The chairman of the committee has appended to this report a compilation of the various petitions, resolutions, etc., connected with the selection and presentation by the Michigan legislature to the United States Congress for Statuary Hall of the statute of Lewis Cass. Respectfully, Lansing, June 8, 1910. BYRON A. FINNEY, EDWARD CAHILL, JOSEPH GREUSEL. The report was accepted and the committee discharged. Mr. Finney also sent the Society a very comprehensive report of the full proceedings of placing the first statue of Gen. Cass in the Statuary Hall at Washington, D. C. This report has been filed in the archives of the Society. The legislature of 1910 and 1911 passed an act placing the second statue to Zach Chandler, at a cost of $14,000 and one thousand for expenses. See Pub. Acts Session, 1911 p. 136. THE SIXTH MIDWINTER MEETING AT KALAMAZOO The Sixth Midwinter meeting was held in the Court House at Kalamazoo, Tuesday afternoon, January 31, 1911. The session was opened with a prayer by Rev. W. B. Dickinson of the Congregational Church. George C. Winslow, president of the Commercial Club, in the absence of Mayor Charles H. Farrell, followed with an address of welcome as follows: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my pleasing duty to assure you, that you and the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society are very welcome. Not only are we glad to be honored by your coming, but we expect to be greatly benefited in many ways. We also hope to show so much interest in all matters pertaining to the grand work in which you are engaged that you will not think your efforts have been in vain. Some of us think we realize, in a slight degree, the value of all that a historical society stands for, and we trust our conception of the matter may be widened after hearing what you have to offer us. We also hope from what you can assure our people that a permanent society will, in the near future, be the result of your visit; for we are sure it only needs the quickening spirit of your presence and the warmth of your help to make such an organization a success in every way. Our section of the State is rich in all that could be asked for in historic material, for since the days of the early missionaries, "Those Advance Agents of Civilization," up to the present time, we can boast of a line of unusual interest. This beautiful valley was indeed "The Happy Hunting Ground" of the Indian; our river the avenue of travel for the missionary and trapper; our "Oak Openings" the charm of the settler and beyond compare. Our very name is music to the ear of strangers and men of letters have striven to best sing our praises. It is strange that only at this late day we fall in line to save the remnant of a heritage which will soon be forever lost, and if even a portion shall be rescued from oblivion, it will be worth many times the cost to us, for those who seek in future years what has to us seemed so commonplace. Again allow me to express to you a hearty welcome. C. M. Burton, president of the Society responded in substance as follows: The present State society was not of as early origin as the Historical Society of Michigan, usually known as the Detroit Historical Society, founded by General Cass in 1828. Among its most prominent members were Henry R. Schoolcraft, Major Henry Whiting, Major John Biddle and several others well known to every student of Michigan history. Schoolcraft was placed at the head of the Indian department; Whiting received promotion in the U. S. army and Biddle became a member of Congress. This caused the failure of the society and although attempts were made to revive it which flourished for a short time, it was not until 1874 that a permanent one was started. The volumes have been since issued annually with a degree of regularity. The latest books have contained the Cadillac, Schoolcraft, Bond and Perrault papers which are very valuable historically. But the work would never be accomplished without the cooperation of the counties. Kalamazoo should gather, give and preserve of its great wealth of material. We should secure all records pertaining to Abraham Edwards, member of the legislative council, Titus Bronson, founder of beautiful Kalamazoo, and others. Mr. Burton expressed the pleasure of the Society in seeing so many pioneers present, and hoped their interest would be quickened, and that they would continue to tell their stories not only in county meetings and pioneer picnics, but that these should become a part of the States' publications. Each president of the county societies, becomes ex-officio a vice-president of the State Society, and as such should be a gatherer and contributor to the Collections. The Gaynor club of Kalamazoo College gave some selections which elicited much applause. Mrs. Alexander Custard of Mendon gave a fine paper on the "French Settlements in St. Joseph county." She delivered her address without notes in such a pleasing and conversational man ner that she interested all. Hon. E. W. DeYoe read a letter to J. D. Clement from Joseph Lomax, first president of the Grand Rapids and Indiana railroad, who now resides in Indianapolis. Mr. Lomax had just celebrated his one hundredth birthday. J. D. Clement, Esq.: Indianapolis, Jan. 25, 1911. Dear Sir: Your letter of Dec. 29 came duly to hand, in reply to which I enclose a short sketch of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Ry. Co. Respectfully yours, JOSEPH LOMAX. