- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
What was your home town, city, village, or rural area like at the start of the Civil War? I will go first.
In 1847 the Michigan legislature want to more the State Capital out of Detroit and away from the Canadian border. They selected an area in the dense forest near where the Red Cedar River flowed into the Grand River. The local swamps caused cases of malaria and the area was generally avoided so there were only about 20 people living in three small villages. The new capital caused a population expulsion with about 3,079 people living in the City Lansing at the start of the Civil War. Neither the Grand River or Red Cedar River were not navigable. The swamps kept the city without rail transportation until after the Civil War and the only all weather road was a 20 mile plank toll road to the railhead in Williamston. In the summer a couple of rude trails lead south through the dense forest. However, these could only be used in dry weather.
Being almost cut off by swamp and forest, from Michaign's areas of major population, Lansing was still in many ways a frontier city. The state legislators and favor seekers left the area as soon as the legislation season was over. The city did have two small militia companies and a weekly newspaper.
So in summery, my home town of Lansing was a small city in 1861. At the start of the Civil War my dad's family and half my mother's family lived in a rural area south of Lansing. How does my home town compare with your home town in 1861?
In 1847 the Michigan legislature want to more the State Capital out of Detroit and away from the Canadian border. They selected an area in the dense forest near where the Red Cedar River flowed into the Grand River. The local swamps caused cases of malaria and the area was generally avoided so there were only about 20 people living in three small villages. The new capital caused a population expulsion with about 3,079 people living in the City Lansing at the start of the Civil War. Neither the Grand River or Red Cedar River were not navigable. The swamps kept the city without rail transportation until after the Civil War and the only all weather road was a 20 mile plank toll road to the railhead in Williamston. In the summer a couple of rude trails lead south through the dense forest. However, these could only be used in dry weather.
Being almost cut off by swamp and forest, from Michaign's areas of major population, Lansing was still in many ways a frontier city. The state legislators and favor seekers left the area as soon as the legislation season was over. The city did have two small militia companies and a weekly newspaper.
So in summery, my home town of Lansing was a small city in 1861. At the start of the Civil War my dad's family and half my mother's family lived in a rural area south of Lansing. How does my home town compare with your home town in 1861?