Located 28 miles south of Lansing and 17 miles north of Jackson, Leslie is a small city with a real Main Street populated with shops, restaurants, and more. Though it is close to some of the largest cities in Michigan, Leslie has a small-town atmosphere where people look out for each other and greet one another by name. Surrounded by nature and numerous creeks, the community of Leslie combines the best of both worlds: the peace of a small community and the easy access to the benefits of the larger cities.
Before pioneers began to settle in the area that would become the village of Leslie, the land was inhabited by Native Americans of the Potawatomi and Chippewa tribes, who hunted and trapped throughout the Saginaw and Grand River valleys, in pursuit of the game that was abundant at that time. The Treaty of Saginaw occurred in 1819, wherein the United States government negotiated with prominent Native American chiefs, resulting in the U.S. government taking possession of most of the land in lower Michigan. In the 1830s and 1840s, early pioneers traveled from New York and eastern states and began to purchase the land that would eventually become Leslie and the surrounding areas. As more pioneers chose to settle in the area, land was converted for agricultural use. This reduced the amount of wild game that the Native Americans had counted on. Also, diseases such as smallpox and measles hit the Native American population hard and their population dwindled, as the land became settled by more and more pioneer families.
An early timeline, up to the 2000s, traces some of the major developments of Leslie that forged the charming city it has become today.
1830s
In 1836, Elijah Woodworth was the first settler in what would become the city of Leslie. Woodworth was originally from New York. He is said to have crossed the Grand River in a raft, as many early settlers did, until Freeman bridge was built.
In 1837, Leslie was organized into Leslie Township. Originally called Meekerville and originally part of Aurelius Township, that officially changed on December 30, 1837. Legislator Dr. J.A. Cornell of Spring proposed naming the village and the township “Leslie” after a well-respected family he knew from New York. The name was accepted and the rest is history.
In 1838, the first Leslie Township meeting was held at the home of Henry Fiske.
In 1839-1840, the first store was built in the village, by V.H. Powell of Ann Arbor.
1840s
In 1841, a post office was assigned to the area.
In 1844, the first hotel was established, converted from a dwelling, by Nathaniel and Horace Smith.
1850s
In 1852, the first hotel burned and was rebuilt that same year by Horace Smith.
In 1852, the Eagle Hotel was built by Hiram Austin.
1860s
In 1864, the First National Bank of Leslie was established, with a capital of $50,000.
In 1865, the Michigan Central Railroad’s Saginaw Branch, which ran from Jackson to Bay City via Lansing and Saginaw, opened to Leslie.
In 1869, Leslie was incorporated into a village.
In 1869, James McDaniels purchased the Eagle Hotel, enlarging and repairing it.
In 1869, the newspaper The Leslie Herald was established by J.W. Allen.
1870s
In 1870, the village purchased several hand fire extinguishers. By 1872, it was decided that the village would purchase a fire engine, which could not exceed $1,000 in cost.
In 1875, Protection Fire Company No.2 was organized, with 26 members.
In 1876, The Leslie Herald became The Leslie Local, and W.W. Cook took control of that paper.
1880s
In the summer of 1880, the Protection Fire Company was reorganized with 30 members.
In 1880, a new grist mill was built by the Wilcox brothers.
In 1888, a creamery was established by Edwin Stone, who owned it for about seven years.
1890s
In 1892, the elevator for the first bean mill was established by W.S. Prescott & Company.
In 1894, Edwin Stone sold his creamery to Geo. Wilcox, who ran it for about four years.
1900s
The Leslie train depot was built around 1902.
In 1903, a memorial hall was dedicated to Leslie veterans of the Civil War, at a total cost of $4,500.
In 1908, the Leslie Home Telephone Company was organized.
In 1909, interurban Michigan United Railways constructed the main line of the Northern Division, which ran from Jackson to Lansing. It ran over local streetcar lines in both Lansing and Jackson, but there was additional street-running in Leslie as well.
1910s
In 1912, Arthur J. Tuttle, who was born in Leslie in 1868, was confirmed to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
In 1917, children’s book author Holling Clancy Holling graduated from Leslie High School. He wrote and illustrated Paddle to the Sea and Pagoo.
1920s
In 1924, the enrollment for Leslie Junior and Senior high was 181, larger than usual, so it was necessary to put in 16 new seats.
1930s
In 1938, chef Frank L. White died and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Leslie. A prominent chef in Chicago, White lived his last decades in Leslie. He is believed to be the model for the fictional breakfast chef featured on the boxes of Cream of Wheat breakfast cereal.
1940s
In 1941, at age 18, Leslie native David Latter signed with the Detroit Tigers and pitched for the Muskegon Club and the Texarkana Twins farm teams.
In 1944, federal judge Arthur J. Tuttle died. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Leslie.
In 1946-47, David Latter also played in the National Basketball League for the Detroit Gems and was the top scorer for that season.
1950s
In 1948-1952, Leslie native David Latter played for the New York Yankees farm teams the Binghamton Triplets and the Beaumont Roughnecks.
1960s
In 1968, the village of Leslie was incorporated into a city. Robert W. Shipman, Sr. was the city’s first mayor.
1970s
In 1970, the Leslie Historical Society was established. The Society’s mission is to “promote awareness and an appreciation for the history of our community and to preserve and display our heritage from the past for our future generations to learn from.”
1980s
In 1987, the Leslie Depot Diner began serving delicious food in the old train depot and had been run by the same family for over 20 years. One of the diner’s favorites is the “Train Wreck” – a plate full of biscuits, hash browns, eggs, onions, and cheese topped with sausage gravy.
1990s
In 1996, the new Leslie High School was built at 4141 Hull Road.
In 1999, the White Pine Academy was founded by a group of local parents looking for a back-to-basics curriculum and small class sizes.
2000s
In 2005, White Pine Academy built a new facility at 510 Russell Street.
In 2007, the concrete grave marker on Frank L. White’s grave was replaced with a granite gravestone.
2010s
In 2013, The Leslie Depot Diner was featured on MLive.com’s “Michigan’s Best Breakfast Joint.”
2020s
In 2020, the well-known and well-loved Depot Diner closed because of lost business due to COVID-19.
Leslie Today
Leslie is a pleasant city surrounded by natural beauty and gently rolling hills. Though Leslie is close to the larger cities of Lansing and Jackson, its local businesses and friendly residents make it a special place with small-town charm.
Sources:
http://michiganhistory.leadr.msu.edu/leslie-history/
https://www.cityofleslie.org/about
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie,_Michigan
https://www.leslietownship.org/history
https://lesliehistorical.org/notable-persons
http://www.migenweb.org/ingham/Leslie.html
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty/3125348.000 1.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext;q1=Leslie++Mich.++– +Genealogy
https://www.mlive.com/lansing-entertainment/2013/03/ michigans_best_breakfast_joint_7.html
https://kids.kiddle.co/Leslie,_Michigan
https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/ digital-collections/artifact/205164/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_United_Railways