all respectable at home, and while you are here I trust you will not forget or forfeit your character as gentlemen. Soon your committee will return and report a name for the village that is to be built here. After it is adopted one of you may move that it be received with nine cheers. If that may be the wish of the convention I hope your noise will not disturb the neighbors."

REPORTING THE NAME.

The committee soon after came in and reported JACKSONBURGH. The report was on motion accepted and adopted by acclamation. It was then resolved that nine cheers be given for the name of the future city, and three times three wilder cheers were never sent up by 15 hearty men than went up then and there. The volunteers had provided some extra fixings for the occasion, which were now produced, and after partaking of a good supper, the festivities of

the night were prolonged by a dance, the two oldest of the company opening the ball to the tune of Yankee Doodle, and for a few moments there was a strife between the dancers and the fiddler to see which could get ahead, much to the amusement of the lookers-on. After that seven of the number appeared bareheaded, to represent the fair sex, and the other seven kept their hats on like gentlemen. Before daybreak preparations were made to leave, the commissioners and their attendants for the West, the volunteers for home. On examination the latter found they had only one quart of flour left. This was put into a frying-pan, mixed up with some river water, and cooked, then divided into eight parts, when each took his share and ate it. Thirty miles of unbroken snow lay between them and the place where they could get their next meal. As soon as it was light enough, the tents, rifles, axes, etc., were put into the wagon. The oxen that had subsisted several days on browse, were yoked, and two men were detailed to take charge of the team. Leave was taken of the commissioners, and their party and the volunteers started for home. The six on foot led off in single file, each taking his turn in leading and breaking the track. The day was cold and the snow halfknee deep. All went well until the former reached the first creek east of Grand river. There one of the party fell in and got wet. In the afternoon they reached the top of the Short Hills. There Nash and Van Fossen left the rest of the party and went ahead.

At the small pond, on Pierce farm, in Lima, they came up with the volunteers, and found them sitting upon a log. They hurried on until they became fatigued, and sitting down to rest they soon became chilled and drowsy; but after some exertion they started on with the remainder of the party, and soon were all right again. About dusk they came to Mill creek, now Lima Center. The water was about waist deep. There was no help for it; cross it they must, and did. Judge Rumsey stumbled and was wet nearly all over. Between 8 and 9 o'clock in the evening they reached Clement's. Here the creek was shoal and the crossing much easier. Some of the party stayed at Clement's all night, while others accepted the hospitality of Jerry McCarthy, a warm-hearted son of the Emerald Isle, who had a farm two miles farther on toward Ann Arbor. The next day they were all comfortably at home.

The commissioners went on their survey as far west as Kalamazoo County, when, their provisions becoming exhausted, they struck across to the nearest settlement on the Chicago road, and returned home.

In the foregoing narrative, given by Mr. Clark, we have explained more fully the objects and inducements the citizens of Ann Arbor had in causing this great thoroughfare to be opened through the heart of Michigan. It also reveals the manner in which the city of Jackson received its original cognomen, "Jacksonburgh." This has been a question often asked, and all seem anxious to know why this place was called "Jacksburg," or "Jackson's burgh."

Beyond all controversy, it was named after Maj.-Gen. Andrew Jackson, the hero of New Orleans, and the then President of the United States.

FIRST CONVENTIONAL BODY.

These "volunteers," as they styled themselves, formed the first conventional body of civilized citizens ever assembled in this "burgh," and their acts were the first inauguration of civil comity, manners and decorum of life, in the bush. The ball which followed was the first gemo-komon dance of the thousand-and-one which have since been enacted, and, though rude in outline and circumstance, was full of hilarity and warmth of social feeling, to drive dull care away. A jollier set of fellows never joined in the dance. In regard to the political opinions held by the members of that convention, we are left to form conclusions, although it smacks strongly that they were Democratic in principle, or at least the sons of Democratic forefathers, inasmuch as they were unanimous in bestowing the name of the great Democratic leader of the age on the new "burgh.

When these men returned to Ann Arbor, the fame of Jacksonburgh was spread over the land, and a company was soon formed to carry out this work of improvement with activity. Early in the following spring Alexander Laverty, Isaiah W. Bennett and Russell Blackman became residents of the then embryo village. Mr. Blackman, although not mentioned by Clark, was one of the party, assisting the surveyor as chain-bearer, and went through the entire route with the commissioners.

NEW SETTLERS SEEKING PRIVILEGES.

Jacksonburgh-for we now had a name to distinguish our new settlement-had attained a considerable notoriety abroad, being the first point of importance west of Ann Arbor, now ready to spring into existence as if by magic power. It was now unquestionably regarded as not only the county-seat of Jackson county, but as the future capital of Michigan.

