THE COLLEGE IN 1870 



WILLIAM JAMES BEAL 



Early in May, 1870, 1 made my first visit to this College, then 

 13 years old, to teach botany during the summer. As a con- 

 tributor to the Prairie Farmer I came with keen interest and 

 wrote out my first impressions. Lansing was a town of 6,000 to 

 7,000, in the midst of which was the old capitol constructed of 

 wood. There was but one railroad passing through the city 

 from Jackson to Saginaw, and that was of primitive style. I 

 secured a ride to the College with a farmer, and on the way soon 

 learned that many farmers within twenty miles placed a low 

 estimate on the value of the "state farm," as it was often called 

 at that time. The course extended over clay knolls and cordu- 

 roy, the poles of which were to keep the wagon wheels from get- 

 ting deep into the mire. I saw how it was that President Abbot 

 rarely rode in a buggy that was not well plastered over with clay. 

 We were welcomed to the campus by driving through a patent 

 self -opening gate — often out of order. 



It is unnecessary for me to give a detailed description of the 

 campus. Large numbers of the trees of the oak opening were 

 dotted over the ground, most of which had been heavily cut back 

 from the top with the thought that it would improve their appear- 

 ance. This work had been done by C. E. Hollister, then a 

 student and later a member of the first class to graduate in 186 1. 



At the right of the main gateway, then nearly due north from 

 College Hall, were four small brick dwellings for the president 

 and three professors. The bricks for these and the two halls 

 were manufactured on the college campus, west of the present 

 armory. Here 1 is old College Hall, Williams Hall just com- 



1 While reading this paragraph Dr. Beal pointed to various locations on 

 a large map of the campus as it was in 1870. — Editor. 



88 



