Those Good Old Days

The following letter from F. A. Dewey, president of the Lenawee Coiinty Pioneer Society, should have been given before, but through pressure of other rnatters has been delayed. .It is well wortli perusing, and will be of interest to many of the old pioneers of the county: Cambridge, Mieli., Aug. 20, 1885. Hon. E. D. Lat, Dear Sir: - Your card of Ang. 17th receired in due time. It would be a very great pleasure to accept your ki::d invitation to attend tlie Washtenaw Pioneer meeting, but ray ïealth has been quite poor during the past ,wo weeks. The annual meeting of the [¦enawee Pioneers is appointed to meet al Morenci, Scpt. 3d, so that it would be nearly impossible for me to attend both, even f well. I will glve you a short account of ray eaily recollectionsof Washtenaw County. Well do I reraember, flfty-six yenrs ago ,liis summer, of staytng over night at Mr. Whitmore's log tavern on the high west;rn bank of the Huron riverat Ipsilanti. '. was then but a youth, and a str.uiger in this wild western región of the lakes1, hich has slnce grown to be the state of Michigan. Ypsilanti was only a hamlet of some half-dozen log houses on the banks of the Huron river, at the crossing of that stream by the Detroit and Chicago turnpike. It is pleasant to review the wild forest scènes between Ypsilanti and Tecumseh, as they appeared to ine, a mail carrier on that road, in 1830. Where now are cultivated farms and comfortable dwellings, there was then in the unbroken forest, the homes of only the deer and the bear, and a few rude wigwams of the noble red man. During most ot the time between the years 1830 to 1835, [ was a stage driyer on the road between Saline and Detroit. At some seasons of the year, the roads wure in delightful condition, the mud holes In soine places Delng less tban four feet deep; but the stage company furnished good four horse teams and well built "Troy coaches." My fouthful mind was mostlv educated to its )oetic and imaginative conceptions of subiiuity and beauty in nature while ilriving stage over the winding road in the wild 'orests of Washtenaw county. My honored friend Mr. Lay. When first we became acquainted, fully rlfty years ago, how different were the scènes han those which now meet our eyes, as we trarel over your smooth gravcled roads or in the swift coaches of your steel railways. Wliere there stood oaks and other 'orest trees of a century's growth, while tiere and there a rude clearing made by some hardy pioneer settler, we now flnd fertile farms with fields of waving grain and orchards laden with fruit; where :here were only rude log cabins, we now ¦hul comfortable, yes beautiful, farm liouses. Tlie pioneers ought certainly to review with pleasure the works which their mi mis have planucd and their hands have executed. Sevcral times have I attended the Pioneer meetings in your county and enjoyed Lhe hoepitality of yourcitizens. And one tliing that I ptlze liiglily, I have been electcd a Ufe memberot your County Pioneer Society. To my pioneer frlemls, you have done a historie work for Washtenaw connty, and you will see by the above writing, I have dictated for my son topen down, as I have been conüned to the house for over two weeks with chills - but am now some better and in hopes to attend the annual meeting at Moreuci, Sept. 3d. l'lease accept my generous thanks for your kind invitatlon to the Pittsfleld gathering, may it be a beautiful day and as usual, a cherished good company. Yours with much esteem, Prwldent of Unawee Co. Ploncir Soclty.