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company organized by Joseph Lomax, who was its first president, was originally organized to establish a railroad between the city of Grand Rapids and the Ohio river. But disagreements and failures in several companies caused an abandonment of that line and the organization of the line from Grand Rapids to Fort Wayne, afterwards extended to Mackinaw. At this time there were about half a dozen "Landgrant Railroads" in the State of Michigan, and the State required each to construct a section of its road before the next meeting of the State legislature. Some of the railroad companies complied but the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Company applied for an extension of time, and at each session the legislature granted an extension of time. The lands had been generally described by agents and employes of the road, and the president of the company passed over them on two several occasions and made very careful examination as to the character and quality of the soil and timber, as well as the character and value of the natural water power. The result of this examination induced him to place a very high value upon the land grant. To secure and hold the land grant, several congressional acts and many acts of the State legislature had to be obtained-all which were done under the management of the company's president. He wrote all the Articles of Association and accompanying papers, completing its organization from its Indiana terminus to the Straits of Mackinaw. He first went over the line accompanied only by a professional packer. At this time there was no white settlement after ten or twelve miles north of Big Rapids along the route. Agents of the company were sent to England and employed James Samuel, an engineer of high standing representing English capital, to come to America for the purpose of making a professional examination of the entire project. In the summer of 1861 Mr. Samuel with H. V. Poor of New York commenced plans for the construction of the railroad. But soon thereafter the first Bull Run defeat occurred and Mr. Samuel returned to England declaring to the president of the company that he believed that we had "no Government” and that he would report to the parties who had sent him to America, and efforts to secure European negotiations were suspended. In the spring of 1866 the president of the company resigned for the purpose of having Judge Samuel Hanna take charge. Judge Hanna was elected president of the railroad company and published a pamphlet of over one hundred pages exhibiting the condition of the road, and value of its land grant. He was a successful railroad builder and intended to complete the first twenty miles beginning at the city of Grand Rapids. But a few days after its publication he became ill and died suddenly. The following statements are from this report: "Some progress has been made in the surveys and grading of portions of the road, but owing to the rebellion, the high prices of materials the difficulty in procuring labor and its high prices, and the general discouragement produced by the uncertainty of war, nothing has been done, and no progress made in the work for the last five years-until last year, when the grading of portions of the line between Grand Rapids and Fort Wayne was resumed, and some ninety or one hundred thousand dollars of additional work done. There was also work done in grading on the twenty miles next north of Grand Rapids, which is nearly ready for the iron, and a large portion of the ties on hand. "The Company's Financial condition: Upon examination into the Company's financial affiairs, I am prepared to state that the following figures may be relied upon as approximately correct: Work done equal to the earth work and bridging 61.3 miles $429,100 00 Rights of Way obtained 50,000 00 Land Grant expenses, interest and discounts, and all other incidental expenditures 529,884 85 $1,008,984 85 Municipal bonds voted and individual bonds taken on subscriptions to the Company's capital stock, about $600,000.00. The Company's Land Grant of about one million acres under prudent management after the construction of the road may be made to realize $10,000,000.00. On the request of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Joseph K. Edgerton was made president of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company. He commenced consulting the Pennsylvania Company but delayed work on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Company. At the ensuing meeting of the State legislature he and the railroad company applied for an extension of time for construction-but in his application he estimated the cost at several millions over Judge Hanna's estimate. * # * Dr. DeYoe spoke by invitation on the first postoffice in Kalamazoo, with J. G. Abbott the first postmaster. The office stood on corner of Rose and Main streets. Mails were very irregular having to be brought over the Indian trails; often being received only once a week, its arrival making a gala day. At the end of a year and a half the office was moved to the corner of South and Park streets. This point was complained of so much that it was then placed on East Main street just east of Burdick street and Isaac Willard was appointed postmaster. It remained there six years, Dr. Edwin Post as postmaster for one and one-half years. Anthony Cooley and Frank Marsh also officiated for short terms as postmasters. Alexander Ransom was postmaster in 1844. A brick building which stood on First street where the Bank Building is now was put up and twice demolished. Again it was moved to Pine street near the Children's Home. Anderson was postmaster four or six years. In 1853 William De Yoe was made postmaster and N. A. Balch deputy; since then the postmasters have been Waldo, Dr. Pratt, Dr. Stone, Kendall, A. J. Shakespeare, James Monroe and for seven or eight years Frank W. Cornell. Land During Dr. Abbott's administration Kalamazoo consisted of seventyfive or one hundred settlers and was called Bronson. His home was opposite the Court House. In 1828 the land office was at Monroe but was moved to White Pigeon in 1831 and to Bronson in 1834. viewers came from New England and New York. The prevailing money was called Wild Cat currency. It had no staple value and the gov ernment refused to receive anything but gold and silver. In 1835 the sales of lands of the Kalamazoo office amounted to $4,000,000. There never was any deficit and honesty was well-known, even the Indians never molested the settlers and rarely robbed anyone of money. In 1834 the name of Bronson was changed to Kalamazoo. The settlers came to the country with bags of money. Those fortunate enough to have horses, throwing them over the pommels of the saddles, others trudged along on foot with the bags slung over their shoulders. It was no uncommon thing for these land lookers to stop at the Kala |