THE CAPITOL From the time of Cadillac's occupancy of Fort Pontchartrain in 1701 until 1847 the seat of government was at Detroit. In the latter year the legislature decided to locate the permanent capitol of Michigan at Lansing, then covered by a dense forest and forty miles distant from a railroad. The spot selected was section 16, Lansing Township, Ingham County, the same being a school district and still held by the state. The project was at first greeted with both ridicule and serious opposition but the location has proved to be generally satisfactory. The first capitol building in Lansing was a two-story, frame structure erected in 1847, 60x100 feet, with a small tinned dome. In 1853 a two-story, brick building was erected on the ground where the capitol now stands. Under the provisions of an act entitled, "An act to provide for the erection of a new state capitol and a building for the temporary use of the state offices," approved March 31, 1871, Governor Baldwin appointed E. O. Grosvenor, James Shearer, and Alexander Chapoton as a board of building commissioners. They met at the office of the governor on the 11th day of April, 1871, took the constitutional oath of office, filed their bonds and completed their organization by the election of Commissioner Grosvenor as vice president of the board, the governor being ex-officio the presiding officer. It was decided at this meeting to make a tour of observation and in furtherance of this design the board visited Springfield, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin, during the month of May. On the fifth of June the board met and prepared an advertisement and ordered the same published in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Lansing, inviting from architects the submission of plans and designs for the proposed new capitol, in competition for the premiums offered by the legislature, said plans to be deposited with the governor on or before the first day of December next. On account of the Chicago fire, October, 1871, in which some of the designs were destroyed, the time was extended until December 28, at noon, when twenty sets of drawings were submitted. On the 24th day of January, 1872, the examination of designs was completed and by a unanimous vote of the commissioners and all the State Officers present, the design entitled "Tuebor", submitted by Elijah E. Myers, of Springfield, Illinois, was adopted. The second prize was awarded to P. H. Decker, and the third to Edward S. Jenison, both of Chicago, Illinois. On March 20, the Board entered into an agreement with Elijah E. Myers, to act as architect and general superintendent of the construction of the new capitol, at a compensation of twenty-five thousand dollars. On the 20th day of May, the detail drawings and specifications were completed by Mr. Myers, and on the 21st an advertisement was prepared and forwarded for publication to the cities of New York, Chicago, Detroit and Lansing, soliciting proposals from builders and contractors for erecting and completing the capitol in accordance with the plans and specifications adopted. The bids were submitted July 8, and on the 15th the commissioners entered into a contract with N. Osburn & Company of Rochester, New York, and Detroit, Michigan, to construct and complete the capitol in accordance with the plans, specifications and detail drawings, for the sum of $1,144,057.20, all four fronts to be constructed of No. 1, Amherst, Ohio, sandstone. The contract required the building to be completed December 1, 1877, and the contractors entered at once upon the work. The legislature of 1873, by joint resolution, approved April 24, provided for a public celebration upon the laying of the corner stone of the capitol and for the appointment of a committee to provide appropriate arrangements therefor. The committee was to consist of the Governor, who should be its chairman, the members of the State Building Commissioners and ten citizens of the state, to be appointed by the governor. The committee so appointed consisted of the following persons: Governor John J. Bagley, Chairman. Ebenezer O. Grosvenor, Vice-President. James Shearer.. Alexander Chapoton. David Anderson. John P. Hoyt... William H. Withington. Augustus S. Gaylord. Leonard H. Randall. Oliver L. Spaulding. .Detroit .Jonesville .Lansing .Bay City Detroit . Bear Lake Mills Vassar . Jackson .Saginaw Detroit .Port Huron Grand Rapids .St. Johns . Adrian Lansing The board of state building commissioners was directed by the legislature to procure a suitable corner stone and to cause the following inscription to be carved thereon with raised letters in sunk panels. On the east face, "A. D. 1872," and on the north face, "A. D.", and the year of completion. The commissioners selected New Hampshire granite. The design was prepared by Architect Myers and the contract for preparing it awarded to Struthers & Sons of Philadelphia. The corner stone of the Capitol of the State of Michigan was laid on Thursday, the 2d day of October, 1873. A procession was formed under the direction of General William Humphrey, Chief Marshal, consisting of the Military, Civil Officers, commanderies of Knights Templar, Masonic fraternity, encampment I. O. O. F., and fraternity I. O. O. F., after which an introductory address was delivered by Governor Bagley. This was followed by a prayer of Bishop Samuel A. McCoskry, and the singing of the national anthem, "America," by the assembled multitude. Then came the oration of the day by Honorable William A. Howard, following which was the impressive ceremony of laying the corner stone, conducted by Hon. Hugh McCurdy, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Michigan. The capitol was finally completed in 1878 at a total cost of $1,510,130.59. The total appropriations amounted to $1,525,241.05, leaving an unexpended bal |