Lansing History

In 1836, Jerry and William Ford, two brothers from New York, plotted out a section of the floodplains south of the Grand River, naming the area "Biddle City." They then went back to New York to sell plots for the non-existent town, claiming the "city" had an area of 65 blocks and a church, as well as a public and academic square. A group of 16 settlers from Lansing, New York, bought plots in the settlement and, upon reaching the area, realized the virtues of Biddle City had been greatly exaggerated. Those that elected to stay and settle the area renamed it "Lansing Township" in honor of their home town in New York. Whether the Ford brothers were visionaries or scam artists is still a matter of debate in Lansing.

The city of Lansing didn't really begin to prosper or grow until 1847, when it was made the state capital. Detroit, the capital at the time, was located a little too close to British-controlled Canada for everyone's comfort. Detroit had been captured once during the War of 1812, and there was fear it might fall into British hands again, so the decision was made to move the capital to a safer location somewhere in Michigan's interior. A number of prominent cities, including Ann Arbor, Marshall, Jackson, and Calumet, lobbied hard for the designation as state capital. In the end, the Michigan House of Representatives grew tired of all the political wrangling and simply chose Lansing to bring the matter to a close.

Lansing's industrial growth began with Ransom E. Olds, who built and marketed one of the earliest automobiles in the U.S. The REO Motor Car Company was a mainstay in Lansing from 1905 until 1975, and Oldsmobile (purchased by General Motors in 1908) was a vital part of the city's economy until 2004, when the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line at the Lansing Car Assembly. As the manufacturing sector has been downsized over the past few years, Lansing has been forced to diversify its economy, splitting it between government service, manufacturing, and education.

The Grand River winds through downtown Lansing while its tributary, the Red Cedar River, flows through the Michigan State University campus. An extensive river trail system currently follows the Grand River from downtown eastward, and there are currently plans to develop it into a full-blown Riverwalk by October of 2007. The Michigan Princess, a triple-deck riverboat, offers cruises on the Grand all through the summer and fall. The Riverwalk Theatre and the historic Lansing City Market are both located downtown along the Grand River. The Potter Park Zoological Gardens on the Red Cedar River was founded in 1915 and currently has over 400 animals on display.