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STORIES FROM WILLIAMSTON'S PAST
This book features many interesting and never before told stories about the people, places and events of Williamston, Michigan. Written by Mitch Lutzke, a current high school history teacher, his years of research have led to the uncovering of some long forgotten tales about this mid-Michigan community. The book’s eighteen chapters include narratives about Chief Okemos and the founding Williams family and the settler’s view of the Native Americans. Williamston’s more than a century long coal mining industry is comprehensively detailed here. The arrival of the railroad in 1871, a violent citizens liquor protest, leading to massive arrests, the gruesome Haney murder case, excerpts from a farmer’s 1895 diary, the early days of professional and amateur baseball in town, a Presidential candidate visit, the true story of the Civil War solider, whose statue graces the city hall lawn, and the life of a Williamston mayor, who becomes a national economic reform crusader, are among the topics featured in this book.
Stories from Williamston's Past - Volume 2
A follow up to his first Williamston history book in 2014, these are another batch of tales from years gone past. Among the stories included are the multiple tragedies of the Branch family; the cigar manufacturing era, with one brand, “Old Joe,” being named after an employee who fled a southern plantation; the creation of the Williamston All Girls Band; the history of our two long forgotten brick plants-one was the town’s major employer and what came of the land once they closed; the origins of the WHS Hornets nickname, logo, school colors and fight song; biographies of a rural physician who became a famous American bird watcher; one about our international egg dealer; another about a woman who played a key role in Warren Harding’s 1920 Presidential victory, and a brief glance into the life of iconic MSU benefactor, Forest Akers.
Ingham County Rural One-Room Schools
By Audrey Z. Martini
Ingham County Historical Commission
Ingham County Rural One-Room Schools presents information on 155 early Ingham County one-room schoolhouses in a timeline format. The chapters are organized by township according to when the township was established. An 1874 map featuring color-coded school districts begins each chapter, followed by schools listed by district number and name. Where information is available, the timeline begins with the earliest known school's location and description and includes deed and lease information as well as information on consolidation/annexation. The appendix includes teacher information by school and date, if known.