A

Early in the spring of 1830, the settlement commenced. company from Ann Arbor, comprising Isaiah W. Bennett, W. R. Thompson, Benjamin H. Packard, E. W. Morgan, Chauncey C. Lewis and some others came and located lands adjoining Blackman's purchase. Messrs. Bennett and Thompson entered some lots on sections 2 and 3, township 3 south, range 1 west, lying on the river and directly south of Blackman's, with a view of obtaining water-power and a portion of the plat. This occasioned some altercation between the parties interested, but this difficulty was settled by compromise made with Russell Blackman as the agent of Horace, his brother, who was then East, each party agreeing to share equally in the village plat, and the original plat, which contained less than one-fourth of the present area, was laid out by Bennett,

Thompson and Packard in March, 1830, on the west side of Grand river, extending from Trail street on the north to Franklin street on the south, and running along the bank of the river on the east to the quarter-post line of sections 34 and 3, townships 2 and 3 south, 1 west, containing an area of about 150 acres. The plan was regular, all the principal streets crossing each other at right angles, forming the whole into blocks of convenient size, and subdivided into lots of 4x8 rods. Public alleys of one rod in width ran through the entire plan once in eight rods, parallel with the streets, so that every lot was accommodated with a street in front and an alley in the rear. The whole was platted on a most convenient plan, both in regard to its streets and alleys, as well as its public squares and sites for public buildings. In the center was a square of 484 rods, through which ran the two principal streets, forming the base and meridian lines upon which the plat was predicated-Main, or St. Joseph street, as the base, and Jackson street as the meridian line. Main street was calculated as the great commercial avenue of the village, and was located on the township line of townships 2 and 3, range 2 west, with a width of six rods, and also on the line intervening the location of Blackman and Bennett. Jackson street was platted to be the same width as Main street, and to cross it at right angles in the center of the square.

Three-fourths of this public square has been since vacated by order of the Circuit Court, upon the application of parties interested therein, the northwest quarter only remaining. On that portion of the square north of Main street, and where the Congregational church now stands, was a patch of Indian plantingground, the corn-hills of which were plainly visible at the time.

THE WHITE CAPTIVE.

If not deemed out of place, we would here append a little episode of Indian history, as related by Waup-ca-zeek, a semi-chief of the Pottawatomie tribe, then living at an Indian village some ten miles southwest of Jackson, in the town of Spring Arbor. Sometime during the war of 1812, an American soldier was taken captive by the Indians under Tecumseh, at the battle of Frenchtown. and was brought to this place, it being deemed by them a secure retreat. Here he was tried, condemned and executed according to the rules of Indian justice, no one appearing in his behalf. He was condemned to be burned at the stake, a kind of immolation most common among savages. This cruel sentence, passed upon the unfortunate soldier, was, as alleged by Waup-ca-zeek, in retaliation for the barbarous acts of the American soldiery toward the Indians, to which he alluded in justification. Here, on this devoted spot--perchance the very spot on which the church now stands-the execution took place, amid the imposing and barbarous scenes of an Indian wardance and pow-wow. This sad story was known by very few of

the early settlers, as it was revealed by the Indian only when in a state of intoxication.

PERSONAL INTERESTS AND ENTERPRISE.

In March, 1830, the second colony became anxious to commence the settlement, thinking thereby to gain certain advantages by being first on the ground, and anticipating some of the plans of Blackman, and the colony of settlers expected to come in with him from the East. Bennett, Thompson and Packard, who had already shared largely in the plot, and had almost acquired a controlling interest in the affairs of the settlement, were anxious to obtain possession of the river water-power, by flinging a dam across Grand river about a half-mile above Blackman's location, thereby depriving him of the privilege. No time was to be lost; they engaged a number of men at Ann Arbor to assist them in building a dam and getting out timber for erecting a saw-mill, in order to secure the hydraulic privilege to themselves. Linus Gillett and wife, and Josephus Case and wife came out, being employed by Bennett and Thompson,-Gillett and his wife to board the workmen, and Case to do the blacksmithing.

Mrs. Gillett and Mrs. Case were the first white women that came into Jackson county.

THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH.

A good story is told of our friend Case. Being out hunting one day, and coming into the trail he overtook a traveler, who inquired how far it was to Jacksonburgh. Case said he was going right there. The traveler next inquired if there was a blacksmith there, and how far it was to his shop? Case, feeling a little jocose, told him he was the man; and said they were in the shop, but it was three miles to the anvil. The traveler remarked that his was the most extensive one he ever knew. The fact was, that his shop was the open canopy, his anvil being placed on a huge stump beside his shanty. Mr. Case was a brother of Daniel L. Case, late auditor of state, who soon after became a resident of Jacksonburgh, and is now a resident of Lansing.

THE MILL-BUILDERS.

John Wickham, a millwright, and Caniff worked on the mills. Hiram Thompson, brother of Wm. R., George Mayo, S. Town and Jason Barlow constituted the posse of hands employed by Mr. Bennett. Those workmen occupied Blackman's log house for a short time; they soon erected a double log house for their own accommodation, a house with two large rooms.

This was

the second house built in Jackson county, and stood on the spot now occupied by Bennett and Thompson as a public house for several years.